Dog Sense: How the New Science of Dog Behavior Can Make You a Better Friend to Your Pet

I liked this book because it dispelled much of the prevalent notions of dominant and submissive behaviors that encompass dog training. I think anyone that really works with and lives with dogs feels that the whole notion of your dog vying to dominate you at all times is faulty. That philosophy puts man and dog in a continuous state of conflict. Although I enjoyed the latest scientific information on dogs I think this book may be a little to academic for the casual listener. That's why I give it 4 stars.

John Bradshaw did a really good job going into great detail on how the domestic dog was domesticated and what is the real motivation for their behavior in the human world. The only problem with the book is that it is written very scientifically, which makes it read more like a textbook and at times this can be a bit boring. It's filled with lots of facts and accounts of scientific studies but after a while it gets monotonous. I think if I was reading the hard copy it would have taken me a long time to get through. The audio version made it much more manageable. I'm a dog behavior consultant so I'm very interested in the subject matter. I think the average person with a dog would have a real hard time getting through this book and might not find it as relevant to them.

I started listening to Dog Sense but put it down quickly after hearing the narrator reading and thought I'd never get through this with him droaning on and on as he read.... Then I happened to catch an interview of John Bradshaw and I totally changed my mind deciding to give it another chance. I had to remind myself at times what Bradshaw must have sounded like when the narrator's voice became almost unbearable to listen to. Page has a old stuffy, stoic, 18th century, prim and proper voice that is uninviting in its appeal to me. It did take some perservearance to get through this. Fortunately, I would get caught up in the information that was interesting and could almost forget the narrator. I wish publishers did a better job of matching audience with the narrators they choose. I think the publisher did a huge disservice to Bradshaw by having Page narrate his book.

The information was good and interesting. Bradshaw examines and dissects each topic with extreme accuracy, leaving no stone unturned. This unfortunately only accentuated Pages monotous, monotone voice. I was so glad when it was over. I learned a lot but it was like going to the dentist.


I seldom write about the narrator in so much detail as I an in this book review. I'd almost say that a person would be better off buying the book because it has so much good information in it and you would enjoy it more than having to listen to hours upon hours of Mr. Page' boring voice.

This helps me understand my dog so much more

It brought my dog and me closer together.

NA

That dogs are our beloved companions and we should love them and understand them

I found the scientific information regarding learning theory and the intelligence of dogs very interesting and useful. I'm sure I will return to these sections again and study them more closely.

Mr. Bradshaw's statement that dogs are "only pets" these days and should have the "hunt, herd, gaurd" bred out of them to make them better companions is offensive. 99% of the people I know with hunting dogs, hunt with them. Including myself. And they are still great pets. Mr. Bradshaw shows such diligence in his research until he gets to this point. He states no statistics, facts or studies showing how many people use thier dogs for the functions they were intended for. He instead starts saying things like "most" and "many"- where are the numbers?

This book was great in bits and pieces, I couldn't listen to it all at once as it had a lot of detailed information that needed to be digested. I'm sure there are chapters I will study again.

I have, all my friends with dogs in fact. Though its not always well received by those who take Caesar Milan's word as gospel.

How the author explained dogs are not "pack animals" in the sence that they are like wolves. I found this very interesting.

Science of Dogs

I liked taking this book on in small chunks. The chapters were long, around an hour each, so I tended to listen to one chapter at a time and then sit back and think about each one.

This is a good book for dog owners and dog lovers. It starts with a nice summary of the evolution of the dog and some of the science behind it. The book then shifts toward dog behavior and some of the very common misconceptions humans have about dogs. I can imagine some dog owners and self-proclaimed experts will disagree with much of what is brought up although I found this very refreshing. It is important to question dearly held beliefs and be open to a new way of thinking. This book made me think more about my own dog and how I handle the way he behaves and I feel I understand the way a dog thinks and behaves better.