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Dogs: Working Origins and Traditional Tasks
Explains how environment and selective breeding for these tasks shaped the physiology of the breeds we see today.
With his signature hands-on style, Mike Loades experiences what it is like to handle various dogs engaged in their traditional tasks. These adventures take him to the Jordanian desert, where he shares the saddle of his camel with a Saluki and to the green hills of Wales, where he works cattle with a Corgi. He mushes Huskies in Alaska, drives carriages with Dalmatians and flies falcons with Spaniels. Each encounter not only highlights the bond between humans and dogs, it also frames that connection in its historical context. Different types of dogs appear the way they do because, at some stage in their development, they were bred selectively for a specialist job.
The author takes key types on a walk through history. Along the way he explores the methods and practices of their original occupations. He delves into when, where and why they were first bred as the types we recognize today. The fascinating and engaging text is supported by over 250 stunning color photographs of dogs in action. It results in an illuminating journey through many cultures and time periods. This book is a personal and heartfelt tribute to the enduring partnership between humans and dogs.
With his signature hands-on style, Mike Loades experiences what it is like to handle various dogs engaged in their traditional tasks. These adventures take him to the Jordanian desert, where he shares the saddle of his camel with a Saluki and to the green hills of Wales, where he works cattle with a Corgi. He mushes Huskies in Alaska, drives carriages with Dalmatians and flies falcons with Spaniels. Each encounter not only highlights the bond between humans and dogs, it also frames that connection in its historical context. Different types of dogs appear the way they do because, at some stage in their development, they were bred selectively for a specialist job.
The author takes key types on a walk through history. Along the way he explores the methods and practices of their original occupations. He delves into when, where and why they were first bred as the types we recognize today. The fascinating and engaging text is supported by over 250 stunning color photographs of dogs in action. It results in an illuminating journey through many cultures and time periods. This book is a personal and heartfelt tribute to the enduring partnership between humans and dogs.
- GenresNonfictionHistory
352 pages, Hardcover
Published December 2, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
August 2, 2024
An interesting focus on one of our oldest relationships with another species. Loades love for dogs comes through strongly but he has a lot of research and personal experience to share.
"To some extent, dogs evolved differently to operate in disparate climates and terrain. However the diverse range of dog types that we have is mostly because humans bred them selectively to become specialists; to perform certain tasks for us. Those occupations ranged from herding and guarding to hauling and tracking and all manner of hunting assignments. The fundamental link between form and function is the reason different dogs look and behave the way they do….As a consequence, those who deal with breeds that still have a working function have had the greater success in perpetuating strains of vigour, ability and character."
This book is about exploring those occupational origins, about the social history of this unique and wonderful inter-species partnership and about the enduring power of that connection.
"The degree of morphologic variation in dogs exceeds that of all other land mammals and the ‘dog genome project’, which began in the 1990s, has demonstrated that genetic variations between different dog breeds can be as much as 27.5 per cent. There is only 2 per cent difference in DNA between a human and a chimpanzee! This wide divergence of genetic profiles between the varied breeds of dog is highly significant, even though, according to the ‘long-term pariah morph’ paradigm, after multiple generations of interbreeding with non-breed dogs, the distinctions can fade and they will begin to look broadly similar."
I found the book valuable for many reasons, but Loades’ approach was effective in getting me to consider dog behavior through a different lens. Enlightening and thought-provoking.
"To some extent, dogs evolved differently to operate in disparate climates and terrain. However the diverse range of dog types that we have is mostly because humans bred them selectively to become specialists; to perform certain tasks for us. Those occupations ranged from herding and guarding to hauling and tracking and all manner of hunting assignments. The fundamental link between form and function is the reason different dogs look and behave the way they do….As a consequence, those who deal with breeds that still have a working function have had the greater success in perpetuating strains of vigour, ability and character."
This book is about exploring those occupational origins, about the social history of this unique and wonderful inter-species partnership and about the enduring power of that connection.
"The degree of morphologic variation in dogs exceeds that of all other land mammals and the ‘dog genome project’, which began in the 1990s, has demonstrated that genetic variations between different dog breeds can be as much as 27.5 per cent. There is only 2 per cent difference in DNA between a human and a chimpanzee! This wide divergence of genetic profiles between the varied breeds of dog is highly significant, even though, according to the ‘long-term pariah morph’ paradigm, after multiple generations of interbreeding with non-breed dogs, the distinctions can fade and they will begin to look broadly similar."
I found the book valuable for many reasons, but Loades’ approach was effective in getting me to consider dog behavior through a different lens. Enlightening and thought-provoking.
April 14, 2023
The book I am presenting to you today is a fantastic volume that takes us into the world of animals and especially of man's best friend, the dog.
The dog is an animal that has suffered most of all from its proximity to humans. Every dog, although today, we are used to seeing almost all of them as pets has played a role in human activities since the beginning of history. On the contrary, it can be said that it has facilitated effort in many activities and in others it has fully compensated human action. This book, edited by White Owl, and beautifully written by Mike Loades, weapons expert and documentary maker, is a tribute but at the same time a book full of information about our canine friends.
The book is divided according to the roles that each breed of dog has assumed in history. So in 12 chapters we have before us all the activities that dogs have carried out together with man: Herd and droving dogs, livestock guard dogs, sled dogs, cart or draught dogs, carriage dogs, water dogs , game finders, sighthounds, scenthounds, mastiffs, terriers, companion dogs.
The book is the result of Loades' personal experiences in handling dogs of all breeds in the listed activities. The photos are fantastic and make us appreciate the details of each dog and its peculiarities in managing very well the activities in question. For example, the famous Corgi (famous as Queen Elizabeth II's favorite dog) was born as a cattle dog, and with its small size, as can be seen from Loades's story and the photos accompanying the text, it is very easy for him to avoid kicks of cattle reluctant to follow the indications that this little dog very bravely, barking at and even "nipping" does at those giants (compared to him). Every dog in the book has been "tested" (if that word can be used) by Loades. It is a factor that makes the book even more compelling. The story of the sled adventure with a pack of Huskies in Alaska is extremely interesting and Loades manages to combine technical details with his great passion for our four-legged friends.
It is enlightening to note that some dogs have been "designed", through crossbreeding in history, for a particular task, such as driving a heavy cart (which requires a large muscle mass like that of a Rottweiler) or accompanying a carriage (a now obsolete task) performed by Dalmatians (a hunting breed in reality) in order to then protect horses from any predators or thieves, once the cart had stopped in some post station.
Or you can look at the Labrador or the Newfoundland and their extreme and indispensable utility in the water, in carrying lines from one boat to another or in fishing.
There are also various hunting specialties in which scenthounds , retrievers, and any specialization that may exist in this ancient pastime are distinguished.
And then the fearsome mastiffs or terriers that chase their prey into their dens. One of the dogs that made me think the most is the "spit dog". This little specialty, now extinct, was used to spin the spit through the ride in a wheel (yes, just like a hamster, the spit dog was very similar in size), before machines replaced it in the house. It must be said that it was not supposed to be a very easy life.
Loades manages, therefore, in an extremely interesting book to list numerous dog breeds, on which he focuses by listing their strengths and weaknesses after having known and "used" them personally. This book makes us reflect on how much the dog has facilitated man's life by helping him or replacing him even for very difficult and dangerous tasks (for example, guarding and defending a flock from predators), but then it almost always ended up in the category of "companion dogs" which in a certain sense have "hidden" the intrinsic qualities of each breed. However Loades rediscovers these innate qualities that far from being a burden, instead make the dog "work" as they bring out its true nature, and it is a real pleasure to see these fantastic animals, outdoors to be happy in making themselves useful, enormously useful, to their human friend.
The dog is an animal that has suffered most of all from its proximity to humans. Every dog, although today, we are used to seeing almost all of them as pets has played a role in human activities since the beginning of history. On the contrary, it can be said that it has facilitated effort in many activities and in others it has fully compensated human action. This book, edited by White Owl, and beautifully written by Mike Loades, weapons expert and documentary maker, is a tribute but at the same time a book full of information about our canine friends.
The book is divided according to the roles that each breed of dog has assumed in history. So in 12 chapters we have before us all the activities that dogs have carried out together with man: Herd and droving dogs, livestock guard dogs, sled dogs, cart or draught dogs, carriage dogs, water dogs , game finders, sighthounds, scenthounds, mastiffs, terriers, companion dogs.
The book is the result of Loades' personal experiences in handling dogs of all breeds in the listed activities. The photos are fantastic and make us appreciate the details of each dog and its peculiarities in managing very well the activities in question. For example, the famous Corgi (famous as Queen Elizabeth II's favorite dog) was born as a cattle dog, and with its small size, as can be seen from Loades's story and the photos accompanying the text, it is very easy for him to avoid kicks of cattle reluctant to follow the indications that this little dog very bravely, barking at and even "nipping" does at those giants (compared to him). Every dog in the book has been "tested" (if that word can be used) by Loades. It is a factor that makes the book even more compelling. The story of the sled adventure with a pack of Huskies in Alaska is extremely interesting and Loades manages to combine technical details with his great passion for our four-legged friends.
It is enlightening to note that some dogs have been "designed", through crossbreeding in history, for a particular task, such as driving a heavy cart (which requires a large muscle mass like that of a Rottweiler) or accompanying a carriage (a now obsolete task) performed by Dalmatians (a hunting breed in reality) in order to then protect horses from any predators or thieves, once the cart had stopped in some post station.
Or you can look at the Labrador or the Newfoundland and their extreme and indispensable utility in the water, in carrying lines from one boat to another or in fishing.
There are also various hunting specialties in which scenthounds , retrievers, and any specialization that may exist in this ancient pastime are distinguished.
And then the fearsome mastiffs or terriers that chase their prey into their dens. One of the dogs that made me think the most is the "spit dog". This little specialty, now extinct, was used to spin the spit through the ride in a wheel (yes, just like a hamster, the spit dog was very similar in size), before machines replaced it in the house. It must be said that it was not supposed to be a very easy life.
Loades manages, therefore, in an extremely interesting book to list numerous dog breeds, on which he focuses by listing their strengths and weaknesses after having known and "used" them personally. This book makes us reflect on how much the dog has facilitated man's life by helping him or replacing him even for very difficult and dangerous tasks (for example, guarding and defending a flock from predators), but then it almost always ended up in the category of "companion dogs" which in a certain sense have "hidden" the intrinsic qualities of each breed. However Loades rediscovers these innate qualities that far from being a burden, instead make the dog "work" as they bring out its true nature, and it is a real pleasure to see these fantastic animals, outdoors to be happy in making themselves useful, enormously useful, to their human friend.
January 15, 2022
Dogs: Working Origins and Traditional Tasks is an enlightening and knowledgeable book full of interesting facts and brilliantly researched history into all breeds. The author writes with knowledge and expertise that can only be gotten with in-depth and hands-on research and because of his passion for dog’s this book is hugely enjoyable and an absolute must-read for anyone with an interest in dogs.
The book cover’s a huge variety of types of working dogs from all of your well-known family pet’s, breeds which we all know and love to breeds I have never heard of before. I have always been fascinated with dog’s history, and the jobs that they were bred to do, some of the dog’s history I already knew such as how the Dalmation was used as guards for coaches, how Fox Hounds and Beagles were and quite despicably still used today for the hunt (which in my opinion is well past due to be banned) how the Staffordshire Bull terrier has a history of bringing bulls down but also how they were known as the ‘Nanny dog’.
I have had Staffie’s for so many years (before my two boys) and in my personal opinion they are easily the best dog’s I have ever had, the loyalty and intelligence wrapped up in such a tough shell is incredible and if I ever get the chance to have another Staffiey then I will, I love them. I also knew about the different Terrier breeds; Patterdales, fell, Border, Jack Russells and so on, how they were bred for ratting/foxing – again, I knew this because my current two are terrier crossbreeds and I see both have the ratting/hunting/prey drive of the terrier (especially my little one whose mother was a working ratter) so that wasn’t a surprise, but what was, was the breeds such as the Labrador how they are loosely related to the New Foundlands and how Labrador didn’t exist two hundred years ago and what is the Lab now used to be called a Waterdog, that fascinated me.
What really hit me was how because of human intervention to ‘have perfect breeds’ how humans have changed dogs in such ways that not only how they live but in most cases how they look, how humans have either changed a breed beyond recognition in their pursuit of ‘perfection’ or tey have eradicated certain breeds from existence.
This book is very easy to read, you can easily skip to a section of your choosing, the book is section into categories making it very easy to navigate, it would make a brilliant reference book and also very insightful for just looking up breeds if you are looking into getting a dog, I fully believe you should always research the dogs breed if possible so you have an idea of the inherited traits your dog may present.
I love the huge selection of high-quality pictures throughout too, which mostly have been supplied by the author from his own catalogue and some taken by himself too.
I originally thought that this book would be full of uncomfortable history and unsightly diagrams of harsh working procedures for dogs but I was pleasantly surprised just how engaging this book is.
The book cover’s a huge variety of types of working dogs from all of your well-known family pet’s, breeds which we all know and love to breeds I have never heard of before. I have always been fascinated with dog’s history, and the jobs that they were bred to do, some of the dog’s history I already knew such as how the Dalmation was used as guards for coaches, how Fox Hounds and Beagles were and quite despicably still used today for the hunt (which in my opinion is well past due to be banned) how the Staffordshire Bull terrier has a history of bringing bulls down but also how they were known as the ‘Nanny dog’.
I have had Staffie’s for so many years (before my two boys) and in my personal opinion they are easily the best dog’s I have ever had, the loyalty and intelligence wrapped up in such a tough shell is incredible and if I ever get the chance to have another Staffiey then I will, I love them. I also knew about the different Terrier breeds; Patterdales, fell, Border, Jack Russells and so on, how they were bred for ratting/foxing – again, I knew this because my current two are terrier crossbreeds and I see both have the ratting/hunting/prey drive of the terrier (especially my little one whose mother was a working ratter) so that wasn’t a surprise, but what was, was the breeds such as the Labrador how they are loosely related to the New Foundlands and how Labrador didn’t exist two hundred years ago and what is the Lab now used to be called a Waterdog, that fascinated me.
What really hit me was how because of human intervention to ‘have perfect breeds’ how humans have changed dogs in such ways that not only how they live but in most cases how they look, how humans have either changed a breed beyond recognition in their pursuit of ‘perfection’ or tey have eradicated certain breeds from existence.
This book is very easy to read, you can easily skip to a section of your choosing, the book is section into categories making it very easy to navigate, it would make a brilliant reference book and also very insightful for just looking up breeds if you are looking into getting a dog, I fully believe you should always research the dogs breed if possible so you have an idea of the inherited traits your dog may present.
I love the huge selection of high-quality pictures throughout too, which mostly have been supplied by the author from his own catalogue and some taken by himself too.
I originally thought that this book would be full of uncomfortable history and unsightly diagrams of harsh working procedures for dogs but I was pleasantly surprised just how engaging this book is.
April 8, 2022
Okay, now I've read all of Mr. Loades's books! As always, his passion for whatever subject he writes about absolutely shines through. The fact that he set out to work with and experience the activities that each breed is bred for means that these dogs are seen in a completely different light than how they are usually seen. I had no concept of the wide variety of tasks and activities that dogs have been used for throughout human history and it was fascinating to see them at their best.
It does bear mentioning that much of what humanity has done to dogs, whether through active misuse or irresponsible breeding, is extremely shameful. Reading about bear-baiting or bad breeders prioritizing fashion over an animal's health should make us all ashamed of how humanity has treated dogs. But hopefully, moving forward, through resources such as "Dogs: Working Origins and Traditional Tasks," we can all make better decisions, not just for our own sake, but for the sake of wonderful companions as well.
It does bear mentioning that much of what humanity has done to dogs, whether through active misuse or irresponsible breeding, is extremely shameful. Reading about bear-baiting or bad breeders prioritizing fashion over an animal's health should make us all ashamed of how humanity has treated dogs. But hopefully, moving forward, through resources such as "Dogs: Working Origins and Traditional Tasks," we can all make better decisions, not just for our own sake, but for the sake of wonderful companions as well.
January 27, 2021
I've always enjoyed Mike Loades' presentation style, and his hands on approach to his subjects. He approaches working dogs with the same zeal and practicality as mounted archery. I've learned quite a bit. Never thought I would be so fascinated reading about dog carts and sled dogs.
March 22, 2021
Fantastic book. I've enjoyed it a lot. It offers a wonderful insight into the work dogs did and I learned a lot of new things from it.
December 20, 2021
Picking up this book I was mentally prepared to wade through harmful myths about dog behaviour and outdated, cruel training methods. Instead I was pleasantly surprised by the insight and delighted by the respect the author has for dogs. A few things may have raised my eyebrow, but for the most part I thoroughly enjoyed the reading experience. The information this book offers both matched what I learned as I was studying dog behaviour and added new interesting and useful knowledge.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews