Book Description
How Smart Is Your Dog?
If you've ever wondered what is really going on inside your dog's head, here is your chance to find out. In this revised and updated version of this perennially popular book, psychologist and prizewinning trainer Stanley Coren provides a startling view of the intelligence of our oldest and closest animal companions.
Do dogs really think? Are they conscious in the same way humans are? What is the nature of canine memory? Can dogs communicate with us -- and, if so, how can we understand them? Do they have feelings such as guilt, loyalty, and jealousy? Do they experience joy and sorrow?
Drawing on scientific research that has stood the test of the past decade, interviews with top breeders and trainers, and his own personal observations as a lifelong dog lover, Stanley Coren speculates on these and many other fascinating questions about man's best friend. He offers practical tips on how to evaluate your dog's body language and understand the sophisticated "language" of a dog's bark, and how to tailor a training program to suit your dog's special needs. Here, too, are the famous, controversial lists and rankings of more than 100 breeds for obedience and working intelligence, as well as for specialized tasks such as hunting, home security, and companionship.
Rich in wit, wisdom, and anecdote, The Intelligence of Dogs is a book that will bring you a greater understanding and enjoyment of the habits, antics, and abilities of your dog.
Customer Reviews:
site your source, prof!.......2007-09-28
I have a BIG problem with this book...
Dr. Coren fails to include any citations or references to most of his original claims...There is a "suggested reading" section, but rarely any references or citations beyond vague references to "experts" and "authorities".
As a result, when information is presented, I simply don't know how to respond... take Dr. Coren at his word or be skeptical? Even "experts" are known to disagree with each other... so when he says that he consulted "14 top experts" on the subject to arrive a a conclusion, I can't help but wonder, why no name dropping? Aren't such associations something to brag about and don't "experts" like getting credit for their work?
As for the test he developed he says, "All the tests are based on formal labratory and field testing procedures modified so that they will be fairly simple to administer and will not require much in the way of equipment..." This is how he explains how he developed the test... though in the suggested reading section he does give a clue as to how he came up with his tests by listing the materials that inspired him... he seems to admit that he just modified a bunch of pre-existing tests based on his knoweldge of two theories of HUMAN intelligence and at times I sense SUPERFICIAL knowelge of dog intelligence... Uh oh...
In conclusion, I am not agreeing or disagreeing with any of his claims or his credentials, but many seem like recycled facts and tidbits from other books mixed in with human pop psychology (sort of pseudo child psych testing)/classic experimental psych 201 - - thrown in with tests meant to evaluate candidates for various working dog programs. - - As for assessing the intelligence of dogs... obedience yes, but as for "thoughts, emotions and inner lives" - - did I fall asleep during those chapters?
Ironically, while I was reading the book, I thought he reminded me of a very good Psych 101 professor... only with an interest in dogs. - - Searching the net, it turns out that he is indeed a PSYCH 101 teacher at his university(!)
In the end, I'm left wondering: Is a HUMAN PSYCHOLOGIST the best person to assess the intelligence of dogs? (Psychologists definitely are in a position to offer insight, but usually people involved in multi-disciplinary research rely on data provided to them by collegues in other fields... these collegues in term are traditionally named.)
Reminds me of the time I had a lot of stress and decided to see a counselor in Japan who claimed to be fluent in English, but spoke NO ENGLISH... and was surprized when I terminated the session. - - DOGS do speak a totally different language than our own... and I'd hope that if some expert is going to rate their intelligence, its going to be someone who realizes that sometimes foreigners look stupid because their ways are different and we can't communicate with them so well...
Instead of this book I suggest McConnel's FOR THE LOVE OF A DOG... Not saying I agree with all her claims (or disagree with all his) but she cites her sources so you can explore them for yourself.
Superbly researched and written.......2007-06-03
This book was not written to teach you how to train your dog. Rather, it's by far the most authoritative book available on what your dog senses and how he's likely to process and remember what he sees, hears, and smells. It gave me for the first time an understanding of why dogs react as they do and why successful training methods work. As Coren points out in one of his books, almost half of us share our homes with dogs at one time or another, but what we learn about in high-school biology is salamanders, sharks, and the platypus, creatures we never encounter personally. This book addresses that disconnect so well that I think it should be included in basic life-science curricula. Even for someone who has no intention of ever including a dog in his or her household, this book can provide an interesting new slant on understanding animals. That is to say that it has great value for its academic content as well as its practical applicability. I give Coren my highest recommendation among authors writing on the subject of canine psychology.
Very poor.......2007-05-04
This is an absolutely awful book. It trades in on common misconceptions with dogs, and then goes on to make generalizations about breeds that have no business circulating. Thanks to this fine author, people can parade around their poodles and say they have the second smartest dog in the world... Never mind that they are tethered to a puppy mill inbred. Generalizing that Border Collies are smarter than Poodles are smarter that Rottweilers is just plain asinine. What was the sample size? (I believe it was like 5 dogs.)
Maybe this book was supposed to make some owners feel better or something... Beats me. Read the Wiki on "Dog Intelligence"... Coren's only barometer for "intellect" revolves around the dog's willingness to please, which he still hasn't recognized because he's too busy believing the "Alpha Dog" myth.
Save your money and buy your lil' man some bully chews.
OK as a Guide/Resource Book.......2007-02-25
Well, I was not that impressed. The book is a rather dull read, not terribly informative, although it gives some pertinent facts about dog barks, growls, sounds and positions as to what they mean. I learned quite a lot from this particular section. I don't know if I totally and quite agree about which particular breed of dog is the absolute most intelligent, as Coren points out, intelligence takes many forms---in dogs as well as in people. The book was all right. It has some good facts, but I was not overly impressed as I said above. He has many stories and tales about different breeds of dogs that underscore his points throughout the book. Again, it's all right, and if anyone wants to buy my copy really cheap, let me know. The book is not a keeper. That's my review of The Intelligence of Dogs!
Great book!.......2007-01-11
This book is fabulous! Stanley Coren really has a way of bringing it down to the dogs level, giving you a deeper understanding of dog behavior.
Book Description
James Grady revolutionized the political thriller with his first novel, Six Days of the Condor. Now Grady breaks fresh thriller territory with Mad Dogs, a brilliant novel launched from a totally original creation: the CIA's secret insane asylum for "retired" agents. Five deranged CIA killers, all of them dependent on their meds and deep in the woods of Maine, are forced to break out of the asylum when someone murders their psychiatrist ---and frames them for the deed. Crazy and traumatized by their experiences in the CIA, they operate under somewhat skewed perceptions of the real world. Their training, however, has prepared them to survive in an unfriendly world---even if that world is the Boston-to-Washington corridor as they chase down the real killer.Suspenseful, fast, and edgy, as well as funny and humane, Mad Dogs is a stunning novel of political commentary and a tour-de-force of contemporary literary style, a look at twenty-first-century spy wars.
Customer Reviews:
Entertaining..........2007-06-12
but not groundbreaking. Enough to spend some time with. Not much else.
Choppy and Crappy.......2007-02-08
Not worth the paperback price. If I were you, I wouldn't even waste my time on a local library copy.
Story and writing style is very choppy. It reads as though the author wrote it for his own enjoyment rather than wanting to provide a good story for his readers.
If you don't like books that have easy flow to the story, skip this one. Better yet, everyone should skip this one.
Why?.......2007-01-27
I cannot believe I finished this book. I'm just flabbergasted, flummoxed and distressed that this was even published. It's so bad I wouldn't have any qualms about those responsible being fired and banned from ever working in the world of publishing.
But what's even more disheartening is that I have admired and read so many of the people who scribbled praise and 'Acclaim for Mad Dogs and James Grady' on the back cover. Some, I hesitate to say, I've now obviously mistakingly placed on a pedestal - but no more.
Just an astoundingly bad novel.
Great Pages, Weak Novel.......2007-01-05
I REALLY wanted to like this book. Grady has a James-Frey-type style, slapping you in the face with terse, poignant prose. The flashbacks were okay, but they seemed to be elaborate set-ups for each characters' one unique trait.
The plot . . . ???? Good characters and great writing, all for nothing. It's like eating 5 lbs. of whip creme; the first spoonfuls are yummy, but the last few leave you feeling awful. The slim motivation driving the effort wears thin early, barely stringing you along until . . . deus ex machina.
It's best to reading the first half of the book and give it to a friend with a short attention span and a penchant for Tarentino dialogue.
A Hell of a Ride.......2006-12-14
I can safely say that the premise of Mad Dogs is unique: mentally ill spies framed for the murder of their psychiatrist escape from a secret mental institution to solve the murder and clear their names. There's nothing else like it. Grady has spun a fascinating and quirky yarn that takes the reader on one hell of a ride.
Customer Reviews:
Todos los amigos de los perros deberían leerlo........1999-01-23
El autor nos enseña a entender a los perros y nos muestra lo inteligentes que son y pueden llegar a ser . Es un libro que ayuda tanto a adiestradores como a los dueños a conocer a nuestros amigos y hacer que nuestra relacion sea aun mejor.
Customer Reviews:
The Dog I.Q. Test.......2004-09-03
Interesting, insightful, book that has questions designed to determine how observant, intuitive, intelligent your dog is as well as their social behavior. It also looks at the historical relationship between dogs and man. And, you can gain insight into your strenghts as a dog owner. I enjoyed it.
Really fun!! My dog is a genius! LOL!.......2002-01-16
I am the President of Angel Pups, an organization that trains kids (middle school and up) to work with their dogs and then takes them to visit nursing homes. For fun, last week we all did this IQ test together! We all laughed SO hard, some kids had tears streaming down their faces!! It is a blast to see how smart your dog is and what you can do to help them improve their intellectual capacity. This week we're doing the Owner IQ test!! I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys working with dogs!!
Are you wondering how smart your dog is?.......2001-10-26
Fun and interesting book. Questions you will need you answer about you and your dog to see how your dog ranks among other dogs on the intellience scale.
For Everyone of Us Who Believes Dog is Smartest.......2001-04-14
Neat book for us dog lovers to examine our dog's intelligence and then let this data be added to the collection the author maintains.
She gives the findings of her research. So many interesting gleanings to be had from this work. We have used these now on three of our dogs, of two different breeds. Also, used the author's cat i.q. book. Cat is hands down the smartest, as we already surmised.
Book Description
Deep down, all dog owners believe that their dog is smarter than most people, not to mention most dogs. With What's Your Dog's IQ? they can prove it (or not) with such tests as:
Language learning-is Fido bow-lingual?
Memory-does Toto have total recall?
Problem solving-is Prince ready for Princeton?
Funny and practical, this adorable guide shows dog owners how to rate their dog's intelligence, boost it, and even how to console themselves if, shall we say, Rover's IQ is better measured by the size of his heart.
Book Description
Man's best friend has never had it so good. Seven out of ten Americans think of their pets as children, and they spend more than $680,000,000 a year on their "babies," buying them gourmet food, health insurance and even daycare.
Caninestein is for those doting parents who want to make sure that their beloved pooch leads the pack when it comes to intelligence. A fun and entertaining way to indulge themselves and their pets, it includes:
- a quiz made up of a series of activities that test the dogs problem-solving ability, learning ability, memory and language comprehension
- tips for dealing with advanced learners or underachievers
- games and exercises to stimulate the canine intellect.
Featuring a fun design, tons of humorous cartoons and a tongue-in-cheek approach that is sure to charm all who read it, Caninestein is a wonderful gift for dog lovers -- and their dogs.
Customer Reviews:
Dog Lovers Already Have This Covered..........2003-08-11
This book is certainly not geared towards the casual dog owner. Contrary, it's all about dedicating yourself to making your dog's life more interesting. It's safe to say that if your considering buying this title you're already a certified dog nut.
The first part includes some IQ-type quizzes/activities that can be scored to roughly calculate your dog's intelligence. I found many of the 'questions' more taxing for the owner than for the pooch. Some are simple, some more involved--such as one activity that requires a refrigerator box or some comparably sized structure. I already suspected that my dog was on the lower end of the intelligence scale, so besides taking too much time to set up the 'quizzes' that further discouraged me, I would have preferred to engage my dog in a rousing game of fetch....which basically is what the authors are trying to convey. Stimulating your animal with fun and new games, getting him out of the house for outings and introducing him to new environments--these are all things a loving, devoted and responsible owner already consistently practices! It doesn't take an Einstein to figure out that a dog regularly socialized, stimulated and cared for will more than likely gain some intelligence along the way.
The latter part of the book recommends games, outings and unique toys for further exploration into dog/owner bonding. Unfortunately, most of the activities weren't a fit for my smaller sized dog, and although going off to a summer camp that specializes in all aspects of doggy fun sounds like an absolute blast, most owners don't have such cooperative budgets.
I did find very helpful some of the authors' suggestions about letting your dog know who's boss. If your dog, like mine, clearly wears the pants in the family, I did discover some of their recommendations to remind your mongrel just who pays the bills around here, quite refreshing. For example, they say to walk up to your dog while he's busy chewing on a favorite toy and remove the toy and begin say, trimming his nails. Sounds nearly cruel to a softie like me, but it lovingly reminds the animal that the Human is ultimately in control. Or so we hope.
In closing I'd say there isn't too much to glean from this book for the seasoned pet owner, but for the list price it makes for a fun afternoon read. My dog is no smarter, but I managed to pick up a few helpful pointers. As I eluded to above, this title will not appeal to the owner who confines Rover to a life in a fenced yard, and to the rest of us fanatics, we're already so tuned-in to our furry companions we already know how to make their lives stimulating, interesting and fun. (And buying this book online might save you look I received from the cashier. "I saw you coming a mile away" was her expression.) And anyway, all dogs are brilliant in their own way.
Be happy with your canine pals without dumbing them down.......2003-05-27
What a neat book! The authors give a brief "intelligence test" for your dog and then tell how to make use of whatever intelligence your dog has (including emotional intelligence) to reward the lives of you and your dog(s). The authors seem to feel that you have to be realistic about the intelligence level of your animals -- you can't assume they have too much, but you shouldn't assume they don't need mental stimulation, either. Their tips don't take a great deal of your time and the authors provide suggestions for making the best use of the time you do have together.
We tried their tips and were amazed at how much our animals seemed to enjoy them, and the dogs seemed to sense we were giving them time, stimulation, and credit. One caveat -- if you teach them how to do tricks, make sure they "only use their knowledge for good and never for evil" (i.e. if you teach them how to climb things, don't forget to use additional safeguards for your things!).
Towards a Smarter, better trained Dog.......2002-06-15
Those who love canines will enjoy this book. It aids one to measure and stimulate the learning abilities of dogs.
Through a series of tests, the owner is brought to an understanding of the dog's relative learning abilities. This is supplemented by activities to develop and enhance the dog's gifts and intellect.
Dogs are smart, they just see and learn things in different ways than humans. That's at the beginning for all dog owners to tune into. The games and activities provided help this process in providing fun stuff to do as we hang out with our canine pals.
My two just love these things, as they do most anything we do with them, short of toenail trims, etc.
A valuable little book for the canine world.
A MUST read. Increase the IQ of your pet and have fun!.......1999-07-29
This book is creative, challenging, informative, but most of all it is fun! This book will open up another window of understanding and excitement for your and your pooch!
Betty Fisher is a talented and creative trainer in my area. If you are tired of reaching for the same old training books then this is the book for you!
An encouraging resource to add creativity to your dogs life........1998-07-26
Fisher and Delzio's book is very encouraging and helpful to those of us who wish to add more creativity and interest to our dogs' lives. The book is full of stimulating and fun activities for your canine and you or just your dog alone while you are away. Most dogs enjoy creative stimuli and this is just the book on how to train the owner. I found it most encouraging and resourceful as a loving and concerned owner of an energetic border collie.
Book Description
This book explains a ground-breaking approach to human animal communication--treating animals as language learners. The approach teaches animals a new sign language for them to use to communicate. The language is AnimalSign that Senechal created with her animals. It extends beyond the natural body language animals already use, into new learned gestures. The first part of the book is about AnimalSign Language, its origin, development, structure, and dialects. The second half has a 'how-to-section' for dogs and horses. It shows pictures and stick sketches of the gestures. A teacher, Senechal has a future vision of uses and benefits of animal signing. She describes new and expanded careers for signing animals and people. An explorer, she believes that we just don't know whether animals can learn a new productive language--as until now, no one has tried to teach them in such a focused manner. The author discusses criticism of her approach, and is cautious about making claims of true language learning. She states that capability won't be known for years. Senechal seems comfortable with whatever the outcome. She believes animal signing is useful and fulfilling, and enhances the personal and professional lives of humans and animals. If her vision is fulfilled, Sean Senechal will have initiated a major revolution in our approach to, and expectations for, animals.
Book Description
My dog's a genius! (Or not...)
Whether your dog is a pure genius, a laid-back Lassie, or a wild thing, you will both enjoy the interactive games in this test. Quick, fun questions assess your dog's personality and intelligence on many levels:
Alertness
Adaptability
Memory
Physical intelligence
Sensory perception
Test Your Dog's IQ is a great way to spend time with that loyal companion you adore!
Product Description
5 Books: DOGA - Yoga For Dogs / The Well-Mannered Dog / Simon & Schuster's Guide to Dogs / Dog Is My Co-Pilot: Great Writers on the World's Oldest Friendship / The INTELLIGENCE OF DOGS (Unboxed Set of Teaching, Appreciating, Dogs & Puppys Books), in either Hard or Softcover, (See Seller Condition Comments), Shipped in one package
to save on shipping costs.
Books:
- The Knee Of Listening: The Divine Ordeal of the Avataric Incarnation of Conscious Light (The Seventeen Companions of the True Dawn Horse, Book 4)
- The Legends of the Jews: Index to Volumes 1 through 6 (Legends of the Jews)
- The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove
- The Maltese Falcon
- The Nature of Animal Healing : The Definitive Holistic Medicine Guide to Caring for Your Dog and Cat
- The Photobook: A History - Volume 2
- The Protestant Ethnic and the Spirit of Capitalism
- The Rat Nervous System, Third Edition
- The Shih Tzu Handbook (Barron's Pet Handbooks)
- Turtles of the World
Books Index
Books Home
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Care & Health
| Dogs
| Animal Care & Pets
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
How Dogs Think: What the World Looks Like to Them and Why They Act the Way They Do
How Dogs Think: Understanding the Canine Mind
Why Does My Dog Act That Way?: A Complete Guide to Your Dog's Personality
Marley & Me: Life and Love with the World's Worst Dog
The Dog's Mind: Understanding Your Dog's Behavior (Howell Reference Books)
