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How Dogs Think: Understanding the Canine Mind |  | Author: Stanley Coren
Publisher: Free Press
Category: Book
List Price: $26.00
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Seller: greatbuybooks
Rating:  18 reviews
Sales Rank: 317620
Media: Hardcover
Edition: 1ST
Pages: 368
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.1
Dimensions (in): 9.2 x 6.2 x 1.3
ISBN: 0743222326
Dewey Decimal Number: 636.70887
EAN: 9780743222327
ASIN: 0743222326
Publication Date: August 3, 2004
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
It's been said that dogs personify all the virtues of humans without the vices. Henry James wrote that his dog was "most reasonable and well-mannered" and Plato that "a dog has the soul of a philosopher." Over the years, dogs have taught us many things: loyalty, courage, and to turn around three times before lying down. Yet even in the face of millennia of evidence of thoughtful dogs, there has been little systematic scientific study until recently of what is actually going on in the dog's mind, and some people even question whether dogs have the capacity for that which we call mind. In this long-anticipated new book, written in the vein of his enormously popular The Intelligence of Dogs and How to Speak Dog, Dr. Stanley Coren looks at both the heights of intellect and the depth of our misunderstanding of what goes on in a dog's mind. A bestselling author, psychologist, and world-renowned expert on dog behavior and training, Dr. Coren is always at the forefront of discoveries about dogs. With his ever-entertaining, erudite style, he provides a fascinating picture of the way dogs interpret their world and their owners, how they solve problems, learn, and take in new information. Dr. Coren lets you see through a dog's eyes, hear through his ears, and even sense the world through a dog's nose, giving you the insight that you need to understand the silly, quirky, and apparently irrational behaviors that dogs demonstrate, as well as those stunning flashes of brilliance and creativity that they occasionally display. Along the way, How Dogs Think will answer the questions about which you have always wondered, including: Can dogs count? Do they have an appreciation of art or music? Can a dog learn how to do something by just watching another dog or even a person do it? Do dogs dream? What is the nature of dog personality? Which behaviors are prewired into your dog and which can you actually change? And, can dogs sense future earthquakes or detect cancer? With information not widely known to lay people, this lively guide also provides practical advice and wisdom that allows owners to discover the best ways to teach dogs new things, why punishment doesn't work, how a dog can actually learn to love or to fear, and how to turn that new puppy into a "perfect," emotionally sound, inquisitive, happy, and obedient dog. Combining solid science with numerous funny, informative anecdotes and firsthand observations -- all characterized by Dr. Coren's own searching intelligence and his (and sometimes his dogs') irrepressible sense of humor -- How Dogs Think shatters many common myths and misconceptions about our four-legged friends and reveals a wealth of surprises about their mental abilities and intellectual potential.
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 18
 Great Read! May 31, 2009
Emily Hilgenberg (Bloomingdale, IL)
How Dogs Think is very good, definitely comes recommended. He has lots of studies about dog cognition and readily details them for you. When he's using anecdotal evidence, he's quite clear that it's merely anecdotal and says things like, "Of course, I have no scientific proof" etc.
My only beef is with the very small section on Operant Conditioning... He does not lay out the quadrants (which to me is the essence of OC), and instead says, "Reward good behavior, ignore bad." That's not the definition of OC, but rather the preferred method of using it by most dog enthusiast. I just wish he had made that distinction, as his "definition" of OC is rather misleading. (I thought this was so bizarre, as the author has a degree in Psychology!) It wasn't the dog trainer in me that was bothered, it was the science geek.
Also, in the same OC section he discuses punishment in a manner that has no bearing on it as part OC (but rather uses the term colloquially - but still groups this in the OC section). He gives a quote from a Koehler book and something the author says makes it clear he's discussing classical conditioning (whether he [Koehler] knew it or not). I'll provide the quote if you'd like; I've left it out only because it's violent and disturbing. There's also a bizarre part that makes it seems as if he doesn't really understand OC so thoroughly?
Let me give you the example:
He gives time-outs. He describes saying "Enough!" sharply and immeadiately taking the dog by the leash and collar and putting him in isolation in a separate room. He describes this as negative punishment. Then he says that if the dog insists on barking and carrying on, he'll rap on the door hard with his fist and yell, "Enough!" To me, that's obviously positively punishment (adding the rap on the door to cease barking). He doesn't seem to feel it is.
Also, his argument refuting those who are against food training was not thorough enough for me - even though I agree with him!
Now, that said, the rest of the book is wonderful, so please don't be put off by the few strange pages in the middle. He's not at all close-minded or didactic, but makes a gently persuasive case for reward-based training that I liked. I was just delighted with all the studies and hard, numerical evidence he provided for dogs' cognition and problem-solving abilities. It's technical enough for somebody with prior knowledge to really enjoy, but accessible enough for anybody who just loves dogs.
 What's in a dog January 24, 2008
JK (London<->SpB Rus)
A book that covers everything from mundane if-so-then type of advice to the theory and evidence for animal cognition. What this author does particularly well is combine both the 'why' and the 'how' into a single readable and very entertaining volume that is not very challenging to read (I read complex texts for work, and the last thing I want to do is decipher unwieldy scientific prose when reading for entertainment). I'm sure there are books that offer more dedicated training material as well as more in-depth literature on the biology and cognition of dogs, but probably no others that combine it all into one deftly written volume.
I was less interested in the practical training advice (would be cruel to keep a Saint Bernard in my 600sqft apartment anyway) and more interested in an overview of the scientific evidence and was pleased to discover that roughly 3/4th of the book is dedicated to an exposition of dog (and often canid and primate) faculties, accompanied by a full list of citations.
Bravo Mr. Coren!
Very interesting and informative November 17, 2007
Mark McGinty (San Diego, CA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
If you love dogs, have ever wondered why and how they do some of the things they do, and enjoy science to any degree, then you should find this book as interesting as did I.
It includes many fascinating discussions about how dogs perceive the world due to physiology differences, and does a good job quantifying those differences. (Their vastly superior sense of smell, in particular, is so amazing that I read a chapter twice to make sure I had it all correct.)
The way that both instincts and conditioning affect their behaviors and personalities was also of great interest to me. This book goes to great lengths to precisely define a dog's personality, and it delves deeply into the many genetic, breed-specific and environment-specific factors that are of influence.
As for whether I have realized any practical benefits of what I've learned, I must admit there are none yet, however, my dog and I already enjoy rich communication, and I can't imagine an aspect of his personality that I might ever want to change! But I'm sure when the time comes to find another dog, I will draw heavily on what this book has taught me -- and for even just that possibility, it was well worth the read.
How Dogs Think September 19, 2007
Ileana Velasco Ayala (Mexico, DF MEX)
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
Excellent! It is an interesting scientific book. It is easy to read and it would be very helpfull if you want to live harmoniously with your pet.
 Similar Material To Many Other Dog Books July 28, 2007
Chris Luallen (Nashville, Tennessee)
5 out of 9 found this review helpful
The first 1/3 of the book is probably the most interesting. Here Coren describes how dogs experience the world through their senses. As most dog lovers already know, the sense of smell is the most important to a dog and they also have excellent auditory abilities and are able to hear high pitched sounds that humans cannot. In contrast, their sense of sight is less developed and they see fewer colors than people do. I already knew much of this information from other dog books and my own common sense observations. But Coren does cover this aspect of a dog's life in great detail and it has been fun to try to imagine how my own dog is experiencing our surroundings when I take her out on a walk.
The seconds 2/3's of the book is devoted to other topics. Some of these, such as whether a dog has ESP abilities and the aging process of a dog are of only limited interest to me. Coren also discusses traditional views of a dog's mental capacity and how dogs learn, explaining such concepts as classical conditioning and operant conditioning. Again this is stuff I have already read about and there is really nothing new or groundbreaking here. But I do appreciate that Coren is willing to challenge the ridiculous "animals as machines" ideas previously set forth by Descartes and some of the more extreme behaviorists.
However, I am disappointed in Coren's comments on training. He offers the typical suggestions on how to reward positive behavior. But says virtually nothing insightful about how to discourage unwanted behavior. I currently have a very destructive and strong willed 7 month old Shih Tzu. I had previously tried Coren's "time out" concept to very little avail.
Instead what has been of tremendous use are the techniques on how to assert yourself as pack leader in Caeser Milan's "Dog Whisperer" series available on DVD and the National Geographic Channel. I think Coren tends to anthropomorphize dogs, treating them as human children rather than a different species. In contrast, Milan encourages owners to understand how dogs view the world. For example, dogs are pack animals with a strict social hierarchy. Every pack has an alpha dog who serves as leader. In this way dogs are able to alleviate social conflicts and feel safe and secure with their appropriate place in the pack hierarchy. Every human owner needs to make sure they are respected by their dog as the pack leader. Otherwise strong willed dogs, such as mine, will be more difficult to train and more inclined towards negative behaviors. Using Milan's techiniques I have noticed that my dog is not only better behaved but is even more loving and affectionate towards me. I think this is because she now feels more secure that a clear pack leader - me - has been established and she is not experiencing the stress and anxiety brought on an uncertain leadership sitution. This emphasis on leadership and control may seem harsh to people inclined towards building a more egalitarian relationship with their pets. But dogs think differently from humans and are simply more relaxed, happy and better behaved when it is clear that a calm and assertive leader is in control.
As for Coren's book, it might be a good choice for someone who hasn't done a lot of previous reading on dogs. But, for me, there is just too much information that has already been covered and his tips on training are rather weak.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 18
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