Being a Dog

Dogs and humans have lived together for more than 30,000 years, becoming closer and more interdependent over time. Today, there are dogs in almost 50 percent of American households. This book is not about anthropomorphizing dogs. They are not human. But science is confirming what dog people have always known.

Uniquely written from a dog's perspective, Being a Dog is the most authoritative and current book about dog behavior and cognition. It combines the latest scientific research with enlightening illustrations to give a unique insight into a dog's world. What does it feel like to be a dog? How does a dog view other dogs, other animals, humans? How does a dog see itself? What makes a dog happy or excited, scared or angry?

Some of the exciting discoveries in the book are:

dogs make use of the "lovers' hormone," Oxytocin dogs love us and see us as their family dogs rely on humans for affection, protection and everything else dogs are the only non-primate animal to look people in the eyes; in fact, they seek out eye contact dogs are hopelessly devoted to humans, prioritizing the scent of humans over anything else dogs and humans process emotionally laden vocal sounds similarly dogs are physically wired to pick up on humans' subtle mood changes dogs do not have a sense of self-awareness dogs do not see the world in black-and-white but actually most have red-green color blindness dogs are very nearsighted compared to humans.

Dog owners are always ready to read about their canine companions. They are so passionate about their pets that they are compelled to believe they know what their dog thinks or feels. Are they right? Being a Dog: The World From Your Dog's Point of View has the answer.