The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog

By: Bruce D. Perry, Maia Szalavitz

Narrated by: Chris Kipiniak

Length: 13 hrs and 10 mins

Publisher's Summary

A renowned psychiatrist reveals how trauma affects children - and outlines the path to recovery.

"Fascinating and upbeat.... Dr. Perry is both a world-class creative scientist and a compassionate therapist." (Mary Pipher, PhD, author of Reviving Ophelia)

How does trauma affect a child's mind - and how can that mind recover? In the classic The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog, Dr. Perry explains what happens to the brains of children exposed to extreme stress and shares their lessons of courage, humanity, and hope. Only when we understand the science of the mind and the power of love and nurturing can we hope to heal the spirit of even the most wounded child.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio. 

©2006, 2017 Bruce Perry and Maia Szalavitz (P)2018 Hachette Audio

Critic Reviews

"Filled with compassionate, caring stories by a wise healer and scientist, this book will appeal to all who are interested in understanding how children heal." (Lynn Ponton, MD, author of The Romance of Risk)

"In this harrowing but profoundly humane book, Perry and Szalavitz provide an all too timely, utterly engrossing account of traumatized children's lives.... Once I opened it, I could not put it down." (Sarah Blaffer Hrdy, author of Mother Nature: Maternal Instincts and How They Shape the Human Species)

"In beautifully written, fascinating accounts of experience working with emotionally stunted and traumatized children, child psychiatrist Perry educates readers about how early-life stress and violence affects the developing brain. He offers simple yet vivid illustrations of the stress response and the brain's mechanisms with facts and images that crystallize in the mind without being too detailed and confusing." (Publishers Weekly)

Helped me with my most difficult students.

This book IS the answer to what the students with the hardest behaviors need. This and Help for Billy

Nice to see some good come to those abused/neglect

I enjoyed this book as a graduate student in clinical mental health. I like to use the same approach and it's nice to see that others do too and found good results. It also reminded me that with trauma victims it's best to allow them a choice in their recovery.
I do warn those with past abuse that this book contains some triggers and to be cognizant of them when reading this book as it contains some details on sexual abuse/assault and neglect. The descriptions are necessary in order to understand the treatment process.

Every school counselor should read

This book was amazing. As a school counselor, we are seeing more and more children come into the school system with trauma and we are trying to teach them the academics required in schools but can't move past the behaviors they are displaying. Teachers are not equipped to help them with the trauma and are only being pushed by the administration to have these students show progress in their testing scores. I know that our school system will be looking into trauma-informed training, and I for one can not wait for that day. I am going to approach the administration to look at the NME and hope they consider this approach to help us help our students.

follow up

Great study, lots of insight and a good resource. I will be sharing as well .
persuing training.

The book was not what I thought I was going to be

The book was a bit drawn out. It did not catch my attention at all. I am big into mental health and learning about it especially in children so I thought that’s what intrigue me a little. Narrator is good and have some good points it’s just not what I thought it was going to be. Hello disappointed I use my credit I’m at the café

Excellent, very informative

Excellent, very informative but not justva bunch of info. It is presented in a very interesting way. I will definitely be listening to this multiple times. 2 thumbs up 👍

Fantastic resource

This should be required reading for anyone who works with children, especially those from hard places such as foster parents, CPS workers and teachers.

Amazing, insightful and very very useful

This book is eye opening, insightful and super useful for anyone working with our supporting children or youth.

Loved it!

Get on going back. Important lessons fo all of us to strengthen the fabric of society.

Just amazing.

loved it. The stories are tragic sometimes but these are success stories. psychology & trauma working with kids. I would give it 10 stats if I could.

Amazing

This is an amazing book. Anyone who works with children must read this book wow!

Fascinating, powerful and moving

With doctors like him the traumatised children of the world have so much more hope.
The stories of trauma or neglect are truly dreadful and you'd be inhumane not to be appalled and upset by the light of the children. However the way that Dr Perry explains how the trauma/neglect that each child suffers then shapes the brain and how it can later be remedied is fascinating.
Highly recommended read for those interested in this area.

A real eye opener.

I have no background in psychology but the series of cases and narrative drive home the intended message of how important early years are in forming the personality traits of all of us. Also, the dedication and focus that some brilliant people have to make life better for others that need it most.

just wow

get ready to be blown away with this incredible book with very clear information about human physiology

amazing book

this book is incredible the çases and the connections to the brain blee my mind

Not just a study text book.

I found this book unputdownable. Engaging, enlightening and helps you to understand humans a little more, as well as yourself. Have recommended it to everyone I know working with children, thinking of having children, that have children, know peopo with children.

A must read for humans, in short.

brilliant

excellent work and a fantastic insight into child psychiatry. the more we understand the more we can do .

Amazing

An amazing book using case studies to explore the importance of quality attachment relationships and the devastating effects of the lack of them.

Outstanding

Just the most amazing book. Second time reading it and it just gets better. Dr Perry is a phenomenal human being and I thank him for sharing his memoirs with so many of us.

journey of awareness and understanding...

Healing I've craved to overcome childhood trauma, invaluable educational tools want to be a healthy Grandparent...