A FIRST GUIDE TO DOGS

How dogs think, feel, and make sense of their world.

Introducing himself as a biologist who specializes in pet research, Bradshaw offers a dog’s-eye—or, far more precisely, dog’s-nose—view of human behavior by following fictive terrier Rusty Barker, a former shelter dog, through a cozy set of daily routines with a loving and sensitive family. As monochrome scenes and vignettes appear on nearly every page, Bradshaw explains how a dog’s more than 800 supercharged olfactory detectors work together, trumping sight to help this lively pooch track and identify beloved humans, potential food, and other creatures both around the house and in the outside world. The author also focuses on how dogs communicate with both humans and other dogs, how they interpret body language and other cues, and how their memory differs in several respects from human memory. His overall message—even if most dogs are eager to please (and no matter how intelligent they are), they don’t really think like us—comes through clearly and makes a solid foundation for a healthy relationship between pets and their two-legged companions. Bradshaw has a gift for making complex science accessible and absorbing, and his narrative is peppered with humor. Elsom expands her winningly expressive canine cast to include multiple breeds; Rusty’s human family is light-skinned, though some dark-skinned dog owners are included, too.

Perceptive and engaging—essential reading for anyone seeking greater understanding of their four-legged best friends.