FLEXIBLE—Adaptive to change, she goes with the flow, and is at home in many environments.

PRACTICAL—She is observant, self-sufficient, undemanding, low-maintenance, and efficient.

GOOD-NATURED—This dog is tolerant, solicitous, cooperative, docile, and level-headed.

You might find a world dog hard to live with because she’s:

AN OPPORTUNIST—She’s a trash-scavenging and poop-eating machine, her essence being that of the original opportunistic dog looking for leftovers of any kind.

GOT YOUR NUMBER—Your world dog is a human behavior expert who is reading and watching your every move.

SELF-SERVING—Her agenda and interest is her “job;” working for you is not.

You might find yourself seeking professional help for:

1. Any number of common dog behaviors that can get on your nerves—
2. peeing in the house
3. chewing on things that don’t belong to her
4. getting on your furniture
5. barking at the neighbors’ cats
6. stealing sandwiches off the coffee table
7. jumping on people
8. pulling on the leash
9. having her own agenda that may or may not involve following your directions

The #1 Dog on Earth

Roughly 80 percent of the dogs on the planet are not purebreds at all. Despite their unfettered breeding, they are the most popular, successful dogs on earth. And for a very good reason. Those very dogs in which we can identify absolutely no evidence of any particular breeding are in fact the most highly adaptive dogs of all. While humans have been busy creating dogs they desired for a particular purpose over the millennia, nature has continued to do what it does best—designing animals that are simply well-suited to the world around them. We call them mutts, mongrels, and Heinz 57s. But they are, in fact, the world dog.

One great shift in perspective reveals that these dogs are a masterpiece of evolution—a modern reflection of the original evolutionary love story between humans and dogs. The purpose for these animals is to peacefully and successfully live alongside humans as they go about their lives in the twenty-first century. Across the globe, such a dog is always in the picture where people are found. They are often ignored and dismissed as we continue to prize the notion of pure-blooded animals. But they are, in actuality, natural perfection. Nature’s intelligence, selecting for suitability to circumstances, is their respectable breeder. They are more likely to thrive in the niche of being our pets as a result. While many purebred dogs struggle to adjust to modern environments bearing little resemblance to the conditions for which they were bred, world dogs are able to continue to adapt to our changing conditions on their own. With no particular requirements for upbringing and education, hobbies, or lifestyle, the world dog is a remarkably compatible and enjoyable companion for many of us.

“Scene in the Principal Square of Trebizond,” Harper's Weekly, 1896.

KEY CONCEPT: Choice