An irresistible scamper through the history of little dogs and their humans from ancient times to the present day - from a rising star of British history writing

Almost from humanity's very beginning, beloved small dogs have been trotting devotedly by our sides. Yap! follows in the pawprints of the breeds we have grown to love and cherish, from the small dogs touchingly memorialised in Ancient Rome through to Paris Hilton's chihuahua and the pet influencers of 21st-century, via the pug who colonised Napoleon's marital bed, King Charles II's spaniels and celebrity terriers in Victorian pubs. Drawing on her own experience as a pug-owner, pet historian Stephanie Howard-Smith reveals how small dogs have shaped our lives as much as we have theirs, challenging social dynamics, changing the way we spend our leisure time, contributing to a global industry now worth over £250 billion, and offering valuable companionship and a chance for self-expression. A must-read for any lover of small dogs, Yap! is a paean to the unbreakable bond between humans and their petite pets.

"Fascinating" - Telegraph

"[A] wonderful book with tales from history as well as modern fashion and scandals galore... Experienced pug-lover and pet historian Stephanie Howard-Smith reveals how small dogs have shaped our lives as we have shaped theirs... Sparkling" - Daily Mail

"What they may lack in stature, small dogs more than make up for with their big personalities. Stephanie Howard-Smith's captivating history of terriers, pugs and other diminutive dogs brilliantly illuminates their oversized influence on humankind over the last 11,000 years. A treat for dog lovers of all sizes" - author of Collared: The Story of Man’s Best Friend Through the Ages

"The first serious history of small dogs, YAP! is a fantastic read that combines sparkling historical analysis with warm and entertaining stories that show us why the relationships between little dogs and their owners mattered in the past and continue to matter today" - Professor of Modern British History, University of London

"Takes the unleashed reader on a delightful romp through the lives of people and their pugs, spaniels, beagles, Maltese and other smaller canines whose joie de vivre has carried dogdom into the most intimate corners of people's lives" - Dog Is Love: Why and How Your Dog Loves You