Jessica Pierce is a faculty affiliate at the Center for Bioethics and Humanities at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical School. Her books include Run, Spot, Run: The Ethics of Keeping Pets. Website jessicapierce.net Marc Bekoff is professor emeritus of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of Colorado Boulder. His books include Canine Confidential: Why Dogs Do What They Do. Website marcbekoff.com Twitter @MarcBekoff
From two of the world's leading authorities on dogs, an imaginative journey into a future of dogs without people
What would happen to dogs if humans simply disappeared? Would dogs be able to survive on their own without us? A Dog's World imagines a posthuman future for dogs, revealing how dogs would survive-and possibly even thrive-and explaining how this new and revolutionary perspective can guide how we interact with dogs now.
Drawing on biology, ecology, and the latest findings on the lives and behavior of dogs and their wild relatives, Jessica Pierce and Marc Bekoff-two of today's most innovative thinkers about dogs-explore who dogs might become without direct human intervention into breeding, arranged playdates at the dog park, regular feedings, and veterinary care. Pierce and Bekoff show how dogs are quick learners who are highly adaptable and opportunistic, and they offer compelling evidence that dogs already do survive on their own-and could do so in a world without us.
Challenging the notion that dogs would be helpless without their human counterparts, A Dog's World enables us to understand these independent and remarkably intelligent animals on their own terms. "This book is an evolutionary thought experiment-untestable, informative and great fun. . . . A Dog's World appears to have all four paws on secure scientific ground as Ms. Pierce and Mr. Bekoff start from basic evolutionary and ecological principles to develop powerful predictions and insights into dogs as we know them today."---David P. Barash, Wall Street Journal "This thought-provoking book examines what the world would look like if all of us annoying, treat-wielding, doggie-day-care arranging grown-ups suddenly disappeared and dogs could run free. We might like to believe our dogs would be lost without us, but the reality might surprise you."---Zibby Owens, Washington Post "I love creative approaches to science writing and this book – an imagining of what would happen to dogs if humans disappeared – delivers it all: fresh perspectives, top-drawer science and an original thought-provoking hook."---Jules Howard, Big Issue "Jessica Pierce and Marc Bekoff are in top form in A Dog's World as they explore the fate of dogs on a planet from which people have suddenly vanished. The genius of this book lies in the way it reveals how fact-based knowledge can lead to a richer, deeper understanding of the unique talents and abilities of our fellow creatures. This is a perfect read as we attempt to sort out the COVID-19 pandemic's legacy."-Mark Derr, author of Dog's Best Friend "We think we know our dogs, but who are they, really? By imagining their world without us, A Dog's World helps us understand what dogs need-and don't need-from us to live their happiest, most fulfilling lives. This entertaining and challenging book will enlarge our respect for beloved creatures we too often take for granted."-Sy Montgomery, author of How to Be a Good Creature: A Memoir in Thirteen Animals "Not only a fascinating flight of imagination into what dogdom might become in a world without people, this book will make you see your own dog in a new and more objective light."-John Bradshaw, author of the New York Times bestseller Dog Sense "Decentering humans from dogs' lives will help dogs thrive-what a fascinating theme Pierce and Bekoff develop! Their speculations about a posthuman world offer us innovative and profoundly compassionate ways forward for living with dogs right now. Th
