For the Love of a Dog

Understanding Emotion in You and Your Best Friend

By: Patricia B McConnell

Narrated by: Ellen Archer

Length: 12 hrs and 16 mins

Publisher's summary

The critically acclaimed author of The Other End of the Leash offers fascinating insights into the canine mind - critical tools for a healthy relationship with a well-trained dog.

In this remarkable book, renowned canine expert Patricia McConnell answers the questions of dog lovers everywhere. Do dogs have emotions like we do? More to the point, does my dog love me? Such questions have fueled best sellers like Elizabeth Marshall Thomas' The Hidden Life of Dogs and Jeffery Moussaieff Masson's Dogs Never Lie About Love.

Sharing riveting dog stories from her experiences, Dr. McConnell also offers accessible science that clues listeners in to what's going on behind those puppy dog eyes. We learn the fascinating similarities and surprising dissimilarities in dogs' and humans' brains, and how current scientific studies have led McConnell to conclude without a doubt that dogs share a profound emotional life with us.

The information found in this book will help listeners have better-trained dogs, at the same time deepening their dog-human connections. For the Love of a Dog is a must-have for dog lovers everywhere.

"Highly recommended." (Library Journal, starred review)

©2006 Patricia B McConnell (P)2006 Tantor Media

Critic reviews

• Winner of Audio Publishers Association 2007 Audie Award, Personal Development/Motivational

"A compelling combination of stories, science, and practical advice to show how understanding emotions in both people and dogs can improve owners' relationships with their pets." (Publishers Weekly)

Great insight into the dog behaviour

Loved the info and the stories, wish her other book "The other end of the leash" was in audio format

Mind provoking

This work is fascinating and mind provoking and will leave you wondering when science will catch up and be able to prove what the rest of us dog owners already know.
I loved listening to this book. The author is a beautiful person, inside and out, and I thank her for sharing her most deepest parts of her relationship with her dogs, other animals, and Both Sides Of The Story. The world is a better place because people like her, Patricia McConnell, exist in it.
This book deserves more than ten stars.

Informative! Fun & insightful!

If you could sum up For the Love of a Dog in three words, what would they be?

Informative, fun and insightful!

What did you like best about this story?

I am very glad I listened to this book! It gave me information and understanding to have a better relationship with my dog and how dogs relate to people. I will be listening to this again to keep the valuable information fresh in my mind. A quality book!

Have you listened to any of Ellen Archer’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes! If life gave me the opportunity to listen all of it one sitting, this would be a book that would be worth the time. Unfortunately, life has demands on my time. I was greatful I had this book when opportunities in my schedule were avaiable.

Any additional comments?

Good book with lots of good information.

A little thin and dated

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

I love neuroscience books and love dogs, too, so i thought this would be a good read. The author tells some great anecdotes, and can bring a tear to your eye, but there is not a lot of structure or definitive conclusions in the book. About half way through, i started wondering if maybe there was not enough research to dig deeper into the subject matter, or if maybe it could be updated with more studies (it is about 8 years old). i enjoyed parts of it, but left wishing there was more to it.

My Dogs Appreciate That I Listened to This Book

This book is a great addition to any library...in any form. I wish the photos had been available as a download for us, because I'm sure the information would have been much more enjoyable and useful. I learned more about my dog from this book than I have from 10 others. I highly recommend it.

Wonderful book!

I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this book. It was so interesting to learn not only about dogs, but about people, and how our (and our furry pals) brains work. This wonderfully thoughtful and thought provoking, if made me think about how I communicate with my dog, and also how much I love the little monster. This was a perfect blend of science, philosophy, and stories that made me tear up, both over success stories with dogs going through rough times and over how cruel people can be to animals. Such a great book. I’ll definitely be buying a paper copy. Highly recommend for anyone who loves their dog, or even just wants to understand them a little better.

Best non fiction ever.

This book is wonderfully put together, with a delightful mix of science, anecdotes and incredibly useful information. It is presented in a way that makes you feel like you are sitting next to a warm hearth, smelling baking bread and chatting with a much loved friend about your shared favorite subject, dogs, with your favorite dog, at your feet.

A must read for dog and animal lovers

Wow! This is an excellent book that will take you through the range of emotions from laughter to tears, and all in between. Very insightful to even a seasoned dog handler. I couldn't put it down and so I finished it in one weekend.

I love my dog/friends

I always loved my dogs like dear friends. I feel like I have gained a great deal of insight by this book. I really appreciate her wisdom, and great way to tell about these creatures of the canine kingdom that we love to bond with. I look forward to any other books by her.

smart and understanding, can't put this down

I loved this, listened to it everywhere!!! I wish to find more of the author's writings in audio format!!!