The history of mankind’s relationship with dogs has largely been that of master and domesticated servant, with working dogs performing tasks that capitalize on their natural strengths and instincts. Recently, this relationship has shifted to the somewhat banal cliché of “man’s best friend,” as popularized by Lassie and Rin Tin Tin. Dogs with Jobs, the new book from Merrily Weisbord and Dr. Kim Kachanoff, and a tie-in to a television mini-series airing next fall on CBC, attempts to redress this shift, examining and updating the role of working dogs around the contemporary world.

After a brief introduction that places dogs in a historical and evolutionary context, Weisbord and Kachanoff present a broad selection of canine careers. They look at not only “traditional” dog jobs – including performing, guiding the visually impaired, sheep-herding, and sledding – but also new and fascinating roles that take advantage of evolutionary strengths rivalling today’s most cutting-edge technology. Yanka and Kim, for example, are two German Shepherds whose efficiency at detecting land mines is much higher than that of metal detectors and human squads; Star, a black Labrador, can detect traces of fire accelerant that human arson investigators miss; and Willie, a golden retriever, is able to detect the onset of her owner’s epileptic seizures before they begin.

The stories of these dogs, and many others, are told in a breezy, if formulaic, style. Of course, any book of vignettes highlighting brave dogs and their loving masters is bound to be at least somewhat cutesy and endearing. But this shouldn’t be held against it. Informative, well illustrated, and more than occasionally heartwarming, Dogs with Jobs will appeal to every dog lover, as well as those who still aren’t convinced of canine charms.