Our Dogs, Ourselves: The Story of a Singular Bond

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In Our Dogs, Ourselves, Alexandra Horowitz takes us inside the relationship between humans and dogs, opening our eyes to the many rules and requirements that narrate our canine friends’ domestic existences. From naming them to the songs we sing to them, she shows us who we are by how we treat them, and also a better way forward for honoring the true nature of these most loyal of all companions. Recommended By Matt K. , Powells.com

From Alexandra Horowitz, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Inside of a Dog, an eye-opening, informative, and wholly entertaining examination and celebration of the human-canine relationship for the curious dog owner and science-lover alike.

We keep dogs and are kept by them. We love dogs and (we assume) we are loved by them. We buy them sweaters, toys, shoes; we are concerned with their social lives, their food, and their health. The story of humans and dogs is thousands of years old but is far from understood. In Our Dogs, Ourselves, Alexandra Horowitz explores all aspects of this unique and complex interspecies pairing.

As Horowitz considers the current culture of dogdom, she reveals the odd, surprising, and contradictory ways we live with dogs. We celebrate their individuality but breed them for sameness. Despite our deep emotional relationships with dogs, legally they are property to be bought, sold, abandoned, or euthanized as we wish. Even the way we speak to our dogs is at once perplexing and delightful.

In thirteen thoughtful and charming chapters, Our Dogs, Ourselves affirms our profound affection for this most charismatic of animals — and opens our eyes to the companions at our sides as never before.

"We humans do love our dogs, and we also love books about dogs. Canine researcher Horowitz (Being a Dog, 2016) here further examines the human-canine bond. In 13 delightful chapters, she reveals the current state of dogdom and the often disparate ways we live with dogs.... Enlivened with the author's sketches of dog faces, which also lead readers to more information, this is a thoughtful and loving look at our species' best friends." Booklist (Starred Review)

"Rounding out her analysis by discussing the philosophical ramifications of dog ownership and the booming economics of the pet goods industry, Horowitz offers a treatise certain to appeal to dog lovers everywhere." Publishers Weekly

Alexandra Horowitz is the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell, and Know and On Looking: A Walker's Guide to the Art of Observation. She teaches at Barnard College, where she runs the Dog Cognition Lab. She lives with her family and two large, highly sniffy dogs in New York City.