Ascent of Dog: Working Dogs in the West

Patrick Colgan is the former executive director of the Canadian Museum
of Nature.

The author, an enthusiastic outdoorswoman, presents a multifaceted
celebration of “working dogs in the west” as helpers, heroes, and
pets. Her own expertise is well described in her account of her
repetition of David Thompson’s winter’s trek across the Athabasca
Pass nearly two centuries ago.

Dogs are the focus in Bush’s discussion of the social history of
Natives and Europeans traveling across the frontier. She devotes an
entire chapter to the consumption of dogs (both by Natives and in the
face of starvation), which perhaps is more than most readers require.
Canine ancestry is explored through discussions of North American
zooarcheology and pre-Columbian breeds. Other topics include the local
geography and history of many dog races, the early northern mail
service, Hollywood’s use of dogs in wild settings, dogs as rescuers,
working breeds, and the evolving association of humans and dogs in the
North.

Bush’s straightforward text is supplemented with excerpts from
contemporary documents and media scripts, plus excellent color and
black-and-white illustrations (the one depicting Dawson prostitutes with
their pets is a highlight). The information on outfitters and “dos and
don’ts” will prove particularly useful to sledding devotees.
Recommended for lovers of dogs and the North.