Humans are indebted to dogs. We get them to do all the jobs we can't do; we expect them to save our lives, uphold the law, find our missing, comfort our sick and elderly, be our eyes and ears, watch over our families, move our stock, entertain us and keep us warm – all for a bowl of food, the tug of a toy and a pat at the end of the day.

Dogs should be revered and recognised for achieving great feats to improve human life, and this book unashamedly does just that. It tells the stories of a number of dogs, from their initial selection for work, to their training, their work experiences and their relationships with their handlers and masters. A long-time dog-owner and journalist, Maria Alomajan fleshes out each story with colourful and heartwarming anecdotes based on her interviews with the owners of these selfless animals, together with a host of charming photographs.

Among the animals profiled in the book are dogs working for the police and customs; farm dogs; therapy and guide dogs; search and detection dogs (including cancer, cadaver, truffle, avalanche, LandSAR and USAR dogs); acting and show dogs; pest control dogs; guard dogs; and sled dogs.