DOGS

A tail-wagging tribute to all the Spikes, Lassies, and other working and companion pooches in our lives.

Judge opens “long ago” (between 50,000 and 20,000 years ago), closes with a portrait gallery of 34 modern breeds, and in between traces the long history of our working association with the canine clan while celebrating the uniquely close and shared ties that have grown up in consequence…to the point that staring into a dog’s eyes produces in both brains oxytocin, the hormone that prompts human mothers to hug their babies. The heartwarming narrative is more than matched by the intense appeal of the cheery, alert, eminently pettable looking four-legged cast in the illustrations—seen willingly pulling sleds, guarding sheep, sniffing out truffles and disease, curled up in laps or in bed, providing guidance or aid to a racially diverse array of people in physical or emotional need, and gazing winningly up at visitors to an animal shelter…not to mention bestowing multiple eager greetings and face licks to smiling children. “In almost every way imaginable, they have cared for us,” the author concludes. “But perhaps the most important thing dogs and humans can share is…love.” Backmatter features profiles of 10 famous canines as well as a timeline, a list of sources, and an author’s note. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Sweeter than a scratch behind the ears.