A scientist explores how dogs see, smell and understand the world, and what they know about us
The world from a dog's nose
Alexandra Horowitz is a cognitive scientist who studies dogs, and also a devoted dog owner. In this book she asks what it is actually like to be a dog. Drawing on research and on hours of watching dogs play, she explains how they perceive the world mainly through smell, how they read human faces and attention, and why they behave the way they do.
Who will enjoy it
Dog owners and animal lovers who want to understand their dogs better through science and close observation.
What you will get
A fascinating, warm and very readable look at the inner world of dogs that will make you see your own dog, and every walk you take together, in a new way.
Inside of a Dog Facts: Pages, Genre and Setting
Genre
Nonfiction · Dogs · Animal cognition · Science
Length
384 pages · ≈ 11 h
More about this book
Horowitz begins with her own dog, Pumpernickel, a mixed breed she adored, and with a simple question: what does a dog experience? She borrows an idea from biology called the umwelt, the world as it appears to a particular animal through its own senses. For dogs, that world is above all a world of scent. Their noses can detect astonishingly faint odors and reveal who passed by, when and in what mood, so a walk around the block is like reading a rich newspaper.
Later chapters explore what dogs see and hear, how they experience time, and how they understand humans. Horowitz describes studies showing that dogs follow our gaze and gestures and are sensitive to our attention, and she analyzes play: how dogs invite each other to play with a bow, take turns and adjust their strength to a smaller partner. She also questions some popular assumptions, for example about guilty looks and about dominance. Throughout, she encourages readers to watch their own dogs more carefully and to let them sniff.
Engaging, curious and full of surprising facts. About 384 pages in paperback.
Reaching the Animal Mind
The Other End of the Leash
Merle's Door
Being a Dog
The Genius of Dogs
Cat Sense
The Happy Puppy Handbook
Don't Shoot the Dog
The Homesteading Handbook
Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone
Hand Made
Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving