Introducing the dog -- Chapter 1. Evolution & ecology. Where dogs come from ; Why Caninae survived ; Distant relatives of dogs ; Emergence of wolves ; First links with humans ; Who is the ancestor of the dog? ; Emergence of modern dog breeds ; Free-ranging dogs : stray, village, pariah dogs -- Chapter 2. Anatomy & biology. The dog as a mammal & a carnivore ; The canine skeleton & locomotion ; The canine coat & skin ; Eating like a dog ; Canine physiology ; How dogs see ; How dogs hear ; How dogs smell & taste ; The genome ; Inheritance of traits -- Chapter 3. Behavior & society. Social behavior in canines ; Hierarchy & cooperation ; Affiliation & aggression ; Territorial behavior ; Courtship & mating ; Development ; Puppies & early life ; Socialization ; Play behavior in dogs ; The old dog ; Communication between dogs & humans ; Visual signals ; Acoustic communication ; Olfactory signals -- Chapter 4. Sensing, thinking & personality. How dogs think ; Understanding & learning about the physical world ; Understanding & learning about the social world ; Canine personality -- Chapter 5. Dogs & people. Dogs in culture ; Attachment to humans ; Dogs as guards, hunters & shepherds ; Dogs as assistants ; Companion dogs in our cities & apartments ; Contemporary dog training ; Dogs' beneficial effects on human health ; Dogs in the shelter ; Malformation in look and shape ; Malformation in behavior ; Myths & misconceptions ; The scientific study of dogs ; The future for dogs -- Chapter 6. A directory of dog breeds. How contemporary breeds exist ; Modern dog breeding ; Mixed-breed dogs (mongrels) & crossbreeds ; The directory -- Appendices. Bibliography ; Author biographies ; Index ; Acknowledgments.