Dog's best friend The story of an unbreakable bond
Book - 2020
"Ludo is a dog--Simon Garfield's beloved black Labrador retriever, one of millions of canines who have become integral parts of our lives. But how did the humble dog become top dog? How did these faithful animals come to assist us not only in hunting, but in bomb disposal and cancer detection--and ultimately become our closest companions? Dog's Best Friend examines how this bond developed over the centuries, and how it has transformed countless lives, both human and canine. Garfield begins with the earliest visual representations--dogs depicted in ancient rock art--and ends at the laboratory that first sequenced the canine genome. Along the way, we meet the legendary corgis of Buckingham Palace, the dogs of the Soviet space p...rogram, the world's first labradoodle, and a border collie that can identify more than a thousand different plush toys. Garfield reveals the secrets of the world's best dog trainers, takes us inside the wild world of dog breeding and dog shows, and unearths the deep psychological roots of the human-dog link. And Ludo pops his snout in from time to time as well"--Dust jacket flap.
- Subjects
- Published
-
New York, NY :
William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers
[2020]
- Language
- English
- Main Author
- Edition
- First U.S. edition
- Item Description
- Includes index.
- Physical Description
- 307 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations (some color) ; 22 cm
- Bibliography
- Includes bibliographical references and index.
- ISBN
- 9780063052246
- Introduction: The Dogness of Dogs
- 1. The Indelible Image
- 2. How Dogs Began
- 3. Fido Thinks Maybe
- 4. What Darwin Didn't Know About Dogs (Was Hardly Worth Knowing)
- 5. Dogs Will Heal
- 6. The Smartest Dogs on Earth and Beyond
- 7. How We Got to Jackshi-tzu
- 8. How to Win a Ribbon
- 9. Dog Story
- 10. Through the Hoops
- 11. The Art of the Floofiest
- 12. Inglorious
- 13. Born a Dog, Died a Gentleman
- 14. Discover Dogs!
- Acknowledgments
- Further Reading
- Photo Credits for Insert
- Index
Review by Kirkus Book Review