Exploring the significance of animals in Romantic-period writing, this new study shows how in this period they were seen as both newly different from humankind (subjects in their own right, rather than simply humanity's tools or adjuncts) and also as newly similar, with the ability to feel and perhaps to think like human beings. Approaches to animals are reviewed in a wide range of the period's literary work (in particular, that of Byron, Wordsworth, Coleridge, Keats, Southey, Clare and Blake). Poetry and other literary work are discussed in relation to discourses about animals in various contemporary cultural contexts, including children's books, parliamentary debates, vegetarian theses, encyclopaedias and early theories about evolution. The study introduces animals to the discussions about ecocriticism and environmentalism in Romantic-period writing by complicating the concept of 'Nature', and it also contributes to the debates about politics and the body in this period. It demonstrates the rich variety of thinking about animals in the late-eighteenth and early-nineteenth centuries, and it challenges the exclusion of literary writing from some recent multi-disciplinary debates about animals, by exploring the literary roots of many metaphors about and attitudes to animals in our current thinking. Kindred Brutes constitutes a genuinely original and substantial contribution both to Romantic-period writing and to general debates about animals and the body.

The Terriers of England and Wales is a companion volume to the author’s The Terriers of Scotland and Ireland (2003). It is more concerned with the working and companion qualities of the various English and Welsh breeds and with their origins than with show dogs and grooming. Cummins delves deeply into the history of the indigenous terriers of England and Wales (including some breeds that are no longer with us and others that are not yet recognized by national kennel clubs) to determine what they once were and what they are today. From the diminutive Yorkie to the majestic Airedale, the author explores similarities and differences of the gallant breeds that make up the English and Welsh terriers. With this information, prospective owners can make informed choices when choosing a canine companion while breeders have the knowledge needed to develop an improved breeding program. After reading The Terriers of England and Wales both owner and breeder will have a new appreciation for these finest of dogs.

First published in 1957, The Domestic Dog is the introduction to the history of man’s best friend, with special reference to Great Britain. After discussing the natural history of the Canidae and the possible sources of domestication, Mr. Vesey-FitzGerald surveys the career of the domestic dog from its beginnings in pre-historic times through to its present position as household companion and pet. He pays particular attention to the early literature of the dog and, even more particularly, to representations of the dog by the great artists of the world, since he believes that much of the history of the individual breeds can be traced in this way. He discusses the part played by the dog in war, in sport, and in the day-to-day occupations of man. He traces the development of breeding for Show and the growth of the Dog Show from the local rivalry of a few enthusiasts to a vast and complicated business, and considers the effect of breeding for Show on the dog as an animal. Finally, he discusses the most controversial subject, the classification of the domestic dog, and gives brief histories and descriptions of the various breeds. This book will be of interest to students of history, veterinary science as well as to anyone with a love for dogs.

Dogs are perhaps our most popular pets, and certainly one of the best-loved of all animals. They are not only humanity’s best friend, they are also its oldest: burial sites dating back 12,000 years indicate that dogs moved alongside prehistoric peoples before, during and after both species settled the world. The story of the canine has been fundamentally entwined with that of humanity since the earliest times, and this ancient and fascinating story is told in Susan McHugh’s Dog. This book unravels the debate about whether dogs are descended from wolves, and moves on to deal with canines in mythology, religion and health, dog cults in ancient and medieval civilizations as disparate as Alaska, Greece, Peru and Persia, and traces correspondences between the histories of dogs in the Far East, Europe, Africa and the Americas. Dog also examines the relatively recent phenomenon of dog breeding and the invention of species, as well as the canine’s role in science fact and fiction; from Laika, the first astronaut, and Pavlov’s famous conditioned dogs, through to science fiction novels and cult films such as A Boy and his Dog. Susan McHugh shows how dogs today contribute to human lives in a huge number of ways, not only as pets and guide dogs but also as sources of food in Asia, entertainment workers, and scientific and religious objects. Dog reveals how we have shaped these animals over the millennia, and in turn, how dogs have shaped us.

Noreen Clark has provided a history of the Cattle Dogs that fits snugly with colonial history. Her current research reveals a far more credible account of the development of Australia's Cattle Dogs than any previous publication.