This book is a celebration of our affection for dogs.

The human-dog relationship has continually evolved and continues to forge new functions and forms - so the very meaning of dogs is constantly being rewritten. Humankind's assigning of tasks to dogs has played a significant part in our own ability to thrive over thousands of years. No other mammal is so diverse in form, function or value. The celebration of love for all things canine can in many ways be attributed to our own selflove.
We have dogs because they help us and we shape them to our own needs - most obviously by breeding them and altering their function or form at a fundamental genetic level. By looking very closely at what we have now, we may understand dogs better and in turn, understand ourselves.

There is an intelligence in dogs that, while very different to ours, has found more points of connection and understanding with the human mind than we have with any other species.
Lewis Blackwell has worked as a leading author, editor, and creative director in photography, winning international recognition for his talks, exhibitions, and books. Blackwell is the author of the bestselling The Life & Love of Trees, The Life & Love of Cats, The Life & Love of Dogs, and Rainforest. He was for many years the creative head of Getty Images, the world's largest photographic agency, and prior to that was editor in chief and publisher of Creative Review magazine. He now combines his work in the photographic industry with probono work in environmental areas.