Dog's best friend

From the dignified dogs of Milan to New York's street-savvy hounds and the puppuccino lovers of Sydney, photographer Giuseppe Santamaria captures the unique bond between humans and their dogs the world over.

- BRONWYN PHILLIPS

For three months last year, Giuseppe Santamaria scoured the parks, pavements and cafes of some of the world's most iconic cities with one question in mind.

Armed with his camera and a smile, Giuseppe asked the dog lovers of Paris, London, Tokyo, New York, Milan, Sydney and Melbourne, "If your dog could talk, what would they say about you?"

Approaching perfect strangers and asking to take their photograph may seem daunting, but as a photographer with a particular interest in street style, Giuseppe was unfazed. Stopping unknown dog owners, he says, was surprisingly easy. "When people have their dog with them, their guard is down a little bit," he tells The Weekly.

The result is a book of candid, disarming and evocative photographs, Dog's Best Friend, which captures the unique and unbreakable bond between city dwellers and their canine companions.

The idea for Dog's Best Friend evolved from Giuseppe's fashion blogs and books, including Men in This Town and