Willing Dogs / Reluctant Masters

With the help of Kestra (l) and Atkis (r), Gary Borjesson explores what it means to be friends -- really friends -- with a dog, and how that relationship can illuminate and inform the other friendships in our lives. "We can learn much about friendship by examining our relationships with dogs, partly because of what we have in common with them, but also because of what we do not. Our differences put friendship and its terms in striking relief. The resulting perspective is especially valuable given how easy it is for dogs, friendship, and other familiar aspects of our experience to escape our notice." -- from the Preface. Dogs are remarkable creatures. More than any other animal, they share with humans a deep interest in friendship, co-operation, and justice. (That's probably why we love them so much). In this book Gary Borjesson explores the source of -- and justification for -- our authority in the master-dog relationship, while inviting readers to ponder the role of authority in friendships among people, as well.