Our Dogs, Ourselves: The Story of a Singular Bond | Alexandra Horowitz

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.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Alexandra Horowitz’s masterful and witty biography of two intertwined species fully captures the profundity, joy, and absurdity of our bonds with our closest animal companions. Our Dogs, Ourselves is a treat for dog lovers, but also essential reading for anyone interested in our relationship with nature, and what that says about us.” —Ed Yong, bestselling author of I Contain Multitudes 

“In Our Dogs, Ourselves, Alexandra Horowitz has achieved the rare and admirable feat of combining hard scientific information with a storyteller's gift of detail and depth, a gossip columnist's gift for eavesdropping, and a philosopher's work of making us face the difficult aspects of our love of dogs—all the time re-enforcing the rightness of our choice to love them.” —Mary Gordon

“If you love dogs, and even talk to them, you’re going to rejoice at this entertaining and enlightening book.” —BookPage

“History, facts and data are woven along with entertaining personal anecdotes and asides, allowing Horowitz's findings to be delivered in an appealing, accessible way that readers, especially dog lovers, will savor and absorb.” —Shelf Awareness

“Though grounded in extensive academic research, Horowitz's book speaks to a broad audience through personal anecdotes and relatable prose.” —Library Journal

“For a wide-ranging exploration of the human-dog relationship, including its perils and pitfalls, pick up Our Dogs, Ourselves... [It] will make you see canine companions in new ways.” —Science News

Praise for INSIDE OF A DOG

 “Causes one’s dog-loving heart to flutter with astonishment and gratitude.” —The New York Times Book Review

 “Nearly flawless” —The Bark

 “A thoughtful take on the interior life of a dog.” —The Washington Post

 “Discover why your dog is so sensitive to your emotions, gaze, and body language….Read this captivating book and enter the sensory world of your dog.” —Temple Grandin

 Praise for BEING A DOG

 “Becoming more doglike, not surprisingly, can make anyone’s life a little more vivid.” —The Boston Globe

 “Fascinating…Horowitz combines the expertise of a scientist with an easy, lively writing style.” —The New YorkTimes Book Review

 “An incredible journey into the olfactory world of man’s best friend.” —O, The Oprah Magazine

About the Author

Alexandra Horowitz is the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell, and Know; Being a Dog: Following the Dog into a World of Smell; and Our Dogs, Ourselves. She teaches at Barnard College, where she runs the Dog Cognition Lab. She lives with her family and two large, highly sniffy dogs, one cat, and one puppy in New York City.