Yap!: A Short History of Small Dogs

From The Wonderlyst #139

As the proud owner of two small dogs, June and Bug, I was probably destined to love a book called Yap! A History of Small Dogs. I am endlessly entertained (and often bossed around) by these tiny creatures with enormous personalities. Historian Stephanie Howard-Smith, who actually has a PhD in the history of lapdogs, traces our obsession with little dogs from ancient Rome to Paris Hilton's Chihuahua. Among the stories: medieval nuns secretly keeping dogs despite church rules, a toy poodle mysteriously kidnapped in 1950s Manhattan, and Joséphine's pug Fortuné, who apparently had more claim to Napoleon's marital bed than Napoleon himself. It's also filled with charming illustrations and would make a great gift for anyone who shares their home with a small dog (or two:).