READER'S DIGEST RECOMMENDED READ: Canine Companionship

An in-depth look at the long, often surprising history of one of the most enduring bonds of all

What is it with human beings and dogs? Why of all the species in all the world have these two formed such a close bond? A bond, moreover, that not only has obvious practical benefits to both parties, but that from all available evidence—scientific as well as anecdotal—often appears to be one of genuine mutual love? In seeking to answer these questions, Simon Garfield ranges widely: from cave paintings to today’s therapy dogs by way of greyhound racing, dog acts, DNA sequencing, cartoons, high art and much else besides. At one point, we meet a dog who can recognise the names of more than 1,000 objects and bring them when asked.

Garfield also suggests that the human-canine relationship is still evolving. Until the mid-19th century, most dogs were expected to work for a living. Then came the transformation to purely domestic pets. Now, over the past 30 years or so, they’ve become more like members of the family—a fact reflected in their changing names. Gone are the Fidos and Rovers of yesteryear. Instead, we’re far more likely to give our dogs the same names that we give our children, with Alfie, Charlie, Poppy and Bella leading the way in Britain. (One of the book’s many great snippets is that, for parents, looking at photos of their dogs produces very similar brain activity to looking at photos of their kids.) Garfield, mind you, is clearly uneasy about what seems to be happening next: dogs designed primarily to look cute—not least on Instagram.