We Gave Dogs Jobs Then We Took Them Away

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Modern dogs are more comfortable than ever, so why do so many of them struggle? They are walked, trained, loved, and included, but still find it hard to settle. 

They remain restless, vigilant, and easily overstimulated, long after their physical needs appear to have been met. These behaviours are often treated as training problems or energy issues, but what if something more fundamental is missing? 

We Gave Dogs Jobs, Then We Took Them Away, explores the quiet consequences of removing purpose from animals that were bred to contribute. Drawing on the working history of dogs and close observation of modern urban life, behaviour is reframed not as disobedience or dysfunction, but as instinct without direction.

"In this book, Fiona has shown so clearly the impact of the changes that human lifestyle has had on canine lifestyle, and the need for us as their people to think about the jobs these dogs had in the past. To find ways to let them carry out those behaviours that were historically so prized and made them experts in the roles we shaped them for. To honour our side of the ancient contract between humans and dogs and give them the best and most purposeful lives we can"

  Jay Gurden

British canine behaviour expert, and author of the best-selling book, “Understanding Reactive Dogs”