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Dog's Best Friend: A Brief History of an Unbreakable Bond
A wise, witty, alternative history of humanity, DOG'S BEST FRIEND reflects on how our relationship with dogs has changed over the centuries, and explores the universal desire for non-human companionship
One of the first words we learn. Perhaps the best friend we'll have. An animal so much part of our lives that we speak to it like a child and spend small fortunes on its wellbeing and wardrobe.
Dogs and humans: in the last 200 years no inter-species relationship has developed so fast nor come so far. Dogs accompany us in every walk of life, usually three times a day. How and why did this relationship begin? How has it changed over the centuries? And who's getting the upper hand?
DOG'S BEST FRIEND investigates this unique bond by revisiting some of the most important milestones in our shared journey. It begins with the earliest visual evidence on ancient rock art, and ends at the laboratory that sequenced the first dog genome. En route we encounter the first Labradoodle in Australia, a misguidedly loyal Akita in Japan, an ill-fated Poodle trainer in the United States, and a hilariously disobedient Romanian rescue dog named Kratu at the Birmingham NEC. We will also meet Corgis and Dorgis at the Palace, the weightless mutniks of the Soviet space programme, a Dalmatian who impersonates Hitler, and an owner who claims his Border Collie can remember the names of more than a thousand soft toys.
One of the first words we learn. Perhaps the best friend we'll have. An animal so much part of our lives that we speak to it like a child and spend small fortunes on its wellbeing and wardrobe.
Dogs and humans: in the last 200 years no inter-species relationship has developed so fast nor come so far. Dogs accompany us in every walk of life, usually three times a day. How and why did this relationship begin? How has it changed over the centuries? And who's getting the upper hand?
DOG'S BEST FRIEND investigates this unique bond by revisiting some of the most important milestones in our shared journey. It begins with the earliest visual evidence on ancient rock art, and ends at the laboratory that sequenced the first dog genome. En route we encounter the first Labradoodle in Australia, a misguidedly loyal Akita in Japan, an ill-fated Poodle trainer in the United States, and a hilariously disobedient Romanian rescue dog named Kratu at the Birmingham NEC. We will also meet Corgis and Dorgis at the Palace, the weightless mutniks of the Soviet space programme, a Dalmatian who impersonates Hitler, and an owner who claims his Border Collie can remember the names of more than a thousand soft toys.
309 pages, Paperback
First published November 17, 2020
67 people are currently reading
405 people want to read
About the author
Simon Garfield
36 books332 followersSimon Garfield is a British journalist and non-fiction author. He was educated at the independent University College School in Hampstead, London, and the London School of Economics, where he was the Executive Editor of The Beaver. He also regularly writes for The Observer newspaper.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
March 29, 2021
I was not expecting the content to be what it was. I was thinking it would be more personal and there were very few stories with Simon and Ludo. However, while my disappointment was evident in the first part of the book, by the latter half I was okay with it. I will admit that I googled a lot while reading (artwork, news illustrations, definitions, etc.) so that made the book more enjoyable as well. I liked the footnotes throughout the text rather than at the end as references. I also plan to read several of the options he addresses in the Further Reading at the end. Lastly, I enjoyed reading about the little bit he had in regards to greyhounds, but I didn't like that he didn't present both sides of the racing of greyhounds. He didn't have an unbiased opinion and seemed to present anti-racing. I own two retired racing greyhounds and foster many more. The breed is absolutely exquisite and I wouldn't have my fur-babies if there was no racing. But I do know there are some NOT good tracks out there, but there are also VERY good tracks.
March 2, 2021
oh, how the author loves the purebreds, the breeders, the dog shows, the greyhound racing even! How easy it is for him to justify them, and how little attention he actually pays to the abuse, the violence, the whole large world of dogs stuck in shelters, killing camps and everything else that's wrong with our "unbreakable bond". Therefore, this book is more sentimental musings of the very anthropocentric view of our bond with the dogs. Good for fun facts, but Alexandra Horowitz handles this topic way better.
December 14, 2020
The closest bond that we humans have,other than our parents, children and spouses, would definitely be with the wonderful furry, licky, loving bundles of slobbery joyfulness, called dogs.
Every kid has begged their parents for a dog and promised faithfully to feed and walk the tail wagger. Every parent can relate to the realization that it is futile to depend on the word of a teenager, particularly, in regards to that promise. Mum usually takes up the task and the dog’s affection is still shared equally with all family members.
Simon Garfield loves his dog and that shines through in his writing about how from very early on in history humans and dogs began their symbiotic relationship. It all started with wolves. The young friendly ones discovered there were easy pickings after our long ago ancestors threw them bones as they ate around the camp fire. Then humans realised that dogs could be useful as warning when strangers or other animals came near. They even started training the dogs to help in hunting animals for food and much later the dog was revered for the ability to sniff out diseases threatening humans and to inform their handlers that drugs were being sneaked into the country.
So dogs were very useful. But over time and selective breeding, the dogs became designer items depending on the fashions of the day. Women loved small fluffy, cuddly dogs that were prized for their companionship. Millions of dollars are spent on clothing,hats, neck cloths, dog toys and heated beds Men liked the tougher breeds, the Alsatians, Rottweilers and bulldogs who made them look macho when walking the beast. Fashion and movies created demand for the cute chihuahua, whose owners often tired of them and dumped them en masse at pounds. Dogs given as cute puppy gifts were also discarded once the animal grew bigger and the attention of bored humans made their desirability less secure..
Garfield tells some wonderful stories about the faithful dogs who became famous for their actions. The Japanese dog who met his master’s train every night until the human died of a heart attack. But the dog kept up his vigil every night until publicity created such support that people sent meat to help the dog become much fatter. A stature of the faithful hound was melted down to make bullets in World War 11 but was recreated and train passengers now rub his foot for luck as they pass.
There are examples of human cruelty that make disturbing reading. British people had thousands of cats and dogs killed at the beginning of WW11 on the advice of the government who feared that feeding pets would be difficult and pets weren’t permitted in air raid shelters. The stupid attempt by breeders to develop dogs with such flattened noses that they had difficulty breathing and the amazing success of breeding two different dogs to achieve not a mongrel, but a highly desired Cavoodle or Smoodle or whatever combination proved the flavour of the moment.
The admirable efforts of so many kind hearted, sensible folks who urge adopting dogs from the pound instead of buying from dicey backyard breeders is to be applauded. These dogs wind up at the pound because of faithless owners and careless people who don’t bother to desex their pets and think it is cute to have puppies who wind up being dumped into the pound.
An entertaining and informative book which would make a highly desirable gift for the dog lover on your list. My only disappointment was the grey pictures which detracted from the otherwise excellent history of dogs and the humans who love them. My family has a long history of being owned by dachshunds until we adopted a chihuahua who needed a home and we fell madly in love with Poquita, who met me at the door every night after she first put my husband to bed. We then watched a favourite recorded TV show, with her on my lap, before both of us joining him in bed.
Every kid has begged their parents for a dog and promised faithfully to feed and walk the tail wagger. Every parent can relate to the realization that it is futile to depend on the word of a teenager, particularly, in regards to that promise. Mum usually takes up the task and the dog’s affection is still shared equally with all family members.
Simon Garfield loves his dog and that shines through in his writing about how from very early on in history humans and dogs began their symbiotic relationship. It all started with wolves. The young friendly ones discovered there were easy pickings after our long ago ancestors threw them bones as they ate around the camp fire. Then humans realised that dogs could be useful as warning when strangers or other animals came near. They even started training the dogs to help in hunting animals for food and much later the dog was revered for the ability to sniff out diseases threatening humans and to inform their handlers that drugs were being sneaked into the country.
So dogs were very useful. But over time and selective breeding, the dogs became designer items depending on the fashions of the day. Women loved small fluffy, cuddly dogs that were prized for their companionship. Millions of dollars are spent on clothing,hats, neck cloths, dog toys and heated beds Men liked the tougher breeds, the Alsatians, Rottweilers and bulldogs who made them look macho when walking the beast. Fashion and movies created demand for the cute chihuahua, whose owners often tired of them and dumped them en masse at pounds. Dogs given as cute puppy gifts were also discarded once the animal grew bigger and the attention of bored humans made their desirability less secure..
Garfield tells some wonderful stories about the faithful dogs who became famous for their actions. The Japanese dog who met his master’s train every night until the human died of a heart attack. But the dog kept up his vigil every night until publicity created such support that people sent meat to help the dog become much fatter. A stature of the faithful hound was melted down to make bullets in World War 11 but was recreated and train passengers now rub his foot for luck as they pass.
There are examples of human cruelty that make disturbing reading. British people had thousands of cats and dogs killed at the beginning of WW11 on the advice of the government who feared that feeding pets would be difficult and pets weren’t permitted in air raid shelters. The stupid attempt by breeders to develop dogs with such flattened noses that they had difficulty breathing and the amazing success of breeding two different dogs to achieve not a mongrel, but a highly desired Cavoodle or Smoodle or whatever combination proved the flavour of the moment.
The admirable efforts of so many kind hearted, sensible folks who urge adopting dogs from the pound instead of buying from dicey backyard breeders is to be applauded. These dogs wind up at the pound because of faithless owners and careless people who don’t bother to desex their pets and think it is cute to have puppies who wind up being dumped into the pound.
An entertaining and informative book which would make a highly desirable gift for the dog lover on your list. My only disappointment was the grey pictures which detracted from the otherwise excellent history of dogs and the humans who love them. My family has a long history of being owned by dachshunds until we adopted a chihuahua who needed a home and we fell madly in love with Poquita, who met me at the door every night after she first put my husband to bed. We then watched a favourite recorded TV show, with her on my lap, before both of us joining him in bed.
January 17, 2023
A lovely look at dogs-
Their role in our lives
History of them and of them as pets
Breeds
Genetic make up and testing
Pets
Working dogs
Some good stories
Great for the dog lover who wants to get a bit more in depth about their history.
It's British-refreshing to not be from the American perspective.
Their role in our lives
History of them and of them as pets
Breeds
Genetic make up and testing
Pets
Working dogs
Some good stories
Great for the dog lover who wants to get a bit more in depth about their history.
It's British-refreshing to not be from the American perspective.
July 30, 2022
It’s a bit dry, but we’ll written. Was hoping for more interaction between the author and his dog. 3.5
January 5, 2024
Trochę nuda
July 14, 2021
An enjoyable review of the bond between dog & human. This does often verr into what Garfield thinks about the bond rather than an objective review, but I don't think this is meant to be an objective review to be fair.
By the end, I got a little bored. Could have done without reading about the memorials to dogs or DNA sequencing. So, I think the book is longer than it needs to be.
Definitely only for people who have a strong affection for dogs.... though not sure why you'd pick up a book about dogs if you didn't like dogs to be honest. Garfield is unapologetic in his love of dogs & I don't think that's a bad thing.
By the end, I got a little bored. Could have done without reading about the memorials to dogs or DNA sequencing. So, I think the book is longer than it needs to be.
Definitely only for people who have a strong affection for dogs.... though not sure why you'd pick up a book about dogs if you didn't like dogs to be honest. Garfield is unapologetic in his love of dogs & I don't think that's a bad thing.
April 13, 2021
Quick Review An incredibly sweet look at the relationship humans have forged with dogs over the centuries. From art and science to breeding and connection, dogs have played a pivotal role in human history. Today, they play a pivotal role in many of our lives. (I know they have in mine.) Well researched and movingly written, I highly suggest it for anyone who has a dog or has loved a dog. Also the footnotes are incredible.
Memorable Quote
“A dog binds us to the world like nothing else: to a history of all the dogs that have gone before, to a wider community that welcomes their presence and demands our selfless attention. This too is their purpose, why they are here with us and us with them.”
https://onthebl.org/2021/04/13/books-...
Memorable Quote
“A dog binds us to the world like nothing else: to a history of all the dogs that have gone before, to a wider community that welcomes their presence and demands our selfless attention. This too is their purpose, why they are here with us and us with them.”
https://onthebl.org/2021/04/13/books-...
September 11, 2021
Not a bad read, but it wasn't quite what I hoped it would be. The author kept alluding to criticisms of humans' relationship with dogs that I find quite interesting, but he never really got into it. I've heard good arguments against anthropomorphizing dogs, for example, and while Garfield brought that up repeatedly he never gave much of a reason not to besides a fear of losing dogs' "dogness". I also just wasn't the biggest fan of his narrative voice. Nothing inherently wrong with it, of course, but his style seemed to jump around too much for me, and I think I wasn't very good at picking up on his jokes. But I did learn some interesting things about humans and dogs, so I can't complain too much!
October 16, 2024
I'm always up for a read that involves dogs and this book gave me enjoyment as well as facts and information. I even shed some tears over the dogs I have shared my life with. I now know about the little cemetery that I saw once when I passed by it in Hyde Park but was unfortunately not able to visit. When writing about greyhound racing the author has written "large parts of Australia have banned the sport outright". Sadly this is not true for only the Australian Capital Territory has done so. It is high time the rest of the Country bans this cruel, selfish and unnecessary so-called sport.
November 11, 2021
hoped for more than an overly sentimental book about dogs. 2 chapters had actual information, one of the theories of evolution from wolves (though very sparse) and one about our horrid mistreatment of dogs during our wars or with our breeding. the most enlightening part was the reason that labradoodles were first bred. other than that, lists of cutsy names, etc, not that interesting. yes. we love our dogs.
April 5, 2022
A fun book about this interspecies connection between man and dog. Simon Garfield discusses the history of this connection along with the art, science, and personal experience with dogs. What is the link between humans and dogs.
For those of us who have experienced that unbreakable bond between dogs and their people, this is a fascinating book on this connection.
Give this book a read. You won't be disappointed.
For those of us who have experienced that unbreakable bond between dogs and their people, this is a fascinating book on this connection.
Give this book a read. You won't be disappointed.
February 19, 2023
Luźno napisana, rozpoczęła się bardzo fajnie, ale potem była trochę nierówna. To znaczy, spodziewałam się więcej opowiadania o historii więzi z psami i więcej o samych psach, a książka jest głównie o funkcjonowaniu psów w naszej kulturze? Tzn filmach, książkach, sportach. Spodziewałam się innej tematyki, dlatego nie wszystkie rozdziały były dla mnie interesujące, ale fajny luźny język i dużo ciekawostek w miarę to rekompensuje.
January 20, 2022
What a delightful book. The stories of dogs throughout history, names chosen for them and the love their person had for them was a refreshing read. I could be a tad bias because the author also has a black Lab and our Stella (lab) has grown her way into our hearts over the last 4 years and we cannot imagine life without our fur ball. 😊
July 31, 2021
i was thinking this would be a more personal account and not so heavy in research, some of which i found interesting some of which not so much. i did overall enjoy this book but not as much as i thought i was going to.
November 23, 2020
Can there be no stronger bond?
January 16, 2021
Superb overview of the history of dogs, the many aspects of their lives and what they have meant to us over the centuries. A must-read for dog lovers.
Currently reading
December 30, 2021Just through the introduction of this highly-recommended book. Doggone it, I sure hope the author gets a little less wordy!
March 30, 2022
this was such a lovely anecdotal book about dogs 10/10 commute experience
April 10, 2022
I heard the author speak last year and immediately needed to get the book. It wasn't what I expected. There were some really interesting parts but also some dull bits. An ok read
March 10, 2023
3,5⭐️
April 12, 2023
A lot of useful information about dogs laced with humor.
August 19, 2023
Easy read of dog-related factoids.
February 22, 2024
I don't know what I expected but something more, I guess. There were some interesting tidbits but mostly it was quite boring, and about dogs in Instagram or Crufts.
April 12, 2024
Read book after have my 5yr lab pass from cancer. Interesting read about the bond of dog and man. I feel void now without my Tucker.
August 7, 2024
A warm, heartfelt read on why dogs are so wonderful.
August 28, 2024
3.5 made me cry
March 12, 2023
Przekartkowane, miałam wrażenie, że czytam to urywki z Horowitz to z Tor Åge Bringsværd'a (Hau psy pieski i bestie), to z prac S. Corena. Misz, masz. Najbardziej podobał mi się rozdział o psach w malarstwie. Ale w sumie mimo tematyki źle się czytało, wobec czego fragmenty o faktach wiele razy już czytanych w innych publikacjach były tylko skanowane wzrokiem i zanim się obejrzałam był koniec. Kiepska kompilacja, mocno odtwórcza.
April 12, 2021
Loved it ❤️
July 18, 2023
Si os gustan los perros, este libro os resultará muy interesante.
Un repaso por la historia de la especie, desde cómo evolucionaron del lobo hasta los perros más famosos como Snoopy.
Como veis trata muy distintos aspectos en los que los perros son los protagonistas.
Todo ello, con el rigor de contar con personajes importantes en sus campos como fuente de información y consulta.
.
Hay un pequeño detalle al principio que nos cuenta que una característica que tienen los perros en detrimento de sus antepasados lo lobos es el poder levantar la ceja. Pues oye, ¡que mis perros lo hacen continuamente! Me ha resultado muy curioso, la verdad.
.
Muy interesante lectura.
Quizá lo que se me ha hecho un poco repetitivo ha sido el capítulo destinado a las competiciones caninas. Más que nada porque son competiciones del país de origen del autor. Además, hace bastante referencia a series y algunos personajes que no conocía, por el mismo motivo, y me ha descolocado tener que buscar quienes eran.
Por lo demás, ha merecido mucho la pena. He pasado muy buenos ratos con su lectura conociendo a Fido o Hachi.
Un repaso por la historia de la especie, desde cómo evolucionaron del lobo hasta los perros más famosos como Snoopy.
Como veis trata muy distintos aspectos en los que los perros son los protagonistas.
Todo ello, con el rigor de contar con personajes importantes en sus campos como fuente de información y consulta.
.
Hay un pequeño detalle al principio que nos cuenta que una característica que tienen los perros en detrimento de sus antepasados lo lobos es el poder levantar la ceja. Pues oye, ¡que mis perros lo hacen continuamente! Me ha resultado muy curioso, la verdad.
.
Muy interesante lectura.
Quizá lo que se me ha hecho un poco repetitivo ha sido el capítulo destinado a las competiciones caninas. Más que nada porque son competiciones del país de origen del autor. Además, hace bastante referencia a series y algunos personajes que no conocía, por el mismo motivo, y me ha descolocado tener que buscar quienes eran.
Por lo demás, ha merecido mucho la pena. He pasado muy buenos ratos con su lectura conociendo a Fido o Hachi.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews