Yap!: A Short History of Small Dogs, by Stephanie Howard-Smith

 

Publication Oct. 13, 2026

Napoleon may have ruled much of the civilized world at one time but at home, his wife's little "yapper" dog ruled. Even in the marital bed, it seems. This book is full of such looks at little dogs that ruled over their humans, from Mary, Queen of Scots, to more modern canine video stars. The author mixes scholarly research with such human sides of the small dog history, making for an interesting read, even noting some burial rituals and finds. That said, I do have to admit to skimming over sections that dealt with personalities I was less familiar with but even then would find something that grabbed by attention and slow me back down. Hence, a solid 4 star rating although your mileage may vary. Grin.

I'm not going to go into great detail as your tastes and interests may vary but it was definitely fun to see the role dogs played with their historical humans, not to mention their early use to sway opinion. I have to admit, for instance, that I always just assumed the bulldogs so frequently pictured with England's Winston Churchill were his dogs. Nope. Oh, he had a dog but it was a pug. The bulldogs were borrowed for the photos apparently. Of course, as a history buff, it was interesting to me to see how opinions on small dogs ebbed and flowed over the decades and, indeed, centuries they've helped their humans get through the days. Even today when we think small dogs, let's face it, we probably think of a woman and her fashionably dressed, pampered little dog. That image has largely held through the centuries it seems, once characterizing the public's view of the upper class. I'd never thought about dogs being taken regularly to church by their humans but it seems they were and it created problems. Thinking of the burst of media recently of the stray that joined the monks on foot journey it's hard to imagine church leaders once tried to limit their access to even little dogs, even at times forcefully removing them from nuns and such. So, yes, there was lots there for my history oriented mind to digest. 

Bottom line, an interesting read with lots of both history and personal touches from the author. I actually found the history aspects of these little bits of fur more interesting than their frequent use as props by celebrities or those hoping to use them to increase their "influencer" status, but you'll find that sort of info, too. Although my beloved Daisy was a short dog, a corgi, but they aren't really considered little dogs. just short legged, so I have never really had much experience with a true little dog. In any case, I had an early copy and most of the photo discussed weren't available, though the author's descriptions were quite thorough, so should be a delight to have the pictures in the final copy. Thanks #Ballantine for allowing me this early peek at a thorough recounting of the history of this "pampered pet" whose ancestors have played quite a role in more history than I'd ever imagined.