Tails of Salem: The Untold History of Dogs in the Witch City by Julie Gordon

Tails of Salem: The Untold History of Dogs in the Witch City by Julie Gordon

What can nearly 400 years of one city’s dogs teach us about how far we’ve come in our relationship with dogs?

Few places illustrate the extraordinary evolution of the human-dog bond as vividly as Salem, Massachusetts, where dogs were once feared, associated with evil, and even executed—and today are cherished family members, celebrated at community events, and even elected Dog Mayor.

In Tails of Salem: The Untold History of Dogs in the Witch City, author Julie Gordon follows dogs through nearly four centuries of one American city, revealing how their changing roles—from feared creatures and working animals to companions and family members—mirror a much larger transformation in how humans have understood and related to dogs.

Gordon brings a unique perspective to that story. During her 15-year tenure with Karen Pryor Clicker Training, she worked closely with Karen Pryor writing and editing articles and books about behavior, training, and the human-animal bond. That experience shaped the lens she brought to Tails of Salem and its exploration of how our understanding of dogs—and the ways we live with, work with, communicate with, and train them—have evolved.

Training is one thread in that larger story. The ways humans have taught and communicated with dogs reflect their changing place in our lives, from animals valued primarily for the work they performed to companions and beloved family members. The book also touches on the shift toward a more science-based understanding of behavior, including Karen Pryor’s influential role in bringing positive reinforcement and clicker training to companion-dog training.

Richly researched and filled with surprising history, archival discoveries, and unforgettable dogs, Tails of Salem travels from the Salem witch trials and the Age of Sail to the working dogs, beloved companions, and canine characters of today.

For trainers, behavior professionals, dog lovers, and anyone fascinated by the human-animal bond, Tails of Salem uses the story of one remarkable American city to show just how far we’ve come in our relationship with dogs—and how profoundly our understanding of them has changed along the way.