[admin]

Quite simply this is an excellent book. It is well-written, with snatches of dry humour. It should be mandatory reading for anybody who keeps a dog or has intentions of so doing." -;R. W. F. Poole, Daily Telegraph How do dogs perceive the world about them? How do they see, hear, learn, relate to their owners? How large are their brains, what is their emotional makeup? Why do they suffer from stress and how can it be coped with? Over the last few years a substantial body of knowledge has been built up about the psychology of dog behavior. Combining more than twenty years of practical experience as a veterinary clinician with a personal knowledge and understanding of the latest international research, Dr. Bruce Fogle has written the most inclusive and relevant book on how the canine mind works.
Customer Review: Excellent book on dog behavior
This book is an excellent guide to dog behavior and, although not being a training manual, it includes a lot of information on how to train your dog. Apart from discussing how dogs learn (e.g. by observation, classical conditioning, or operant conditioning), it includes a short list of "canine learning" rules and an appendix that teaches you how to teach commands, as well as how to correct behavior problems by counter-conditioning (training him to something else instead of its undesirable behavior) and desensitization (teaching him to accept the stimuli that cause unacceptable behavior). The first part of the book covers material on dogs anatomy and physiology, including their genetic background (that of wolves), their brain characteristics and hormonal system, their senses (that might include a sixth sense), and the basics of their communication system. The latest part is essential to understand and properly interpret your dog's gestures and the sounds he emits in different situations. The second part, on dog psychology, is, in my opinion, the really interesting part of this book. It describes how dogs develop their "personality" traits, how the learn, and how they behave as social animals. Many aspects of dog behavior are clearly explained, from their fears and phobias (and how to treat them) to their innate habits. Breed differences are also discussed, as well as how to deal with behavior problems (e.g. aggressions or house training). I cannot but recommend this book to anyone who lives with dogs. There are similar books with a less formal style (as Patricia McConnell's "The Other End of the Leash"), but they are not as thorough nor as informative as this book is. It should be noted that, despite its undeniable scientific rigor, "The Dog's Mind" is far from boring. It is quite easy to read and even momentarily humorous.
Customer Review: Well written book, enjoyable and informative
This book helps me communicate with my dog better through understanding what my dog's thought process. It's not a training book but what you learn from it is much more valuable than other training books in a lot of ways!


More...