Dog Sense: How the New Science of Dog Behavior Can

9 reviews for Dog Sense: How the New Science of Dog Behavior Can

1. 

   E. Comella – February 26, 2025

   Valuable explanation of dog behavior
   I enjoyed this book and found the information helpful. The author speaks to how the environment for dogs has changed with our urbanization and higher expectations that dogs must be under their owners control at all times. Also dogs are used less and less as workers and more and more as companions. The most responsible dog owners usually neuter their pets so these companion dogs do not get to pass on their genetics. It is the working dogs, the show dogs, and the dogs of irresponsible owners who are most likely to pass on their genes. Dogs are not wolves and they are not little people. They have a strong urge to bond to people. They live in the moment. Except in rare cases physical punishment of a dog is counterproductive as it creates a less trusting, less bonded, more anxious animal. If punishment is used it must be immediate. The dog cannot understand being punished for something in the past. Reward based training generates a happy, trusting animal. Dogs naturally wish to please. Most of their negative behavior is the result of fear, not an urge to dominate. When selecting a companion dog stay away from the most popular and thus inbred breeds where genetic weaknesses are concentrated. The first eight weeks of the puppy’s life is very important in determining its personality. Look for a puppy who has been raised in a home and who has had a variety of experiences. A puppy who has lived isolated in a kennel or backroom somewhere is likely to be fearful and maladjusted. Taking a young dog to obedience training class exposes the dog to other dogs and people as well as teaching it important commands. Much of this information is commonsense, but I appreciate the reinforcement. The book could have shorter. As others have pointed out there was considerable repetition. The information that was repeated was important information so I did not find it overly annoying. Having dog companions for most of my life and having trained several of them in obedience and agility I can attest to the value of reward based training versus punishment based. Dogs just become fearful when they are hurt. Eventually a fearful dog may become aggressive out of self-defense. The author explains what dogs are capable of understanding. It is unfair to hold an animal responsible for something that is beyond its capability to comprehend.

2. 

   Julie – February 26, 2025

   Fantastic – if you have a dog, you should read this book
   Dog Sense is an eye-opening book about what goes on inside the dog’s brain, and how dogs perceive the world around them. Bradshaw’s arguments and evidence are compelling and expressed in language easy to understand. Understanding how dogs do (and don’t) think and what does (and does not) motivate their behavior means you can improve your relationship with your dogs simply by respecting them and treating them for who they are, not what you expect them to be or think they should be.At least a third of this book is dedicated to debunking the most widely held (and most damaging to the human-dog relationship) myth about dog behavior and training – that dogs are motivated by “dominance,” and their goal in life is to climb the social hierarchy. This myth originated from two fallacies: 1) that wolf packs operate in a state of constant conflict, with each member striving to be “alpha,” and 2) that dog behavior is analogous to wolf behavior. Bradshaw goes to great length to explain why dominance theory is wrong, including in his discussion evidence from DNA, archaeology, the domestication process, dog and wolf behaviors (from both observation and experiments), and common sense. He also discusses dog intelligence, emotions, senses, and training theory, and uses that information to debunk common misconceptions about dog behavior, such as the belief that dogs feel “guilty” when they’ve done something “wrong” in their owner’s absence.

3. 

   Inon Zuckerman – February 26, 2025

   Interesting theoretical insights, not very practical
   This book is an excellent popular science book about the current scientific knowledge about dogs: their evolution, first connection to humans, domestication process, brainpower, sense of smell and more. A later chapter even tackles the intense debate about dog pedigrees and their respective problems. Bradshaw also discusses how dogs would evolve to accompany humans in our modern society, and how we, as a society, needs to understand it better in order to keep enjoying each others’ company.The main thesis is that the wolf pack structure that is commonly used to understand and train dogs is inaccurate (to say the least), and consequently, many popular training techniques (e.g. Cesar Milan) should be reconsidered. Bradshaw provides a comprehensive explanation of wild wolfs behavior, and dogs (parallel) evolution from it. Basically, dogs do not behave like wild wolves, but are domesticated animals originated in wolves. And Bradshaw claims that this difference is a big one with respect to their behavior.For instance, Bradshaw says that wolf packs as they were formed in captivity are not a good representation of wolf packs in their natural environment (that are based on family ties), and there are behaviors that were created by members of the pack as a way to deal with the problematic pack that was forced upon them. For example, a wolf that does not get along with the pack might leave it in the wild, but in captivity it has to use behavioral defensive mechanisms. These behavior schemes were used to explain the behavior of members in a pack (e.g. rigid hierarchical structure), even though they are not a true reflection of wolf like behavior.However, the book’s subtitle “How the new science of dog behavior can make you a better friend to your pet” is misleading as there are not enough connections of how these insights can and should be used when training or simply interacting with dogs as pets. There is a page or two with information about dealing with separation anxiety, but most other topics are not grounded at a practical level. For example, while “dog aggression” is probably the most important of the behavioral problems, in the book it is dealt with in 2 pages that are hidden in the end of the “Does your dog love you?” chapter. I’m sure most readers would want some information or insight that connects the author’s interesting thesis (that is that aggression is not a domination issue) with ways to deal with that problem. This is not provided. At most we have words of caution that old-style trainers simply suppress the aggression problem for the short term, but not solve it. However, Bradshaw does not suggest other ways to solve this and similar problems.For me the book was interesting and enlightening, having been raised with books and TV shows that focus on the wolf pack structure, Bradshaw put fourth a very strong anti-thesis for that idea (especially in the first couple of chapters). Readers who are looking for more hands-on information about training dogs should look at other books.

4. 

   Kay – February 26, 2025

   Excellent!
   A thorough and insightful take on the natural history of dogs. I recommend this to anyone who wants to understand their dog more, and especially to people who fashion themselves dog trainers, but don’t understand the science and evolution.

5. 

   Lisa – February 26, 2025

   The book is on the way; however this was recommended read by top dog trainers so I’m excited to get the chance to read. I gave it a 5 star based on recommendations by top trainers as well as other reviewers.I’ll update if I feel any different.

6. 

   Ma Jesus Espinosa M M – February 26, 2025

   Lo compré usado (en inglés; no lo hay en español) aunque es una edición anterior. La verdad está en bastante buen estado. Obvio no lo he terminado de leer pero tiene buena e interesante información. Llegó bien empacado y antes de la fecha prometida. Contenta y satisfecha con la compra 🙂

7. 

   L Scrd – February 26, 2025

   Esse livro deveria ser leitura básica pra todo mundo que tem ou quer ter um cachorro em casa. É claro, direto, a leitura é fácil. Faz você esquecer de uma vez por todas aquela ideia de que seu cachorro quer te dominar!

8. 

   Makeup by Cecile – February 26, 2025

   Un livre superbe sur les chiens si vous aimez vraiment les chiens je vous le conseille vivement car vous comprendrez énormément de choses avec ce qu’on ne pense pas forcément il est très très bien fait

9. 

   Kiy.Ok – February 26, 2025

   オーソドックスでした。一方では、特段目新しいと感じた内容は多くありませんでした。