The Hidden Life of Dogs by Elizabeth Marshall Thomas (Hardcover)

“‘How might dogs conduct themselves if left undisturbed in normal circumstances? No one, apparently, had ever asked. How had we managed to learn so little about dogs that we could not answer the simplest question: what do they want? Curled on the sofa beside me of an evening was a creature of mystery: an agreeable dog with a life of his own, a life that he had no wish to conceal and that he was managing with all the competence of a wild animal, not with any help from human beings but in spite of them. One evening he got up and stretched, preparatory to voyaging. First he braced his hind legs and stretched backward, head bowed, rump high, to pull tight the muscles of his shoulders. Then he raised his head and dropped his hips to stretch his spine and hind legs, even clenching his hind feet into fists so that the stretch went into his toes. Ready at last, he moved calmly toward the door so that, as usual, I could open it for him. And then, as our eyes met, I had an inspiration. Misha himself would answer my questions. Right in front of me, a long-neglected gate to the animal kingdom seemed waiting to be opened. Misha held the key.'”

*Please note: The first image serves as a representation, while the second to fourth images show the physical book itself.