Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell, and Know

Inside of a Dog

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That's another super power! Why are you looking at me like that? Your circadian rhythm tells you that. I still have to find out why you Fox Terriers are such little rascals! View all 16 comments. Alexandra Horowitz racked up major brownie points right from the beginning with this book. The title comes from one of my favorite quotes ever, from the mouth of Groucho Marx.

Also, early on she heads complaints off at the pass by stating that she is using "owner" rather than "pet parent" or some other such silly phrasing because that's the legal term, and she will use "him" and "his" when referring to dogs in general because that's the English default, and, knowing dogs as she does, "it" is not Alexandra Horowitz racked up major brownie points right from the beginning with this book. Also, early on she heads complaints off at the pass by stating that she is using "owner" rather than "pet parent" or some other such silly phrasing because that's the legal term, and she will use "him" and "his" when referring to dogs in general because that's the English default, and, knowing dogs as she does, "it" is not an option.

That latter scored high with me: I have Issues with writers who use "it" for animals particularly those who talk about a mare or stallion and then call the horse "it" , so this made me happy. She is a long-time dog person, so all else being equal we are kindred spirits.

And it is a fascinating look at canine life and behavior. I'm not sure it made me see my dog in a whole new light as she promised it would, except for a qualm every time I scratch her back that I might be asserting my dominance — but she loves every second of it, so if I am dominating her she's ok with it. I pretty much knew about the dominance of scent in a dog's life; I did not know about the way a dog perceives color they're not colorblind, exactly. I knew a little about signs of dominance and submission; I didn't know about what face-licking might really mean.

Pop goes the illusion…ew. I like the insight that the pitch of a voice, canine or human, in many ways equates to size: So, I can attest, do beagles. One valuable thing this book does is reiterate the common-sense yet somehow easily overlooked point that, just as we don't know why our dogs do some of the things they do, most of what we the people do much less say is utterly incomprehensible to dogs.

That, very simply, they don't think the way we do. It's all very well for us to say "don't get up on the couch, no, bad! To a dog the couch is not an expensive piece of furniture which needs to be protected from shed fur and stains — it's a nice soft elevated surface to curl up on, with a nice back to it to curl up against, and after all that's what the bipeds use it for.

And how can you honestly expect a dog to ignore that pail of food scraps and wrappers under the sink when it's just sitting there at her level smelling to her so wonderful? Dogs don't naturally do many of the things we ask them to do; many owners, and even many trainers seem to either forget that they're not mute people but canines , and this is where dressed-up dogs doing ridiculous things on command come from. This book made me happy I never successfully trained any of our dogs to heel not that I tried too strenuously. I was simultaneously impressed with and bemused by the tales of the research studies that have been conducted on dogs; on the one hand, some of the results are fascinating — where dogs' mental processes may or may not function like toddlers'; on the other, I found myself marveling that well-educated grownups spend their days fooling around with dogs, all in the name of science.

Some of them wore buckets on their heads. OK, that was very long. I hacked out the personal bits about my own beasts; it's all on my blog, though. Overall, this book did an admirable job of both teaching me what an umwelt is and helping me deepen my understanding of a dog's. This was a comprehensible, mostly-plain-language, often very funny and occasionally moving study which both solidified and informed my stance as a fiercely partisan dog person.

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While it's not intended as a training guide, there's some wonderfully common sense information, particularly toward the end, which will be valuable both with Daisy and when — hopefully years from now — I next need it. Did it change the way I see my beagle? But I do feel like I have a better handle on what's going on between those long ears. I have an even deeper appreciation for that always-busy nose. And I'm kind of glad she's never been much of a face-licker. View all 3 comments. Mar 05, Carly rated it really liked it Shelves: Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read.

Horowitz starts with the basics, focusing on a dog's umwelt and the ways that it differs from a human's. Dogs aren't colorblind, but their perception of color does differ from ours. Scent is far more important in the doggy world than it is to us. Most important of all, dogs and humans simply see different affo "Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Most important of all, dogs and humans simply see different affordances in the objects around them. As Horowitz points out, a dog doesn't see the small matching dog bed as the appropriate place for the dog to sleep.

Your bed is just as comfortable, with the added benefit that it smells like you. If you want your dog to sleep in its dog bed, you'll be far more successful if you wrap the nasty plastic-smelling thing in a well-worn blanket. I volunteer in an animal shelter and interact with a lot of emotionally wounded dogs, and I originally picked up this book in my continuing quest to better understand the ways to distinguish submissive behaviours from inviting ones.

For example, as Horowitz notes, a dog rolling on its belly can be either inviting a tummy rub or showing submission, and it can be surprisingly challenging to determine which, especially if the dog is already showing many other signs of stress such as "whale-eyes" or tucked tail and ears. While Horowitz does detail these and other signs, I'm not sure I found an answer to this particular question. I'm quite sure they find it irritating, but it's kind of cute when they start batting at my hands and mumbling at me.

I also really enjoyed the part where Horowitz talks about doggy play. I am quite familiar with the play-bow, the stance that dogs take to invite rough-and-tumble play. In fact, I've noticed that many humans--myself included--tend to do our own version of the play-bow by slapping our palms on the ground and jerking our necks forward while brandishing a squeaky toy or ball. According to Horowitz, this play etiquette is far more complex than I realized: I mostly enjoyed Horowitz's analysis of the procedures, perils, and pitfalls of the various tests, but there was one case where I think she was dead wrong.

The study sought to ascertain whether dogs as a species have an innate drive to rescue their people. The researchers had the owners fake injury or heart attacks, then analysed the dogs' reactions. The dogs tended to be both nonplussed and unworried by their owners' apparent peril, and not a single one tried to seek assistance from the bystanders. From this, Horowitz concluded that doggy rescues are really more of a fluke caused by the dogs' tendencies to want to be near their owners. Given Horowitz's own statements in earlier chapters, I find this reaction rather ridiculous.

Horowitz is very clear about dogs' heavy dependence on sound and smell. No matter how dramatically the owners were shrieking, I'm quite sure they didn't smell fearful or injured. To me, this seems like a limited and utterly useless test that tells us more about human assumptions than animal behaviour. However, in almost every other experiment she described, Horowitz did a nice job the ways in which dog behaviour differs from our human expectations, and the reasons behind these differences.

In addition to the problematic hero-dog test, Horowitz describes a large set of experiments that attempt to define doggy intelligence in areas such as object permanence or complex emotions such as jealousy or deception. Some of these were both fascinating and illuminating. For example, dogs "fail" various intelligence tests that try to invoke complex reasoning because they tend to go to the humans and ask for help.

As Horowitz points out, one could argue that the dogs are performing complex reasoning and tool utilization: Overall, Inside of a Dog is a great read for anyone who wants to know a bit more about the world their dog inhabits. From understanding play rituals to analysing attention-getting behaviours to dealing with doggy separation anxiety, Inside of a Dog is full of fascinating facts about the curious lives of our canine companions.

Aug 22, Nat Price rated it liked it Shelves: Mar 14, Andrew rated it it was ok. This is a disappointing book, with few insights for a dog owner or someone interested in animal behavior. Despite having an extensive collection of footnotes leading back to the scientific literature, the conclusions of the book could have been handled in 60 pages instead of Dogs with longer muzzles like retrievers have a different broader field of vision than dogs with a short muzzle, like a pug.

This makes them more attuned to motion. Humans or chimps will use the mirror to preen, while dogs largely ignore the reflection. The author has surprisingly little about the developmental period during the first year of the life of a dog. And there are even some missed elements, such as Horowitz questioning why her dog is reluctant to enter a dark elevator after a walk hint: Dec 21, Zengardener rated it did not like it.

Incredibly dry AND pretentious I couldn't even finish the book. I have a dog and have fostered and volunteered for many shelters and rescues so I am always amazed and intrigued at how each dog I've met has a different personality. This book lacks what its subjects have in overflowing abundance. The author might as well have been writing a manual on understanding robots or clinical notes about mice in a cage, as nearly every sentence was cold, flat and gratuitously verbose.

I'm not one who ge Incredibly dry AND pretentious I'm not one who generally posts on a public forum at all, let alone contribute anything other than positive thoughts "if you don't have anything nice to say May 26, Katrina Michie rated it really liked it. This book totally changed how I see and interact with dogs. It seems like common sense to me now, but it gave me a whole new appreciation for dogs. I was hoping this would be more like Radiolab's brand of science, or maybe a Mary Roach type of look at dogs, but it's not quite as much of a page turner--maybe because it's actually written by a scientist and not a journalist.

This is a benefit in a lot of ways though. I would still really recommend it if you are all about your dog s like I am and This book totally changed how I see and interact with dogs.

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I would still really recommend it if you are all about your dog s like I am and wishing you understood how they think or see the world. We can't ever really know what our dogs are thinking, but this book really helped me understand how my dog is processing the world around differently than humans. Really glad I read this. Mar 10, Jennifer aka EM rated it liked it Shelves: This is a lovely, unsentimental, fairly thorough, scientifically-grounded look at the dog-human bond: Didn't so much change or illuminate, but anchored what I think I know about my dog and dogs in general in explanations of canine behaviour drawn from the au This is a lovely, unsentimental, fairly thorough, scientifically-grounded look at the dog-human bond: Didn't so much change or illuminate, but anchored what I think I know about my dog and dogs in general in explanations of canine behaviour drawn from the author's own experiences and her background as a comparative psychologist.

The dog-human bond is something very special to me -- having owned dogs all my life, and currently being on a full-on tear to work towards the overturning of BSL breed specific legislation in Ontario which is the product of and continues to cause such cruelty to dogs and their families. It's about more than treating other creatures with the respect they deserve; it's about how human beings can and should respectfully share the planet with other living things. That perspective in microcosm is taught, I believe, through the relationships parents encourage or deny when or if they bring that first puppy into the home.

Teaching a child to treat a dog with gentleness, kindness and compassion is teaching a child to love. Teaching that lesson from the deeply-informed perspective that Horowitz provides here can only enrich the both the dog's life and the family's. One of the author's points is that dogs most often give us much more than we give them.

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Another is that the fundamental quality of the relationship between dogs and humans - that affection, that love - is beyond the reach of science. Maybe so, but anyone who has bonded with a dog knows it to be true. View all 4 comments. Nov 06, Rae rated it really liked it. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read. Clearly a dog lover she has written a valentine to man's best friend.

What makes dogs uniquely suited to that special status? What's going on behind those big brown eyes? You will find answers to these and many more questions - such as why the swich to digital TV has made it "Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. You will find answers to these and many more questions - such as why the swich to digital TV has made it possible for you and your dog to enjoy those reruns of Lassie. Dec 09, Daniel Solera rated it really liked it Shelves: I saw this book on a bestsellers shelf at the Barnes and Noble by where I work.

Having become a dog-owner in August, I picked this up hoping it would be insightful and entertaining. The book aptly declares that it is not a training manual and that readers shouldn't expect tips on how to raise a proper puppy. Instead, it is a psychological examination of dogs, including what they know, what their world is like and how we fit into it.

Alexandra Horowitz attempts to explain such baffling questions a I saw this book on a bestsellers shelf at the Barnes and Noble by where I work. Alexandra Horowitz attempts to explain such baffling questions as "What do dogs think? Rather than anthropomorphize dogs, which the book routinely discourages, she relies heavily on scientific and psychological experiments performed on dogs and other animals, such as rats and monkeys. She first tackles the mind of a dog by asking readers to place themselves in a dog's world or their umwelt. By imagining our primary senses to be smell and taste, we instantly realize how radically different dogs' lives are than those of humans, who rely more heavily on sight and hearing.

From that crucial departure, we go onto notice seemingly simple things: Bookending each section and interspersed among the scientific findings are brief anecdotes of one of Horowitz's dogs, Pumpernickel. Though she constantly asks us to avoid using human terms with dogs such as "have fun", "get bored", "feel ashamed", etc. But this is natural - anyone who owns and loves a dog will find it impossible to treat it strictly like a domesticated animal in a symbiotic relationship. Yet despite this seemingly dry approach to investigating a household pet, I finished this book with a greater understanding of what makes a dog tick.

Among the many tidbits: Inside of a Dog was a delightful read. I will admit that I derived much of my enjoyment from imagining my own dog, a 6-month Shih Tzu named Penny, in every situation described. Though I would recommend this to anyone regardless of their pet situation, having a dog in your house or apartment will definitely elevate this book to a new level. Jan 02, Mimi rated it really liked it. Like Alexandra Horowitz, I am and always will be a dog person and since the day I was born, a doggie has shared my world. It all started with Marshmallow, a lovely golden mutt who lived amongst us until I was years old she was 16 at the time.

Then, to my wonderful pleasure, my parents first adopted Roxy, the quirky basset hound, and then came Maggie the English Bulldog…and this is when things really got wildly fun as my Mom and Dad entered the wonderful world of bulldog breeding and dog shows. After getting married, my husband and I went to the local animal shelter and adopted Irving…a little mutt who we think could best be called a corg-huaua a corgi-Chihuahua mix? Perhaps… He was with us for years before the inevitably sad moment was upon us…and although our hearts were broken, we knew our lives would not be complete without a canine companion, so we adopted Moe.

Dogs are an integral part of my consciousness, evoking important memories of the past while providing an ongoing source of companionship and love. I share this because I think it has a great deal to do with my feelings about this book. One thing I particularly appreciate about the way Ms. Horowitz presents this information is that while so much of it is based on very sound scientific research, she, like me and many of her readers, is a dog lover.

As a result, she applies this science while not reducing our relationship with our doggie friends to science alone. Throughout her research, she provides supporting anecdotes about her sweet Pumpernickel…reminding us of the magically non-scientific, poignant aspect of our relationship with our furry, slobbery companions. A must read for dog lovers…or anyone interested in animal research! Dec 13, John rated it it was ok Recommended to John by: I wanted to get it as a Christmas present for some dog owner friends. Instead they are getting a bicycle pump.

Although full of some interesting thoughts and research data, overall the book felt a bit dull, a bit lacking. It seems to try to tread a middle road between pop and intellectual, and instead turned me o A 2. It seems to try to tread a middle road between pop and intellectual, and instead turned me off to both aspects.

The premise of the book is good, and I like the idea of trying to see the world as your dog does to better understand.

Inside of a Dog | Book by Alexandra Horowitz | Official Publisher Page | Simon & Schuster

I was challenged by the idea that smell is the most important sense to the dog, not sight or hearing. And throughout the book there were other wonderful nuggets of information to chew on. But overall there was not enough to hold my interest. And by the last pages I thought the book was dragging on. Tough to recommend though not a total waste. Dec 11, Amanda rated it it was ok. This book did make me appreciate my dog a little more but I found it to be too dry and boring for the most part to give it a higher rating.

I also found many eye-rolling moments- she seems a very permissive dog parent. For example, advocating that the dog should be allowed to wander and smell anything and roll in anything, ect, during walks; should be allowed to "smell like a dog" as long as possible; sleep in your bed with you I just personally am of camp that believes my dog should work ar This book did make me appreciate my dog a little more but I found it to be too dry and boring for the most part to give it a higher rating. I just personally am of camp that believes my dog should work around me not the other way around.

I normally find animal behavioral science to be a fascinating subject. Some interesting information can be found in this book, but I had to wade through a bunch of slush to get to it. The best bits were talked about on NPR when the book was first published. Too bad, really, that I could hardly keep my eyes open while reading most of it. May 27, Lilo rated it really liked it. This book is a very interestig read for true dog lovers who want to get into the brain of their dog s.

However, I found this book a bit too scientific and, thus, somewhat strenuous to read. For this reason, 4 stars might be a bit over-rated. There wasn't much there even after a good 4 hours of listening - almost halfway through. Her point about breeds being indicative of general behavior given similar upbringing was repetitious, to put it kindly. She mentions how penned wolf packs do resemble dog packs in some ways, so undercuts her argument.

She says feral dogs packs don't resemble wolf packs. It might have to do with the number of dogs, too.

She really lost me when she discussed house breaking a dog by ignoring a puddle. She also says that there's nothing to worry about when your dog goes running off after something in the woods - it will come back. She's an idiot who really needs to get out of her ivory tower more. They're critters - living beings! Of course we're dealing with a bell curve of general behaviors. View all 6 comments. Jan 20, Jessica Blevins rated it it was amazing. Great insight into the life of a dog The book is mostly scientific studies of how dogs really see, smell, hear and what they know about their human owners I learned a lot about dogs in general and definitely look at my dog in a different light now.

For example, I learned that dogs look to humans when they need help or can't figure something out I learned that my dog likes nothing better than to smell something new, so leisurely walks outside where I let him lead the way are important as are other ways of allowing him to smell new things. There's some practical advice in there as well check out the last chapter that I've been able to put into action, like hiding treats around the house to keep your dog from getting bored and to emphasize places that you want them to go and spend time in Aug 11, Ana Rusness-petersen added it.

The first thing that must be said about this book is that it was obviously written by someone who loves dogs, and opened my eyes to truly interacting and living with a dog as a friend, rather than as a being to be taken care of and trained like a child, as someone to be understood and developmentally enhanced. It was a little challenging to really get engrossed in at the beginning, and was much more scientific than the anecdotal adventure I was expecting when I selected this book off the shelf at The first thing that must be said about this book is that it was obviously written by someone who loves dogs, and opened my eyes to truly interacting and living with a dog as a friend, rather than as a being to be taken care of and trained like a child, as someone to be understood and developmentally enhanced.

It was a little challenging to really get engrossed in at the beginning, and was much more scientific than the anecdotal adventure I was expecting when I selected this book off the shelf at the bookstore. It must also be said that the adorable doggie face on cover completely sold me on the book in the first place — yes, I judged a book, at least partially, by its cover. Despite this, I am glad I stuck with the book until the end. I learned some interesting facts about the dog species, such as their unique visual perception far-sighted vs. Despite the wealth of information provided, the manner in which this information was delivered left something to be desired.

The author completely shifted narrative from the interspersed storytelling about her experiences, interactions, and memories of her own dog, Pump, into a scientific, fact-spewing voice that twisted various facts and experiments to prove her points. Sources were not cited in a scientific or academic manner, and the sheer number of variables in some of the experiments were not taken into consideration as possible weaknesses in the research, but rather, encouraged as an added bonus.

Additionally, the author took on a holier-than-thou, this is how you should raise and interact with your dog approach. Though primed to love this read before ever setting eyes to type by a bone-deep interest in both the scientific animal behavioral studies and emotional I'm nuts for dogs! Or perhaps I should clarify that as content unanticipated.

Written in an acce Though primed to love this read before ever setting eyes to type by a bone-deep interest in both the scientific animal behavioral studies and emotional I'm nuts for dogs! Written in an accessible, engaging style --not always an easy task with a science-based subject -- and flush with anecdotally-entertaining conversational sidebars, this very readable text sacrifices its own authority to educate and engage on the blade of an apparent failure to understand its own target demographic.

By measure of marketing, scientific content and textual skew, this book is clearly designed to speak to a demographic of me: But in speaking to this very specific demographic of me, Horowitz fails to tell me anything of note. Anything I didn't already know, if not specifically and consciously, at least on a gut-level plane of experienced ownership where dog and dog-owned meet.

Buttressing her thesis with little more than a resume in the field and process-oriented explanations of why her dog stories are more scientifically telling than my dog stories, or your dog stories, Horowitz doesn't fail to make her case so much as she fails to make her case as an authority on a subject with depths beyond the obvious. A dog's world is defined by smell over sight is the primary thrust of her conversationally conveyed content. Not a thrust with which I would quibble. But seriously, has anyone in the history of ever actually loved a dog and not already known this?

Yes, Horowitz validates her assertions a bit more complex than I've made them sound with years of scientifically sound observational methodology. But what, exactly, is that methodology, you may ask. She watches her dog play and records what happens. The ad is too long. The ad does not play.

What Dogs See, Smell, and Know

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Read reviews that mention inside of a dog alexandra horowitz dog lovers dog lover dog owner seeing or smell well written dogs see best friend smell and know dog owners reading this book great book point of view dog behavior writing style sense of smell fun read reading this book better understanding. There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later. Kindle Edition Verified Purchase. For Fido's sake, read this awesome, amazing, riveting book! I have had dogs for decades and thought alas that I knew everything about dogs.

As in Really Wrong. And pretty arrogant to boot! Inside of a Dog has radically changed my understanding, approach, behavior, and communication with my Lab. Alexandra's writing is easy, captivating, endearing, and stunningly informative. After reading it, I was frankly grieved by what I didn't know. And for all my other Labs that I'd 'short sheeted' through my ignorance. I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Although Fido will love you forever, if you read this book, you'll know what that means from HER perspective. I'm rounding up a bit.

I started reading this book as research for a novel for which I needed to know more about the abilities, senses, and internal experiences of dogs, and I found it extremely useful for that purpose. It was also just plain interesting -- very much so. I only wish I could remember more of what I read. I let more than a month go by between reading the first and second halves, so I already know I've forgotten quite a bit. The book can be a bit repetitive at times, but that is my only criticism. This is a very interesting book. For the first time as a dog owner I had the chance to have a scientist present a scientific view of "the dog".

The constant faithful companion who is essentially family This book is factual, interesting, well presented as a scientific work, yet not overwhelmingly so and often times reads much quicker than you would expect a technical text to read. This book was recommended to me by an ardent reader and dog owner. It is thorough exploration of a dog's life and our lives with them. It gets a bit repetitive. Information is informed by research and the writer's anecdotal experiences with her dog, Pump.

Which also serves to lighten the mood and avoid being ponderous. It explains why we find living with a dog so pleasing. It is definitely for the dog lover who wants confirmation about the joys of having a dog and the desire to better understand why they do what they do. One person found this helpful 2 people found this helpful. I have always had dogs in my life and have appreciated their company. Ms Horowitz has added great insights into their behavior and confirmed several of my own dog theories.

I found this book easy reading and very enlightening. This book opened the reality of what one may have never thought in regards of their K The thinking from a persons view by evaluating the dogs movements emotions toward the human is just on target. As I read the book, I was thinking about sections. YEAH, that's what they are probably thinking. Also what I like about this book is that there are small sections within a chapter you can read easily in a short period of time. You don't have to read the entire chapter and try to remember where you left off in the train of thought.

A book that I definitely won't donate, rather I will re-read it or share it with my other dog owner friends.

For any dog-lover out there, this is a fascinating read. You'll see your pup in a whole new way. I can't wait to go on our next Smell Walk. See all reviews. See all customer images. Most recent customer reviews. Published 7 hours ago. Published 1 day ago. Published 13 days ago.

Inside of a Dog -- Young Readers Edition

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