The New Work of Dogs

Tending to Life, Love and Family
by Jon Katz

Being heavily involved with dogs and dog owners, author Jon Katz realizes that many dogs today do not fulfill traditional roles of providing protection, livestock work, hunting, retrieving, etc. Instead, they fill in gaps in human relationships, providing a kind of emotional support and healing companionship. Through many interviews and visits with dog owners, trainers, veterinarians, dog behaviorists and rescuers, Katz analyzes the nature of this new relationship dogs have taken on with humans, scrutinizing the pros and cons, the benefits and repercussions it has on dogs. Exactly why have so many dogs come to be treated more like family members than pets? Why do we see in them so many human emotions? How have our species become so interdependent? Are dogs as a species taking advantage of our emotional need... like parasties? The New Work of Dogs presents a lot of interesting questions, speculations and some answers about how the role of dogs in our lives is gradually shifting and what it may mean for them.... and about us.

Rating: 3/5                   225 pages, 2003