Dogs have been the practical companions to man for thousands of years. Since the dawn of civilization, humans have influenced and modified dog behavior for our own purposes, both individually and genetically. Through artificial selection—the deliberate reproduction of individuals with desirable characteristics—we designed master hunters, trackers, livestock guardians, herders, ratters, personal protectors, gladiators, lap warmers, and companions. If we needed a dog to help us track and hunt large game in sub-zero temperatures or a heat-hardy partner to move livestock over miles of plains, we designed exactly that. Exchanging one dog for the other—and operating on the assumption that one would work as well as another if trained and cared for in a certain way—would have resulted in unsuccessful hunts in the arctic and murdered livestock on the prairie.

Consider for a moment that this is precisely the situation we so often create with our approach to today’s dogs, placing them in our homes as if they were interchangeable. We often assume that they all need similar amounts of exercise, affection, health care, and food in order to be suited to our lives.

When these dogs fail to live up to our expectations, the consequences can be serious for everyone. Personal and community safety are compromised when we unwittingly set them up for failure; and the dogs’ lives are jeopardized when the owners give up. For all our good intentions, we continue to put a square dog in a round hole, and marvel at the consequences.

Behaviors that were highly desirable to our ancestors and were intentionally developed—such as killing small mammals and herding livestock—are now extremely problematic natural drives as they manifest in modern conditions.

We can all appreciate the inevitable consequences of asking a free-spirited, world-traveling human to settle down for a quiet life at a desk job. We know what happens when we try to change a person into someone they are not. Some terms are negotiable in a relationship, and some aren't. Of course you love your dog, but there is more. Whether that adorable long-eared dog at your feet is compatible with your own unique needs and limitations is the real question you need to ask yourself.

It could be a star-crossed love affair between a busy modern career woman and a cowboy hungering for the open range. What’s more likely, however, is that you and your dog have come to a misunderstanding. You may simply need a good old-fashioned reality check in order to move forward.

As a modern dog lover, you most likely have never even had the opportunity to take a good honest look at your dog. This book can be that new pair of glasses that brings the details into focus for you, a crash course in dog science to prepare you for the dog love search and all of the many happy four-legged adventures ahead. You can navigate and enjoy a healthy relationship. You can, at last, meet your dog.

CHAPTER ONE