Synopses & Reviews
How well do we really know dogs?and#160; People may enjoy thinking about them as andldquo;manandrsquo;s best friend,andrdquo; but what actually drives the things they do? What is going on in their fur-covered heads as they look at us with their big, expressive eyes?and#160; Raymond Coppinger and Mark Feinstein know something about these questions, and with
How Dogs Work, theyandrsquo;re ready to share; this is their guide to understanding your dog and its behavior.
and#160;
Approaching dogs as a biological species rather than just as pets, Coppinger and Feinstein accessibly synthesize decades of research and field experiments to explain the evolutionary foundations underlying dog behaviors. They examine the central importance of the shape of dogs:and#160; how their physical body (including the genes and the brain) affects behavior, how shape interacts with the environment as animals grow, and how all of this has developed over time. Shape, they tell us, is what makes a champion sled dog or a Border collie that can successfully herd sheep. Other chapters in How Dogs Work explore such mysteries as why dogs play; whether dogs have minds, and if so what kinds of things they might know; why dogs bark; how dogs feed and forage; and the influence of the early relationship between mother and pup. Going far beyond the cozy lap dog, Coppinger and Feinstein are equally fascinated by what we can learn from the adaptations of dogs, wolves, coyotes, jackals, dingoes, and even pumas in the wild, as well as the behavior of working animals like guarding and herding dogs.
and#160;
We cherish dogs as family members and deeply value our lengthy companionship with them. But, isnandrsquo;t it time we knew more about who Fido and Trixie really are? How Dogs Work will provide some keys to unlocking the origins of many of our dogsand#39; most common, most puzzling, and most endearing behaviors.
Review
"Coren's premise is that to communicate effectively with a dog the owner must first learn the dog's language, including vocabulary, grammar, and how to form 'sentences that can be used to send and receive meaningful messages.'...The book is written for the above-average pet owner who wants to build a better relationship with his/her dog." Edell M. Schaefer, Library Journal
Review
"A must-read for all dog owners....This could be one of the most important literary purchases you ever make." Seattle Times
Synopsis
One of the most famous and beloved experts in dog psychology shows us how to communicate with our canine companions. This is the only book to show us what dogs are trying to tell us, not just how we can control them.
Parlez-vous Doggish?
At long last, dogs will know just how smart their owners can be. By unlocking the secrets of the hidden language of dogs, psychologist Stanley Coren allows us into the doggy dialogue, or "Doggish," and makes effective communication a reality.
Drawing on substantial research in animal behavior, evolutionary biology, and years of personal experience, Coren demonstrates that the average house dog can understand language at about the level of a two-year-old human. While actual conversation of the sort Lassie seemed capable of in Hollywood mythmaking remains forever out of reach, Coren shows us that a great deal of real communication is possible beyond the giving and obeying of commands.
How to Speak Dog not only provides the sounds, words, actions, and movements with which we can effectively communicate with our dogs, but also deciphers the signs that our dogs give to us. With easy-to-follow tips on how humans can mimic the language dogs use to talk with one another, original drawings illustrating the subtleties of their body language, and a handy visual glossary and "Doggish" phrasebook, How to Speak Dog gives dog lovers the skills they need to improve their relationships with their pets.
Synopsis
"A must read for all dog owners." --The Washington Post "The best key to what dogs are thinking." --The Seattle Times How to Speak Dog is one of the few books today that show us what dogs are trying to tell us, not just how we can control them.
Parlez-vous Doggish?
At long last, dogs will know just how smart their owners can be. By unlocking the secrets of the hidden language of dogs, psychologist Stanley Coren allows us into the doggy dialogue, or "Doggish," and makes effective communication a reality.
Drawing on substantial research in animal behavior, evolutionary biology, and years of personal experience, Coren demonstrates that the average house dog can understand language at about the level of a two-year-old human. While actual conversation of the sort Lassie seemed capable of in Hollywood mythmaking remains forever out of reach, Coren shows us that a great deal of real communication is possible beyond the giving and obeying of commands.
How to Speak Dog not only provides the sounds, words, actions, and movements with which we can effectively communicate with our dogs, but also deciphers the signs that our dogs give to us. With easy-to-follow tips on how humans can mimic the language dogs use to talk with one another, original drawings illustrating the subtleties of their body language, and a handy visual glossary and "Doggish" phrasebook, How to Speak Dog gives dog lovers the skills they need to improve their relationships with their pets.
Synopsis
"A must read for all dog owners." --The Washington Post "The best key to what dogs are thinking." --The Seattle Times How to Speak Dog is one of the few books today that show us what dogs are trying to tell us, not just how we can control them. Parlez-vous Doggish? At long last, dogs will know just how smart their owners can be. By unlocking the secrets of the hidden language of dogs, psychologist Stanley Coren allows us into the doggy dialogue, or "Doggish," and makes effective communication a reality. Drawing on substantial research in animal behavior, evolutionary biology, and years of personal experience, Coren demonstrates that the average house dog can understand language at about the level of a two-year-old human. While actual conversation of the sort Lassie seemed capable of in Hollywood mythmaking remains forever out of reach, Coren shows us that a great deal of real communication is possible beyond the giving and obeying of commands. How to Speak Dog not only provides the sounds, words, actions, and movements with which we can effectively communicate with our dogs, but also deciphers the signs that our dogs give to us. With easy-to-follow tips on how humans can mimic the language dogs use to talk with one another, original drawings illustrating the subtleties of their body language, and a handy visual glossary and "Doggish" phrasebook, How to Speak Dog gives dog lovers the skills they need to improve their relationships with their pets.
Synopsis
Parlez-vous Doggish?
At long last, dogs will know just how smart their owners can be. By unlocking the secrets of the hidden language of dogs, psychologist Stanley Coren allows us into the doggy dialogue, or "Doggish," and makes effective communication a reality.
Drawing on substantial research in animal behavior, evolutionary biology, and years of personal experience, Coren demonstrates that the average house dog can understand language at about the level of a two-year-old human. While actual conversation of the sort Lassie seemed capable of in Hollywood mythmaking remains forever out of reach, Coren shows us that a great deal of real communication is possible beyond the giving and obeying of commands.
How to Speak Dog not only provides the sounds, words, actions, and move-ments with which we can effectively communicate with our dogs, but also deciphers the signs that our dogs give to us. With easy-to-follow tips on how humans can mimic the language dogs use to talk with one another, original drawings illustrating the subtleties of their body language, and a handy visual glossary and "Doggish" phrasebook, How to Speak Dog gives dog lovers the skills they need to improve their relationships with their pets.
Synopsis
Parlez-vous Doggish? At long last, dogs will know just how smart their owners can be. By unlocking the secrets of the hidden language of dogs, psychologist Stanley Coren allows us into the doggy dialogue, or "Doggish," and makes effective communication a reality.
Drawing on substantial research in animal behavior, evolutionary biology, and years of personal experience, Coren demonstrates that the average house dog can understand language at about the level of a two-year-old human. While actual conversation of the sort Lassie seemed capable of in Hollywood mythmaking remains forever out of reach, Coren shows us that a great deal of real communication is possible beyond the giving and obeying of commands.
How to Speak Dog not only provides the sounds, words, actions, and move-ments with which we can effectively communicate with our dogs, but also deciphers the signs that our dogs give to us. With easy-to-follow tips on how humans can mimic the language dogs use to talk with one another, original drawings illustrating the subtleties of their body language, and a handy visual glossary and "Doggish" phrasebook, How to Speak Dog gives dog lovers the skills they need to improve their relationships with their pets.
About the Author
Stanley Coren is a Professor of Psychology at the University of British Columbia and is an eminent researcher in neuropsychology. A renowed author anddog trainer who has won a number of dog obidience competitions, he lives in Vancouver.
Table of Contents
ContentsPreface
1 Conversations with Canines
2 Evolution and Animal Language
3 A Dog Is Listening
4 Is the Dog Really Listening?
5 Animal Noise or Animal Speech?
6 The Dog Speaks
7 Learning to Speak
8 Face Talk
9 Ear Talk
10 Eye Talk
11 Tail Talk
12 Body Talk
13 The Point of the Matter
14 Sex Talk
15 Signing and Typing
16 Scent Talk
17 Dogs Talking to Cats
18 Doggish Dialects
19 Is It Language?
20 Talking Doggish and Doggerel
Postscript: One Last Word
Appendix: Visual Glossary and Doggish Phrasebook
Endnotes
Index