Toronto author Gena K. Gorrell won the Norma Fleck Award for her biography of someone who devoted her life to helping others (Heart and Soul: The Story of Florence Nightingale). In Working Like a Dog, she examines an entire species that seems to be devoted to making our lives better, safer, and more enjoyable.

Dogs have lived with humans for thousands of years and this book covers all the aspects of human-canine relationships: guide dogs, dogs in war, rescue dogs, and the host of other ways dogs have been put to work, from helping Assyrian kings hunt to searching through the ruins of the World Trade Center.

Gorrell gives the reader interesting, detailed sections on how dogs are trained for complex police and guiding tasks. The text is enlivened with brief anecdotes about specific dog feats, such as when an RCMP dog named Sheba found a five-year-old who had wandered away from home in winter. Dogs bred for aesthetic pleasure are also covered, and the reader learns how the Pekinese was created to look like a tiny lion. Sidebars are scattered throughout but add little and most could have been easily incorporated into the text.

The illustrations, mostly historical photographs with extended explanatory captions, cover the full range of dog activity and nicely complement the readable text. Unfortunately, the pictures of the Thylacine and Dingo are confusingly transposed. An index, selected bibliography of books and web sites, and comprehensive source notes for each chapter round out a wealth of information and help take the subject farther.

Gorrell has created a splendid, in-depth book in which even the most fanatical dog lover will discover something new. It’s the perfect book for any dog-mad preteen.