Telling Stories of Co-Domestication and Cooperation, an Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book describes archaeological, ethnographic and historical appeal for each of the regions in the circumpolar North but this was not always possible due to lacunae in research in these areas and other reasons of suitable authors having other commitments. It also describes historical times and the present day such as human–dog emotional bonds, ritual practice involving dogs, working lives with dogs, and dog diets and provisioning practices. The book explains how dogs and humans inhabit a hunting world where each can rely on the senses of the other to bring about valuable shared perspectives that provide mutual benefit through collaboration. It illuminates how national ethnographic traditions have led to differing imaginaries about dogs in the North. The book brings the spiritual world and the economic world into a conversation where dogs take the centre stage in their contribution to the fur trade.