The Truth About Dogs

The Ancestry, Social Conventions, Mental Habits and Moral Fibre of Canis Familiaris.

Dogs have stolen our hearts, our homes and our wallets, not necessarily in that order. Theirs is an impressive accomplishment for a species that just a few thousand years ago was cringing by the edge of campfires dodging brickbats. How do dogs get grown men to feed them sirloin and let them sit in their favourite armchairs?

In this provocative, entertaining, and wholly admiring reappraisal of man's canine companions, Stephen Budiansky calls upon the latest scientific research on dog behaviour, genes and evolution to explain why dogs do what they do, think what they think and feel what they feel, and how they have come to occupy such a remarkable place in our lives and affections.

'The Truth About Dogs' also offers an iconoclastic reassessment of accepted ideas about canine intelligence and emotions. Budiansky covers reasearch from the Dog Genome Project to new archaeological discoveries, to the latest in dog psychology and neuroscience. He paints the most scientifically accurate picture possible of what it truly is to be a dog.

Anyone who wants to understand what is really going on in the mind of their dog will find this book an indispensable resource. Experienced dog owners and novice alike will find that they will never look at their four-legged friends in the same way again.