Loosely following a Q&A format, zoologist Crumpton scatters blocks of pithy feedback about why canines do what they do on broadly thematic spreads amid winsome painted portraits by Snowden-High-quality of numerous official breeds, principally drawn to scale, at work or play. Together with explaining what the titular sniffing in addition to tail-wagging and yelps (“a canine model of texting”) talk, the writer introduces well-known canines from Cerberus and Rin Tin Tin to web movie star Boo the Pomeranian, tucks in perfunctory notes on correct weight-reduction plan and care, and mentions dozens of breeds. Most of those are depicted close by, although generally in distant or vague views. Readers with imaginative and prescient points can even battle with passages of narrative which can be printed on darkish inexperienced or different low-contrast backdrops. Typically Crumpton rambles, as when he follows up “Why does canine poop odor so unhealthy?” with three feces-related factoids (together with the significance of scooping) earlier than answering, sort of. Andy Hirsch’s entry within the graphic Science Comics collection, Canines: From Predator to Protector (2017), digs deeper into the subject, however this once-over has lots to chew on. Occasional human figures within the artwork show a variety of pores and skin shade and magnificence of costume.
