Dogs

Dogs were the first animals to be domesticated, and the first man-made species. Today there are hundreds of recognised breeds, each with its own physical and behavioural traits, but they all retain instincts that trace back to their origins as wolves.

So where did it start? I'm pretty sure I can't grab a wolf, give it a snack, and expect it to curl up in my living room. So how and why did this happen, and when? Why are dogs such a fundamental part of human lives, and why not bears or foxes? How did we end up with so many different breeds, and how different are they really?

In this Slice, we answer all of that by looking at wolf and dog evolution and some of the early breeds and their purposes. We find out the surprising truth about pedigrees, pick up some tips on training and behaviour, look at a few heroic dogs in fiction and real life, and consider what the future might hold.

This is the biography of man's best friend, covering the good, the bad and the pugly. An ideal gift for dog lovers.