In my study the focus is on those literary works by Dezső Kosztolányi in which an animal, specifically a dog, appears. i am analysing a work of prose and a lyrical text – Hattyú halála (Dying Swan) and Hattyú kutyám… (Swan, my dog…). in order to do that, it is crucial to first discuss the ontological and cultural historical role of the animal, the relation of human and animal, the literary theoretical and literary historical aspect, as well as the literary representation of the questions regarding the animal. Since these questions are quite recent in the area of Hungarian literary studies, they require clarification, although here it might necessarily be in less detail. Therefore, the first part of this study is about the questions raised above, and only after that does it proceed with the actual analyses of texts. My aim is to provide an insight into how the animal and the literary text, the historical-cultural and the linguistic dimensions can be integrated into literary reading, and how the topic of the animal can be interpreted regarding the chosen works by Kosztolányi.