Overview

A celebration of dogs, the scientists who've lived alongside them, and how canines have been key to advancements in science for the betterment of all species. Almost everywhere there are humans on planet Earth, there are dogs. But what do dogs know and understand of the world? Do their emotions feel like our own? Do they love like we do? What do they think of us? Since our alliance first began on the hunt and on the farm, our relationship with dogs has evolved considerably. And with domestic dog population rising twenty per cent in the last decade alone, it is a bond that will continue to evolve. In order to gauge where our relationship with dogs goes from here, author and zoologist Jules Howard takes a look at the historical paths we have trod together, and at the many scientists before him who turned their analytic eye on their own four-legged companions. Charles Darwin and his contemporaries toyed with dog sign language and made special puzzle boxes and elaborate sniff tests using old socks. Later, the same questions drove Pavlov and Pasteur to unspeakable cruelty in their search for knowledge. Since then, leagues of psychologists and animal behaviourists have built upon the study of dogs and their much-improved methods have fetched increasingly important results: dogs have episodic memory similar to ours; they recognise themselves as individuals; and, in addition to their expert sense of smell, dogs' noses can even detect thermal radiation. With the help of vets, ethologists, neurologists, historians and, naturally, his own dogs, Wonderdog reveals the study of dogs to be key in the advancement of compassion in scientific research, and crucial to making life on Earth better for all species.

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9781639362622

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Reviews

Turning wolves into dogs took knowledge, insight and a few cheeky treats along the way. This book contains all three, and is the perfect companion to any dog lover. --Ben Garrod, Evolutionary Biologist and Conservationist Howard's jubilant sense of discovery and his delight in telling what he has found make him a bright, cheeky guide to an intriguing and essential part of the natural world. -- The Dispatch Praise for Jules Howard: A refreshingly self-aware exploration of the most intimate moments in nature and how the incredible variety of life has led us to frame our own thoughts about this near-ubiquitous biological drive. --Riley Black National Geographic Full of insight and brilliantly researched, Wonderdog is a delightful read and a fascinating look at how much more there is to learn from man's best friend. --Kate MacDougall, author of London's No. 1 Dog Walking Agency With Wonderdog, Jules Howard explores the highs and the lows of science's sometimes troubled relationship with the domesticated wolf with which we share our homes and lives. With his characteristic lightness of touch, Howard takes us on a journey of discovery that will leave no dog-lover unmoved, and no dog-hater unconverted. A splendid, entertaining and hugely informative read! --Adam Hart, author of Unfit for Purpose: When Human Evolution Collides with the Modern World A writ er who blends professional expertise in zoology with charm, wit, and a cockeyed sense of humor. What better guide through nature's red-light district could one ask for? -- Natural History Magazine Highly entertaining and informative. -- BBC Focus Howard has written with Bill Bryson-like wit about the sex of pandas, dinosaurs, frogs, flamingos, hedgehogs, insects, and other creatures. Readers may laugh while they learn. -- -- Booklist

Turning wolves into dogs took knowledge, insight and a few cheeky treats along the way. This book contains all three, and is the perfect companion to any dog lover. --Ben Garrod, Evolutionary Biologist and Conservationist Howard's jubilant sense of discovery and his delight in telling what he has found make him a bright, cheeky guide to an intriguing and essential part of the natural world. -- The Dispatch Full of insight and brilliantly researched, Wonderdog is a delightful read and a fascinating look at how much more there is to learn from man's best friend. --Kate MacDougall, author of London's No. 1 Dog Walking Agency With Wonderdog, Jules Howard explores the highs and the lows of science's sometimes troubled relationship with the domesticated wolf with which we share our homes and lives. With his characteristic lightness of touch, Howard takes us on a journey of discovery that will leave no dog-lover unmoved, and no dog-hater unconverted. A splendid, entertaining and hugely informative read! --Adam Hart, author of Unfit for Purpose: When Human Evolution Collides with the Modern World Praise for Jules Howard: A refreshingly self-aware exploration of the most intimate moments in nature and how the incredible variety of life has led us to frame our own thoughts about this near-ubiquitous biological drive. --Brian Switek National Geographic A writ er who blends professional expertise in zoology with charm, wit, and a cockeyed sense of humor. What better guide through nature's red-light district could one ask for? -- Natural History Magazine Highly entertaining and informative. -- BBC Focus Howard has written with Bill Bryson-like wit about the sex of pandas, dinosaurs, frogs, flamingos, hedgehogs, insects, and other creatures. Readers may laugh while they learn. -- -- Booklist

A refreshingly self-aware exploration of the most intimate moments in nature and how the incredible variety of life has led us to frame our own thoughts about this near-ubiquitous biological drive. --Riley Black National Geographic Turning wolves into dogs took knowledge, insight and a few cheeky treats along the way. This book contains all three, and is the perfect companion to any dog lover. --Ben Garrod, Evolutionary Biologist and Conservationist Howard's jubilant sense of discovery and his delight in telling what he has found make him a bright, cheeky guide to an intriguing and essential part of the natural world. -- The Dispatch Praise for Wonderdog: Wonderdog offers readers a whirlwind tour of 150 years of research on the minds and behavior of man's best friend. From Darwin and Pavlov to the latest research in canine science, Wonderdog reflects first-rate scholarship yet reads like a detective novel. This book puts Jules Howard in the top ranks of contemporary science writers. --Hal Herzog, author of Some We Love, Some We Hate, Some We Eat: Why It's So Hard to Think Straight About Animals Jules Howard's Wonderdog is a wonderful, fact-filled, and easy-to-read journey into the heads and hearts of dogs--who they are, what they know, and what they feel. It's essential to know and respect how these fascinating animals sense their worlds so that we can help them adapt to ours--so they can get all they need as they negotiate a human-oriented world. Howard does a masterful job blending the latest science with doses of common sense as he covers what we know and still need to know to give dogs the best lives possible. Wonderdog is a must-read. --Marc Bekoff, University of Colorado, author of Canine Confidential: Why Dogs Do What They Do and co-author with Jessica Pierce of Unleashing Your Dog: A Field Guide to Giving Your Canine Companion the Best Life Possible Praise for Jules Howard's Sex on Earth: A brilliant history of how we came to know our best friends better - the trials and tribulations, the highs and lows. Jules Howard reveals how we came to know dogs better and how that's helped us understand ourselves. --Professor Alice Roberts, biological anthropologist, broadcaster and author of Ancestors The book about dogs I never knew I needed, full of answers to questions I never thought to ask. A fascinating and eye-opening read for anyone that has ever loved a dog. --Jess French, veterinarian, zoologist, broadcaster and author of Puppy Talk While Howard includes these moments of playful humility on behalf of earlier science, his message is profound, though he insists that it's 'straightforward' 'It is simply that the more compassionate we have become in our explorations into the minds of dogs, the more intelligent they have shown us to be. It's that simple.' -- The Guardian UK Full of insight and brilliantly researched, Wonderdog is a delightful read and a fascinating look at how much more there is to learn from man's best friend. --Kate MacDougall, author of London's No. 1 Dog Walking Agency With Wonderdog, Jules Howard explores the highs and the lows of science's sometimes troubled relationship with the domesticated wolf with which we share our homes and lives. With his characteristic lightness of touch, Howard takes us on a journey of discovery that will leave no dog-lover unmoved, and no dog-hater unconverted. A splendid, entertaining and hugely informative read! --Adam Hart, author of Unfit for Purpose: When Human Evolution Collides with the Modern World A writ er who blends professional expertise in zoology with charm, wit, and a cockeyed sense of humor. What better guide through nature's red-light district could one ask for? -- Natural History Magazine Highly entertaining and informative. -- BBC Focus Howard has written with Bill Bryson-like wit about the sex of pandas, dinosaurs, frogs, flamingos, hedgehogs, insects, and other creatures. Readers may laugh while they learn. -- -- Booklist

Howard's jubilant sense of discovery and his delight in telling what he has found make him a bright, cheeky guide to an intriguing and essential part of the natural world. -- The Dispatch Praise for Jules Howard: A refreshingly self-aware exploration of the most intimate moments in nature and how the incredible variety of life has led us to frame our own thoughts about this near-ubiquitous biological drive. --Brian Switek National Geographic A writ er who blends professional expertise in zoology with charm, wit, and a cockeyed sense of humor. What better guide through nature's red-light district could one ask for? -- Natural History Magazine Highly entertaining and informative. -- BBC Focus Howard has written with Bill Bryson-like wit about the sex of pandas, dinosaurs, frogs, flamingos, hedgehogs, insects, and other creatures. Readers may laugh while they learn. -- -- Booklist

Author Information

Jules Howard, author of Wonderdog, is a wildlife expert, zoology correspondent, science-writer, and broadcaster. He writes regularly for many publications, including the Guardian, and appears regularly on television in the United Kingdom. He is the author of several nonfiction books and lives in London.

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