Reviewed by Rebecca Willis in Slightly Foxed Issue 65. This book introduces the reader to the science of the dog – their perceptual and cognitive abilities – and uses that introduction to draw a picture of what it might be like to be a dog. I hope this book enjoys the wide readership it deserves.As both an unabashed dog lover and a cognitive scientist, Alexandra Horowitz is naturally curious about what her dog, Pumpernickel, thinks and is intent on understanding the minds of animals who cannot say what they know or feel. This engaging volume serves as a corrective to the many myths that circulate about just who our canine companions are. "Inside of a Dog is a most welcome authoritative, personal, and witty book about what it is like to be a dog. Read this captivating book and enter the sensory world of your dog." - Temple Grandin, author of Animals in Translation and Animals Make Us Human Dogs live in a world of ever-changing intricate detail of smell.
"Discover why your dog is so sensitive to your emotions, gaze, and body language. Although not a formal training guide, "Inside of a Dog" has practical application for dog lovers interested in understanding why their dogs do what they do. "Inside of a Dog" also contains up-to-the-minute research - on dogs' detection of disease, the secrets of their tails, and their skill at reading our attention - that Horowitz puts into useful context. The answers can be surprising - once we set aside our natural inclination to anthropomorphize dogs. "Inside of a Dog" explains these things and much more.
What's it like to be able to smell not just every bit of open food in the house, but also to smell sadness in humans, or even the passage of time? How does a tiny dog manage to play successfully with a Great Dane? What is it like to hear the bodily vibrations of insects or the hum of a fluorescent light? Why "must" a person on a bicycle be chased? What's it like to use your mouth as a hand? In short, what is it like for a dog to experience life from 2' off the ground, amidst the smells of the sidewalk, gazing at our ankles or knees? In clear, crisp prose, Horowitz introduces the reader to dogs' perceptual and cognitive abilities and then draws a picture of what it might be like to "be" a dog.
Containing up-to-the minute research and providing many moments of dog-behavior recognition, this lively and absorbing book helps dog owners to see their best friend's behavior in a different and revealing light.
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