Wonderdog: The Science of Dogs and Their Unique Friendship with Humans
Almost everywhere there are humans, 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, our relationship with dogs has evolved considerably. 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 behaviorists have built upon the study of dogs and their much-improved methods have fetched increasingly important results.



With the help of vets, ethologists, neurologists, historians and 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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Wonderdog: The Science of Dogs and Their Unique Friendship with Humans
Almost everywhere there are humans, 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, our relationship with dogs has evolved considerably. 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 behaviorists have built upon the study of dogs and their much-improved methods have fetched increasingly important results.



With the help of vets, ethologists, neurologists, historians and 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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Wonderdog: The Science of Dogs and Their Unique Friendship with Humans

Wonderdog: The Science of Dogs and Their Unique Friendship with Humans

by Jules Howard

Narrated by Jules Howard

Unabridged — 7 hours, 8 minutes

Wonderdog: The Science of Dogs and Their Unique Friendship with Humans

Wonderdog: The Science of Dogs and Their Unique Friendship with Humans

by Jules Howard

Narrated by Jules Howard

Unabridged — 7 hours, 8 minutes

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Overview

Almost everywhere there are humans, 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, our relationship with dogs has evolved considerably. 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 behaviorists have built upon the study of dogs and their much-improved methods have fetched increasingly important results.



With the help of vets, ethologists, neurologists, historians and 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.

Editorial Reviews

Virginia Morell

"A wonderful book! I loved it. Informative and engaging."

Alexandra Horowitz

"Wonderdog is a paean to these clever, flexible, charming animals who sit and walk alongside us — and also a humane, thoughtful consideration of the science using and about dogs. You'll want to read it with a dog by your side, so you can regularly turn to them admiringly and tickle their ears."

Library Journal

"A solid study on man’s best friend that can be enjoyed by the casual reader or the historian alike, with an exceptional balance of entertainment and educational value."

Zazie Todd

"A fresh and vibrant account of what we’ve learned about dogs from Darwin to today. With a cast of familiar and almost-forgotten characters, Wonderdog tells us why dogs do the things they do – and what it tells us about ourselves. Full of compassion and intrigue, this is scientific storytelling at its very best."

Publishers Weekly

"Zoologist Howard (Death on Earth) enlists the help of veterinary professionals, psychologists, ethologists, neurologists, historians, and others in this eclectic history of dogs....Howard peppers in charming stories of his own childhood dog, Biff, giving the survey equal parts heft and heart: 'We had all the hallmarks of love for one another, Biff and I.' This is just the thing for dog lovers."

Ben Garrod

"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."

Marc Bekoff

"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."

Hal Herzog

"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."

Adam Hart

"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!"

Forbes

"Wonderdog succeeds in drawing readers in and delivering reliable scientific information packaged in compelling and sometimes heart-warming anecdotes. I have no doubt that even the science-phobic among dog lovers can find Wonderdog exhilarating."

author of Canine Confidential Marc Bekoff

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.”

Professor Alice Roberts

"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."

Jess French

"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."

BBC Focus

"Highly entertaining and informative."

National Geographic - Brian Switek

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."

Booklist

"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."—

The Dispatch

"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."

Natural History Magazine

"A writer 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?"

Product Details

BN ID: 2940195663896
Publisher: Tantor Audio
Publication date: 08/12/2025
Edition description: Unabridged
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