"This middle grade adaptation of Our Dogs, Ourselves is an eye-opening, entertaining, and beautifully illustrated look about humans' complicated and sometimes contradictory relationship with man's best friend by New York Times bestselling author of Inside of a Dog-Young Readers Edition. We keep dogs and are kept by them. We love dogs and (we assume) we are loved by them. Even while we see ourselves in dogs, we also treat them in surprising ways. On the one hand, we let them into our beds, we give them meaningful names, make them members of our family, and buy them the best food, toys, accessories, clothes, and more. But we also shape our dogs into something they aren't meant to be. Purebreeding dogs has led to many unhealthy pups. Many dogs have no homes, or live out their life in shelters. How is it possible we can treat the same species in these two totally different ways? In Our Dogs, Ourselves Young Readers Edition, bestselling author of Inside of a Dog, Alexandra Horowitz reveals the odd, surprising, and contradictory ways we live with dogs"--

Horowitz examines what's called the 'dog-human bond': examining all aspects of the complexity of this unique interspecies pairing. From her position as a dog scientist, she uses the science of dogs and dog-human interaction to ground consideration of the various ways that dogs, as a species, reflect people, and how they reflect (sometimes badly, sometimes well) on people. And she goes beyond the cognitive science to consider the culture, laws, and human dynamics that reveal and restrict this bond between two disparate species.

"An eye-opening, informative, and wholly entertaining examination and celebration of the human-canine relationship." -- From book jacket flap.

An eye-opening, informative, and wholly entertaining examination and celebration of the human-canine relationship. "The story of humans and dogs is thousands of years old but far from understood. Alexandra Horowitz explores this unique and complex interspecies pairing, considering the current culture of dogdom and the ways we live with dogs. We celebrate dogs' individuality but breed them for sameness. Despite our 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 both perplexing and delightful. 'Our Dogs, Ourselves' affirms our profound affection for this most charismatic of animals -- and opens our eyes to the companions at our sides"--Back cover.