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Helminth infections are responsible for a host of morbidities that trap people in a cycle of poverty. Over one-third of people on the planet harbour a parasitic helminth. “His name is not Wild Dog any more, but the First Friend, because he will be our friend for always and always and always.” Rudyard Kipling

With its similarity to human hookworm, the recent publications of hookworm genomes and other omics databases, as well as the ready availability of these parasites for ex vivo culture, the dog hookworm presents itself as a valuable tool for discovery and translational research. Historically, the dog hookworm has been well described on a physiological and biochemical level, with an increasing understanding of its role as a human zoonosis. caninum as a proxy for human hookworm infection and situate this hookworm model within the current research agenda, including the various ‘omics’ applications and the search for next generation biologics to treat a plethora of human diseases.

caninum-canine interaction to reflect that of the human-hookworm relationship. The historical association of humans, dogs and hookworms presents a unique triad of positive evolutionary pressure to drive the A. This makes study of the human-hookworm interface difficult for technical and ethical reasons. The inability to passage hookworms through all life stages in vitro means that adult stage hookworms have to be harvested from the gut of their definitive hosts for ex vivo research. We present evidence that the dog hookworm ( Ancylostoma caninum) is underutilised in the study of host-parasite interactions, particularly as a proxy for the human-hookworm relationship.