Guest Blog Post: Art Wolfe, 'Dogs Make Us Human'

Premier wildlife photographer Art Wolfe has released a groundbreaking tribute to canine and human friendship around the globe in his latest book, Dogs Make Us Human. He will be at The Leopold's Crystal Ballroom on Thursday, November 17, 6:30pm.

Like many American families, my family always had dogs. My favorite was a good- natured, scruffy mutt named Wolfy. I took him everywhere I went. He was the great companion of my youth. I think we spent more time hiking in the Cascades than at home in West Seattle.

Since the first wolves were lured to Middle Eastern hearths between 15,000 and 40,000 years ago, humans and dogs have forged a strong, interspecies bond. This bond, born of necessity and molded into the deep recesses of our psyches and culture, is the foundation of our canine helpmates, companions, workers, medical lifesavers, friends, family members, objects of value and sometimes even, food.

As long as I have been photographing, dogs have been a focus for my lens. Wherever there are humans, there are dogs and how we humans treat them runs the gamut. One man’s pet is another man’s fetish. At a medicinal market in West Africa, I saw rows upon rows of dog heads along with desiccated chameleons, primates, crocodiles, and ungulate horns. In Japan, the cutest of the cute Poms, Pekes, and Yorkies in designer jackets rule the roost. My travels have shown me uncomfortable extremes in humanity’s dealings with dogs, but most importantly much of the joy that characterizes that core relationship.

Dogs Make Us Human is a celebration of the positive aspects of the relationship: it’s charming, upbeat, and while my photos show the remarkable bond canines and humans have, New Zealand-based, NY Times bestselling author Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson’s words speak to it directly. How from Manhattan to Mongolia, dogs enrich our lives, help make our lives less difficult, help us live longer. I have certainly witnessed this first hand through many cultures since I started traveling the world. 

Nearly thirty years ago I made my first trek to the Tibetan Himalaya on the Ultima Thule expedition from Seattle; the goal for most on that research expedition was to summit Everest, but for me, I yearned to see the culture. Roaming the streets of Lhasa, I came upon numerous round little children with their round little dogs and I was captivated. These encounters in the remote corners of the world are the most special of all: days spent in with the Dani tribe in Irian Jaya, witnessing their daily tasks, which include affectionate interaction with their wiry dogs; with the Yanomamo in the cloud forests of Venezuela, who colorfully adorn their prize hunting dogs as they adorn themselves; with the Tsaaten, the reindeer people of Mongolia, who have big, hairy dogs to protect their priceless herds from wolves and bears.

It was not until recently that I really started concentrating on photographing dogs in “western” cultures. While there are geographical and cultural pockets where dogs are still working animals, such as New Zealand, I would say for the most part we a significantly different relationship with our canine friends. They have insinuated themselves deeply into our family life—sometimes seeming like the only family we have; they have various professionals who take care of them—the vet, the groomer, the walker; dogs are a booming economy. But seriously, as Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson points out, in all these photographs of peoples from around the world with their dogs, we see evidence of the same deep feeling, the same deep pleasure in “otherness” that we can only have with a creature who returns the trust, the friendship, and the love. Our species has been blessed.

Comments

[Peter Write]

Very good post,a pet is certainly a part of one's family.

[CHRIS DAVIES]

A very well written post. I would love to read more. I am very interested in Eastern culture, clothing and animals. I have done a quick search for your book in dogs and photography sections but have yet to find it. Is your book available in the UK?

[Lindsey]

Hi Chris, we're not sure if 'Dogs Make Us Human' is available in the UK or not. Check with your local bookstore to see if they can order it.

[Justin]

The article is worth reading, I like it very much

[cisco ccna training]

We love dogs, too! It started when my friend has many dogs in their house. I saw how they took good care of them like human beings. Now, I started to love them as my own.