The Wolf in the Parlor

In this groundbreaking book, master storyteller Jon Franklin shatters the lens through which we see the world and shows us an unexpected, enthralling picture of the human-canine relationship. There is no question that the dog inhabits a singular position in relation to humans, one no other animal occupies. Much has been written about the bond between humans and dogs, about the emotional lives of dogs, about how to train, live with, and love your dog. But where did this bond originate, what is it based on, and what distinguishes it from the way we feel about any other animal? And why are humans as important to dogs as they are to us? What explains the extraordinary relationship between dogs and humans? Jon Franklin, two-time Pulitzer Prizewinning journalist and science writer, set out on a twenty-year quest to answer those very questions. Building on his research and his knowledge of evolutionary science, archaeology, neurochemistry, psychological evolution, and behavioral science, as well as the firsthandexperience of watching his own dog, a soulful, elever poodle named Charlie, evolve from puppy to family member, Franklin posits that man and dog are more than just inseparable, they are part and parcel of the same creature. An informative, profoundly moving, and surprising book about the hirstory of dogs and their forebears, The Wolf in the Parlor is more than science: it's a deeply personal story of one man's search for answers and his own surprise at not only what he discovers about dogs but what he discovers himself.