Top 5 books about dogs

Darwin’s Dogs: How Darwin’s Pets Helped Form a World-Changing Theory of Evolution by Emma Townshend

Turns out Darwin was a tremendous dog lover and thinking about dogs helped him figure things out at many important points in his life – including his theory of evolution and his decision to get married!

The Other End of the Leash by Patricia McConnell

Beautifully written and so perceptive about dogs and their people. One book everyone who lives with dogs should have within easy reach at all times.

The Call of the Wild by Jack London

Full of misunderstandings of the true nature of dogs and yet any book that can engage children to care about the welfare of animals surely has to be high on a list of must-reads.

Pit Bull: The Battle Over An American Icon by Bronwen Dickey

The story Dickey tells – of how our understanding of dogs is shaped by our culture – is a universal one with important lessons for dog lovers everywhere. Pit bulls were once viewed as gentle family pets, but cultural changes led to a transformation in how
they are perceived.

Fishing Dogs by Raymond Coppinger

One of the world’s leading authorities on all things dog, but also the author of the single funniest book about dogs ever written. Two fishing buddies head to a therapist who advises they should get a dog. The rest is… hilarious!

Dog is Love: The Science of Why and How Your Dog Loves You by Dr Clive DL Wynne is out on Sept 24 (Quercus, £20)