Back to Dog Basics

Dogs have become such a beloved and natural part of our world that it’s easy to forget they haven’t always been sitting on our couch or tracking mud into our homes.

In “Dogs: A Natural History,” Jake Page taps into his experience as the editorial director of Natural History magazine and science editor of Smithsonian magazine to deliver a book from Smithsonian Books that attempts to explain the scientific complexities of our canine companion. He takes readers back to the roots of the dog, following his evolution from feral animal to domesticated darling. Page then uses this information to explore and explain dog behavior, personality, and relationships with humans.

He breaks down scientific numbers and theories into easy-to-manage terms and illustrates them with colorful anecdotes. In the chapter Dog Senses, he tells the story of a dog who sniffed a spot on her owner’s leg so often that the woman went to a doctor. After examining the area, the doctor found an incipient melanoma.

Other chapters include Origins and Oddballs, The Dog Who Came In From The Wild, and The Enigma of Play.

Page adds a personal touch to this research-driven book by including stories about and photographs of his own dogs – all six of them.

"Dogs: A Natural History" hits bookstores October 9, 2007.