Small dogs are our first true pets - the first creatures we invited to share our homes, and often our beds. From the convents of medieval Europe, where nuns hid small dogs to be their faithful companions (despite the disapproval of male church leaders), to King Charles II's spaniels, Queen Victoria's Pekingese, Paris Hilton's Chihuahua and the pet influencers of 21st-century social media, Yap! follows the pawprints of the breeds we have grown to love and cherish. While celebrating the pets with whom we've had the longest and closest relationship, from French Bulldogs, to Poodles, Shih Tzus and Pomeranians, Stephanie traces the rise and fall in popularity of different breeds through the centuries and offers a passionate defence of the pooches that some love-to-hate. Yap! 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, offering valuable companionship and a chance for self-expression, and contributing to a global industry now worth over �250 billion. A must-read for any lover of small dogs, Yap! is a paean to the unbreakable bond between humans and their petite pets.