a bit too technical to skim as I often do with non-fiction works; not a book for dog training tips although there were some there more of a who dogs are personality-wise; worth the visit

Very enjoyable, although the author had a tendency to repeat some points over and over again, such as "Dogs are not Wolves" and "Dogs are not People." Both points formed touchstones for arguments against a lot of currently accepted thought about dog behavior. There were a lot of informative takeaways from the book, without it getting to dense or technical.

This is one that all dog owners should read (or listen to).

While there's nothing earth-shattering here, the book makes an excellent point that in order to relate better to our canine companions we ought to invest more effort in thinking about how they perceive the world.

Perhaps that's the most surprising revelation here: how little scientific and purposeful thought we've given to how our dogs friends think and what makes them happy. While, dogs on the other hand, watch and respond sensitively to our every move and mood.

The book counters some conventional wisdom and wrong-thinking which has lead to misguided and harmful training techniques i.e. dogs do not behave like wolves. They do not need to be dominated and, in fact, this can cause them anxiety and fear.

This book is part of a growing and useful trend toward delving more into the emotional lives of animals, not in the sense of anthropormorphizing, but rather in perceiving the world in the way another species would. Dogs, for example, have a huge olfactory world available to them.

It's a helpful point of view. Bradshaw makes a strong case for the need to think about how to access and maximize the potential of the inner world of dogs to help them integrate and be our companions in modern society rather than simply breeding them to look a certain way - often to the detriment of their health and temperament.

The book ends on a pessimistic note about the fate of dogs, if their needs are not taken into consideration. As a dog lover, I have to feel more hopeful about the future of dogs. What would we do without them?

Loyal dog people will certainly read books like this and speak out to make changes (in training techniques, breeding, welfare) on the dogs' behalf. Won't they?

I was really interested to read this book, because I'd heard it had some revolutionary ideas and put to rest the old saw about having to "dominate" your dog. The ideas are wonderful, but sadly Bradshaw is an extremely boring writer. Also, it was more of a treatise on dog genetics than anything about how you can be a better friend to your dog. All "You're doing it wrong" without anything about how to do it right!

Nowhere near as fun or as engaging as the author's book on cats. And I don't think that is because I am more a cat person.

I've read other books by certified animal behaviorists that contain the same information. It is a good book for beginners looking for more info on the subject. Quick read for those well versed on the subject.

Boring. Nothing new.

This is, by far, one of the best books I've read on dog behavior and training. Bradshaw walks the reader through the previous held theories of wolf behavior and how dog training - based on captive wolf behavior (not wild wolves) can lead humans to train dogs in a manner that is not fair to the true nature of dogs. This book justified many of my gut reactions on my experiences training dogs. I've never been comfortable employing punishment or negative techniques preferring instead to observe the dog and work with the personality that each dog has. Many other trainers, such at Patricia McConnell and Pat Miller, practice positive dog training techniques and I'm a huge fan of their work. Bradshaw, however, adds more context - based on research - around the nature of dogs and their connectivity to humans. The research covers not only the "lupomorph" model but also tackles the breeding of dogs and how breeding for looks and not behavior has created dogs with far greater health and behavior problems than ever before. This book is a must read for anyone remotely interested in animal behavior. I'd even say that anyone who has a dog or is thinking of getting a dog should read this as the insight is invaluable as one works with (and even choses) a dog.

Bradshaw ends the book with this line: "Addressing the twin pressures of misguided breeding and poor understanding of canine psychology is crucial to ensuring that dogs remain as significant a part of human life as they have ben for the past ten millennia. My hope is that this book will make some contribution toward that goal."

I believe it has.

This book is on a lot of "Must Read" lists for dog owners. I agree. It's a Must Read. It covers a breadth of topics from a historical and scientific perspective. From how the dog was domesticated from wolves, to dog behavior, to the problem with breeding. And I never felt bogged down with the science, it was always interesting and understandable.