Dog Sense: How the New Science of Dog Behavior Can Make You a Better Friend to Your Pet

Winner of a 2012 Independent Publisher Gold Award

Dogs have been “mans best friend” for tens of thousands of years. A century ago most dogs worked for their living, and were bred to be healthy and hard-working, as well as companionable. But in the course of a few decades, many of those carefully selected attributes became obsolete, and nowadays we breed dogs more for their looks than for their health or suitability as pets. Whats more, we too often treat dogs like wolves or, just as hazardously, like furry humans. The truth is, dogs are neither—and our misunderstanding has put them in a state of crisis. In Dog Sense, renowned anthrozoologist John Bradshaw seeks to rescue dogs from this crisis by reminding us of their rights, gripes, and specific needs. He uses groundbreaking research into human-animal interactions to show us the world from a dogs perspective, teaching us how to live in harmony with—not just dominion over—our four-legged friends. Debunking a range of popular, dominance-based training theories and offering extraordinary insight into the question of how we really ought to treat our dogs, Dog Sense is a must-read for any dog lover.

“Illuminating…. [Bradshaw] articulates a revolutionary change in thinking in Dog Sense that should liberate both dog and owner from what had so often been portrayed as an adversarial relationship.”—Salon.com

John Bradshaw is Foundation Director of the Anthrozoology Institute at the University of Bristol, where he was previously the University Research Theme Leader for Animal Welfare and Behaviour. His current research partners include the charities Medical Detection Dogs, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, and Dogs Trust. Prior to joining the University of Bristol in 2003, Bradshaw founded the Anthrozoology Institute at the University of Southampton. He lives in Southampton, England.