Dogs on Mars with Dr. Clive Wynne

Dogs have been humanity’s companions for thousands of years—guardians, workers, comforters, and beloved family members. But what about Mars?

In this special Everyday Mars episode, released in honor of International Dog Day, I sat down with Dr. Clive Wynne, ethologist at Arizona State University and author of Dog Is Love: Why and How Your Dog Loves You. Dr. Wynne is one of the foremost experts on the behavior of dogs and their wild relatives, and together we explored the question: will humans one day share life on Mars with their canine companions?

We talked about the history of dogs in space—over 50 launched through the Soviet program, with names like Squirrel, Little Arrow, and Laika the “barker.” Then we turned to the practical and ethical questions of taking dogs to Mars: Could they adapt to the conditions? Would their companionship help future settlers thrive? And what does our bond with dogs say about the kind of society we’ll build off Earth?

This episode is part science, part philosophy, and part love letter to our best friends—and what role they might play in humanity’s Martian future.

A huge thank you to Dr. Clive Wynne for joining me today and sharing his insight into the human-canine bond, to Nick Thorburn for our stellar theme music, to Ceci Giglio for the beautiful graphics, to RDan, Leila, Inka, and Carl for admining the FB group, and to my family for always supporting this journey—even when it takes a detour into Cold War dog tales.