This delightful narrative takes readers on a powerful search to unlock the secrets of dog cognition, based on evidence from trainers, owners, behaviourists, and the animals themselves.With in-depth reporting and more than a few personal adventures, bestselling author Jennifer S.Holland digs into what intelligence really means. Readers will meet a pack of genius dogs, each of whom embodies a particular kind of smarts.Holland spends time with Cat Warren, who trains cadaver dogs, to learn about 'nose intelligence.” To unpack emotional intelligence, she examines an unlikely dog friendship; to unpack task learning ability, she seeks out an agility trainer.She interviews police-dog trainers (volunteering to be attacked by one in the name of science), service-dog trainers, and trainers who rehabilitates 'bad' dogs. And she gets to know breeds that are considered especially intelligent - border collies, cattle dogs, and German shepherds - to discover whether they are truly 'smarter,' or just more in tune with humans.In between field experiences, Holland spends time with dogs in a variety of settings - a rescue centre, a dog park, a boarding facility - while pondering the lessons they teach us about ourselves. And she will pose entrancing philosophical questions: How do we define intelligence in another being?Where do 'instinct' and 'intelligence' meet and diverge?Both surprising and heartwarming, this book is one woman’s quest to understand the world’s smartest dogs - and how they got that way.