What Is My Dog Thinking?: The Essential Guide to Understanding Pet Behavior

by Gwen Bailey

Book Overview

There are definitely times when dog owners wish they knew what their dog was thinking. From tail wagging to growling, from play bowing to lip licking, this fascinating book explains why dogs behave as... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1571458700
• ISBN13: 9781571458704
• Release Date: September 2002
• Publisher: Thunder Bay Press
• Length: 96 Pages
• Weight: 0.96 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

A fun and informative book!

"What is my dog thinking?" is a pure delight--both fun and informative! The reader will be so pleased to learn the meaning behind specific dog behaviors. For example, why does a dog lick its owner's face? Originally, dogs in the wild licked their parents' faces for regurgitated food. Sometimes that was how feeding was done. However, your licking dog is not instinctively asking for a regurgitation: He is simply showing that you are the dominant one in the "pack" of his family. Dogs are very much pack animals and do not like to be left alone. If you come home and he has scattered your personal things around him, he is just seeking your scent for reassurance that he is still part of a pack and that you will return. A dog will acquiesce to your commands because as a pack animal, he is being cared for by the leader. He belongs, feels secure. The reason a dog likes to play fetch is a throw-back to the days dogs sought out and killed prey for food. The toy bone or ball is prey once again, marking the faint echoes of another time and place. There are just so many things to learn about dog behavior both with people and other dogs. Another great aspect of this book is the number of pictures--at least two, sometimes three, that's per page, to demonstrate a behavior. So text and picture work in tandem to provide explanations. This is also a well-made book, which should extend its lifetime. I intend to donate this book to the school library where I work. It will be a great hit with children of all ages. Actually, the 96-page book was probably designed with children in mind. (Warning: There are a couple of pictures showing mounting behaviors. I found them appropriate in explaining behavior children will surely see at some point. Also, the very young will probably find the pictures funny without further ado.) Oh yes, I immediately ordered the companion book, "What is my cat thinking?"

Great for the kids!

I think this book is meant to be for children. I picked up this book having my kids (10 & 5) in mind. We had adopted a dog as theirs earlier this year. By flipping through the pages, I decided to buy it. It has very nice pictures on every page. The simple and short descriptions of the dog's "thinking" and "feelings" should be perfect for the children to understand. My kids love it.