Through a Dog's Eyes: Understanding Our Dogs by Understanding How They See the World

224 Pages·2011·3.78 MB·English

by  Jennifer Arnold

Copyright © 2010 by Jennifer Arnold
Excerpt from In a Dog’s Heart copyright © 2011 by Jennifer Arnold.
All rights reserved.
Published in the United States by Spiegel & Grau, an imprint of The Random House Publishing
Group, a division of Random House, Inc., New York.
SPIEGEL & GRAU and Design is a registered trademark of Random House, Inc.
All interior photographs except the photograph on page 2 are courtesy of Del Monte Foods. The
photograph on page 2 is courtesy of the author.
This book contains an excerpt from the forthcoming title In a Dog’s Heart by Jennifer Arnold. This
excerpt has been set for this edition only and may not reflect the final content of the forthcoming
edition.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Arnold, Jennifer.
Through a dog’s eyes / Jennifer Arnold.
p. cm.
eISBN: 978-1-58836954-3
1. Dogs—Psychology. 2. Dogs—Behavior.
3. Human-Animal relationships. I. Title.
SF422.86.A76 2010
636.7—dc22 2010023816
www.spiegelandgrau.com
Cover design: Greg Mollica
Cover photograph: Zack Canepari
v3.0
In loving memory of Nicholas, my forever dog.
The greatness of a nation and its moral progress
can be judged by the way its animals are treated.
—MAHATMA GANDHI
Beginnings
When Dogs Began
Children in Wolves’ Clothing
Do You See What I See?
The Canine Mystique
Canine Cognition
Emotion
Personality Plus
Language
The Canine Character
The Serious Business of Play
Choice Teaching
Partners
Choice Teaching Specifics
Common Behavior Problems
Grooming
Tips for Keeping Your Dog Happy, Healthy, and Safe
Personality Profile, Impressions Survey

Excerpt from In a Dog’s Heart
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
As the founder and executive director of Canine Assistants, a nonprofit service-dog school
based just north of Atlanta, I have spent the past twenty years working with dogs and I
have become convinced they are the most giving of all creatures. There is no question that
dogs give their trust, strength, affection, and adoration to the people they love. I have
witnessed many dog-made miracles in my work, and with each day I find more to love
about these amazing animals.
Over time, I have learned a tremendous amount about how dogs perceive the world. I
have also come to hold very strong convictions about how they should be treated—always
with kindness and respect. I am deeply concerned and disappointed with the dog-
management methods that have recently gained popularity. Training methodologies, once
headed in the direction of kindness and respect, have largely reversed course over the past
several years. It is common now to hear people speak of the supposed need to dominate
and become physically controlling “alpha types” when handling dogs. Also making a
comeback, sadly, are certain types of collars that cause dogs pain and discomfort, such as
shock collars and choke chains. What happened here? I may never fully understand what
caused the shift, but there is one thing I do understand: This cruelty must be stopped.
This book replicates, to a large extent, my journey of discovery about dogs. So many of
the things that I did wrong with my dogs early in my career happened because I simply
did not know better. I saw forceful methods being used with dogs all around me. I was
told that in order to be “good with dogs” you had to be tough with them. Now I know
how wrong this is and why it is so wrong. I want all dog owners to know what I have
learned. Knowledge and understanding will lead you to a far kinder way of handling your
dog and a much happier life for both of you.
Throughout this book, I will be making assertions about dogs with which a few
scientists may disagree. For example, some scientists do not yet feel there is conclusive
evidence that dogs have thoughts or emotions. While it may be difficult to prove such a
thing scientifically, to those who live with dogs, these assertions are a given. This book is
directed toward those of us who love dogs and is not intended to be fuel for scientific
debate, so I am going to subscribe to a theory best summed up by an old Southernism: “If
it waddles like a duck and quacks like a duck, it probably ain’t a pigeon.”
Those who endorse differing methodologies and whose economic interests will be
threatened by my approach may well direct their wrath my way, but that will not deter