Summary

In Chapter 1, "A Wager," Greek gods Apollo and Hermes talk in a bar in Toronto. They discuss whether humans are more special than other animals on earth. They decide to test the theory by giving 15 dogs in a nearby clinic human intelligence. The narrative shifts to the 15 dogs in the kennel as they discover their newfound intelligence. Majnoun is the first to discover how to unlock his kennel. The rest soon follow. The first thing they agree on is their need for more language to convey their new thoughts.

Three of the dogs do not live long beyond the escape. Agatha does not even bother leaving the clinic. The other two are sent home, ruined by their gift of intelligence. Ronaldinho attempts showing off his intelligence to his family, but they dismiss him. Though he is able to follow commands with ease...