Dog sense

how the new science of dog behavior can make you a better friend to your pet

324 pages

English language

Published Dec. 9, 2011 by Basic Books.

ISBN:
978-0-465-01944-1
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OCLC Number:
657595594

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4 stars (1 review)

"Dogs have been mankind's faithful companions for tens of thousands of years, yet today they are regularly treated as either pack-following wolves or furry humans. The truth is, dogs are neither--and our misunderstanding has put them in serious crisis. What dogs really need is a spokesperson, someone who will assert their specific needs. Renowned anthrozoologist Dr. John Bradshaw has made a career of studying human-animal interactions, and in Dog Sense he uses the latest scientific research to show how humans can live in harmony with--not just dominion over-- their four-legged friends. From explaining why positive reinforcement is a more effective (and less damaging) way to control dogs' behavior than punishment to demonstrating the importance of weighing a dog's unique personality against stereotypes about its breed, Bradshaw offers extraordinary insight into the question of how we really ought to treat our dogs"--Provided by publisher.

1 edition

Review of 'Dog sense' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

The whole “alpha dog” thing is a mistake: dogs aren't wolves, and we should really just forget that whole pack/dominance thing. (Side note: even wolves aren't wolves. The pack model is based on observations in old-time zoos; not necessarily the most natural and stress-free environment). Reward training works better than punishment. And pedigree breeding is harmful.

That's pretty much it. Bradshaw covers the latest knowledge about dog evolution and behavior, entertainingly and with helpful endnotes ... but then sort of continues on and on because books can't just be 150 pages, y'know. (Come on, publishers. Yes they can. The world is changing.) 5-star book if it were half the length. It would've been more memorable, had more of an impact. Instead, the second half felt like it dragged.

Content: useful, and important. I still recommend this and will pass it along to friends.

Subjects

  • Behavior
  • Human-animal relationships
  • Dogs
  • Animal intelligence
  • Psychology