What the dog knows: scent, science, and the amazing ways dogs perceive the world

A New York Times-bestselling book about the extraordinary abilities of man's best friend.

When Cat Warren adopted Solo, an unruly German shepherd puppy, she soon began to wonder what she'd let herself in for. Solo's boundless energy was what made him loveable - but it also made him exhausting, and difficult to train. Then she struck upon an idea: what Solo needed was something to do.

Like many dogs, Solo was destined to work: using his nose to help the police locate missing people. In this lively, accessible book, Warren details Solo's journey from troublesome pup to expert cadaver dog, and explores the fascinating hidden world of animals that do essential work and the handlers who train them.

'What the Dog Knows is a fascinating, deeply reported journey into scent, death, forensics, and the amazing things dogs can do with their noses: sniffing out graves, truffles, bedbugs, maybe even cancer. But it's also a moving story of how one woman transformed her troubled dog into a loving companion and an asset to society, all while stumbling on the beauty of life in their searches for death.'
-Rebecca Skloot, The New York Times Book Review

'Enter the fascinating world of working dogs.'
-Temple Grandin, author of Animals in Translation and Animals Make Us Human

'Warren highlights the profound partnership developed between humans and dogs during their intense, but positive training, and in real situations. We are with her as she starts training her dog, and throughout the mistakes, triumphs, struggles, and rewards. I was entertained and educated - much of what I learned about dogs I had never encountered in any other book ... The people and dogs who inhabit this world are unforgettable.'
-Stacey O'Brien, author of Wesley the Owl