The Pawprints of History shines a new light on a favorite subject — the relationship between humans and their four-legged best friends. Stanley Coren, a renowned expert on dog-human interactions, has combed the annals of history and found captivating stories of how dogs have lent a helping paw and influenced the actions, decisions, and fates of well-known figures from every era and throughout the world.

As history's great figures strut across the stage, Coren guides us from the wings, adoringly picking out the canine cameos and giving every dog of distinction its day. In this unparalleled chronicle, we see how Florence Nightingale's chance encounter with a wounded dog changed her life by leading her to the vocation of nursing. We learn why Dr. Freud's Chow Chow attended all of his therapy sessions and how the life of the Fifth Dalai Lama was saved by a dog who shared his bed. Dogs have even found their way to the battlefield — great military leaders such as Robert the Bruce and Omar Bradley have shared their lives, exploits, and gunfire with dogs. From Wagner, who admitted that one of the arias in the opera Siegfried was "written" by one of his dogs, to the dogs that inspired and lived with Presidents Lincoln, Roosevelt, Johnson, and Clinton, these loving canines do double duty as loyal pets and creative muses.

From war to art, across the spectrum of human endeavor and achievement, there often stands, not only at his side but leading the way, man's beloved "best friend." For those who believe that behind every great person is a good dog, the uplifting stories in The Pawprints of History will be a lasting delight.

"These engaging, even touching stories will be a real treat for dog lovers, history buffs, and trivia addicts." Booklist

"If the author had adopted a lighter tone and confined himself to amusing stories, odd coincidences, and the little-known obsessions for dogs...this volume might have been mildly entertaining. Instead, we get solemn pronouncements such as: 'Dogs do have a way of weaving their influence through human events and subtly altering the course of history.'" Kirkus Reviews

This depiction of the dogs that have played a significant role in the lives of many historical figures shows how their relationships with people have directly influenced the course of world events.

The Pawprints of History shines a new light on a favorite subject — the relationship between humans and their four-legged best friends. Stanley Coren, a renowned expert on dog-human interactions, has combed the annals of history and found fascinating examples of the impact of dogs on the actions, decisions, and fates of well-known figures from every era and throughout the world. There's the tale, for instance, of the wounded dog that inspired Florence Nightingale to become a nurse; of the spaniel that precipitated the excommunication of Henry VIII, and the dog that Alexander Graham Bell taught to speak.

Creative geniuses have fallen under the irresistible influence of dogs, such as Wagner who admitted that one of the arias in the opera Siegfried was "written" by one of his dogs. Great military leaders, from Robert the Bruce to Omar Bradley, have shared their lives and exploits with dogs. The role of dogs as political symbols and instruments of public relations is here, too, ranging from the dog that played an important role in Charles I's loss of the British Revolution, to the many dogs that have occupied the White House beside presidents Lincoln, Roosevelt, Johnson, and Clinton. This collection sheds light on the human history that has been influenced by the relationships people have had with their dogs.

Stanley Coren, PhD, a professor of psychology at the University of British Columbia, is a recognized expert on dog-human interaction who has appeared on Dateline; The Oprah Winfrey Show; Good Morning, America; 20/20; Larry King Live; and many other TV and radio programs. He lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, with a beagle, a Cavalier King Charles spaniel, and a Nova Scotia duck-tolling retriever, as well as his wife and her cat.

Contents

PREFACE

PROLOGUE

CHAPTER 1 Sentinels and Symbols

CHAPTER 2 The Saint and the Irish Dogs

CHAPTER 3 The Angry Prince and the Welsh Dog

CHAPTER 4 The Devil Dog of the English Civil War

CHAPTER 5 The Companions of the Prussian Emperor

CHAPTER 6 The Conquistador's Dogs

CHAPTER 7 The Dogs of the Scottish Writer

CHAPTER 8 Dogs in the Opera House

CHAPTER 9 The Talking Dog

CHAPTER 10 The Dog on the Therapist's Couch

CHAPTER 11 For the Love of Dogs and Other Beasts

CHAPTER 12 The Dog Shogun

CHAPTER 13 The Dog Law and the Mary Ellen Case

CHAPTER 14 The Emperor and His Dogs of Misfortune

CHAPTER 15 Conversations with Dogs

CHAPTER 16 The Lion Dogs of the Forbidden City

CHAPTER 17 The Indian Fighter's Dogs

CHAPTER 18 The Virginia Farmer's Foxhounds

CHAPTER 19 The Dogs in the Oval Office

CHAPTER 20 The Counter-factual History of Dogs

ENDNOTES

INDEX