Being a Dog

By: Alexandra Horowitz

Narrated by: Alexandra Horowitz

From the #1 bestselling author of Inside of a Dog and The Year of the Puppy—“an incredible journey into the olfactory world of man’s best friend” (O, The Oprah Magazine), Alexandra Horowitz’s follow-up to her New York Times bestseller explains how dogs experience the world through their most spectacular organ—the nose.

In her “fascinating book…Horowitz combines the expertise of a scientist with an easy, lively writing style” (The New York Times Book Review) as she imagines what it is like to be a dog. Guided by her own dogs, Finnegan and Upton, Horowitz sets off on a quest through the cutting-edge science behind the olfactory abilities of the dog. In addition to speaking to cognitive researchers and smell experts, Horowitz visits detection-dog trainers and training centers; she meets researchers working with dogs to detect cancerous cells and anticipate epileptic seizure or diabetic shock; and she even attempts to smell-train her own nose.

As we come to understand how rich, complex, and exciting the world around us is to the canine nose, Horowitz changes our perspective on dogs forever. Readers will finish this book feeling that they have broken free of their human constraints and understanding smell as never before; that they have, for however fleetingly, been a dog. And, as The Boston Globe says about Being a Dog, “becoming more doglike, not surprisingly, can make anyone’s life a little more vivid.”

Great!

The narration was great and engaging. The information was easy to understand and fascinating. If you wonder how your dog experiences the world this is a great book.

A new world perceived

I enjoyed Ms Horowitz's first book enough to buy copies for my dog owning friends. This time I'm extending my recommendations to friends who are doctor's, people with exploring curiosity and those who enjoy examining the world around them. The joy Ms Horowitz takes in exploring the worlds of noses, both of dogs and humans, is too exciting to be missed.

Interesting!

The author was a little monotone at times but the content is engaging and informative. I could have done without some stories (e.g. the wine smelling) but I agree that the world seems different now that I learned how intricate smell is. And I definitely appreciate my dogs even more than before.

A Fun Listen to What the Nose Knows

The passion for the author's work comes through in this self-narrated work. A fascinating, behind the scenes look at a dog's amazing sense of smell, and our own obtuse response to it.

Fascinating, yet narrowly focused on the nose

Based on the title, I was expecting a more well-rounded account of what it might be like to be a dog. To my surprise - and some annoyance - the entire book is focused singly on dogs’ sense of smell.

While the book is fascinating and I definitely enjoyed learning about the various aspects of olfactory - in humans as well as dogs, it felt like it went on for far too long about this singular subject. I would have liked to learn more about other aspects of “Being a Dog”.