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In a conversational Q&A format, a leading dog expert answers the most commonly asked questions about how dogs think and act.
Do dogs dream? Can they recognize themselves in the mirror or understand what they’re seeing on television? Are they more intelligent than cats? People have a great curiosity—and many misunderstandings—about how dogs think, act, and perceive the world. They also wonder about the social and emotional lives of dogs. Stanley Coren brings decades of scientific research on dogs to bear in his unprecedented foray into the inner lives of our canine companions, dispelling many common myths in the process. In a conversational Q&A format with illustrations, Coren answers approximately 75 questions often asked of him during his nearly fifty-year career as a dog researcher, combining the authority of an expert with the engaging delivery of a guest at a cocktail party.
Preface xiii
Part 1 How Do Dogs Perceive the World?
Do Dogs See Colors? 3
How Good Is a Dog's Vision? 6
Why Do Dogs' Eyes Glow in the Dark? 9
Do Dogs Understand What They See on Television? 12
How Do You Test a Dog's Hearing? 15
Compared to a Human, How Good Is a Dog's Hearing? 18
How Sensitive Is a Dog's Sense of Smell? 22
Do Some Dog Breeds Have Better Noses Than Others? 25
Can Dogs Detect Cancer? 27
How Good Is a Dog's Sense of Taste? 31
Why Do Dogs Have Whiskers? 35
Do Dogs Sense Pain the Way Humans Do? 38
Do Dogs Recognize Themselves in a Mirror? 42
Part 2 Do Dogs Really Think and Have Feelings?
Do Dogs Have the Same Emotions That People Have? 49
Does Genetics Determine a Dog's Personality? 53
Why Are Some Dogs So Anxious and Fearful? 56
What Signs Indicate That a Dog Is Aggressive? 60
Are Some Dog Breeds More Aggressive Than Others? 63
Do Dogs Feel Jealousy and Envy? 67
Can a Dog Really Suffer from Depression? 71
Can Dogs Laugh? 74
Do Dogs Know Mathematics? 77
Do Dogs Have a Sense of Music? 81
Do Dogs Have ESP Abilities? 85
Do Dogs Dream? 89
Can You Make Your Dog More Intelligent? 92
Part 3 How Do Dogs Communicate?
What Are Dogs Trying to Say When They Bark? 99
Why Do Dogs Bark, and What Can We Do about It? 103
What Does a Wagging Tail Mean? 106
Why Are Some Dogs' Tails Docked? 110
Why Do Dogs Howl? 114
What's the Difference between Howling and Baying? 117
Does a Howling Dog Mean That Someone Is About to Die? 120
Do Dogs Really Use Urine to Communicate Information? 123
Why Do Some Male Dogs Lift Their Legs to Urinate? 126
Why Do Dogs Like to Sniff Crotches? 129
Why Does My Neutered Dog Mount Other Dogs? 132
Why Do Dogs Roll in Garbage, Manure, and Other Smelly Stuff? 136
Why Do Dogs Touch Noses? 139
How Well Do Dogs Understand Human Body Language and Communication Signals? 142
Part 4 How Do Dogs Learn?
Compared to Other Animals, How Smart Are Dogs? 149
Are Some Dog Breeds More Intelligent Than Others? 153
Which Works Better-Reward Training or Discipline-Based Training? 159
What Is Clicker Training? 164
What Is Behavior Capture? 168
What Is Lure Training? 172
What Is Physical Prompting? 176
What Is Shaping? 179
What Are the Limits of Canine Learning? 184
Part 5 Is There Something Special About Puppies and Old Dogs?
How Are Puppies Created? 191
Why Are the Pups in Some Litters So Dissimilar and Mismatched? 195
Why Are Puppies Born with Their Eyes and Ears Closed? 198
Why Do Puppies' Eyes Start Out Blue? 201
Why Do Puppies Sleep in a Pile? 203
Why Do Some Puppies Go Limp When You Pick Them Up? 205
Why Do Mother Dogs Clean Up after Their Puppies for the First Few Weeks? 207
How Old Is Your Dog? 210
Can Old Dogs Develop Alzheimer's Disease? 213
Part 6 What Else Does My Dog Want Me To Know?
Are Dogs Just Tame Wolves? 221
Are There More Wolves Than Dogs? 224
How Many Dogs Are There in the World? 226
Why Are There So Many Dogs in the World? 229
What Is a Hound? 232
Which Are the Heaviest, Lightest, Tallest, Shortest Dogs? 235
How Many Dog Breeds Are There? 238
Could Dogs Be the Fastest Land Animals in the World? 250
Do Dogs Sweat? 253
Why Do Dogs Sometimes Sleep on Their Backs? 256
Why Do Dogs Have Dewclaws? 258
If a Dog Licks My Cut or Wound, Will It Heal Faster? 261
Why Do Dogs Love Bones? 265
Can My Dog Make Me Healthier? 269
Selected Bibliography and Suggestions for Further Reading 273
Index 279
Overview
In a conversational Q&A format, a leading dog expert answers the most commonly asked questions about how dogs think and act.
Do dogs dream? Can they recognize themselves in the mirror or understand what they’re seeing on television? Are they more intelligent than cats? People have a great curiosity—and many misunderstandings—about how dogs think, act, and perceive the world. They also wonder about the social and emotional lives of dogs. Stanley Coren brings decades of ...