What do You think about For The Love Of A Dog: Understanding Emotion In You And Your Best Friend (2006)?
I love listening to people who love dogs talk about dogs. Patricia McConnell ends her book with a reiteration of her opinion that dogs are more than just cute, cuddly animals, that they are a reflection of ourselves and the bridge between us dog lovers and our deeper, egoless selves. She speaks of her dogs in a way that I imagine could sound overly "fluffy" to some people, even people who like dogs. But for those of us who see the value and utility in trying to truly tap into what goes on in a dog's mind, she gives words to feelings that are difficult to describe. A lot of what is discussed in this book seem, at first glance, so obvious that they don't need any further discussion. But McConnell introduces different views and perspectives and discussion points that showed me the depth and complexities of issues like "emotion" and "self awareness" and "abstract thinking." A lot of the studies she discusses make for great anecdotal reading, in the way that any scientific study investigating behavior can be. She doesn't go into great detail about the more scientific bases of the studies, but behavior and emotion in themselves make for challenging scientific study.Overall, this book was a fantastic reaffirmation of my love for dogs, and my appreciation of the depth of a dog's emotional life. It has also provided me with the words to explain why it is I feel so strongly about these animals, and what exactly is that pure emotional connection I feel towards dogs.
—Nicole
If you love dogs, this is a wonderful read. The author lives on a farm with her dogs and takes you through her journey with them. Publisher's SummaryYes, humans and canines are different species, but current research provides fascinating, irrefutable evidence that what we share with our dogs is greater than how we differ. As behaviorist and zoologist Dr. Patricia McConnell tells us in this remarkable book about emotions in dogs and in people, more and more scientists accept the premise that dogs have rich emotional lives, exhibiting a wide range of feelings, including fear, anger, surprise, sadness, and love.For those of us who deeply cherish our dogs but are sometimes baffled by their behavior, For the Love of a Dog will come as a revelation - a treasure trove of useful facts, informed speculation, and intriguing accounts of man's best friend at his worst and at his very best. Listeners will discover how fear, anger, and happiness underlie the lives of both people and dogs and, most important, how understanding emotions in both species can improve the relationship between them. Thus, McConnell introduces us to the possibility of a richer, more rewarding relationship with our dogs.
—Michael
Josh and I listened to half of this on our road trip to DC. I had already read the book a few months ago. With Charlie in tow in the back of the car, it made for a lovely conversation piece. Josh hasn't read an entire book on dogs (just puppy training), and this was my way of sneaking in some information. We got through the chapter on facial expressions and we are now paranoid that Charlie rarely smiles. Still, it was a great book to listen to since Charlie was going to be with my two year old niece. It is obvious that he is gleefully joyful around her. He was so gentle. We even filmed some of it so we could further study the interaction. There was one facial expression that i never noticed on my dog out of the four basic ones of anger, joy, disgust and fear and it was disgust. That was the perfect way to describe the look in his face when I told him to stay for a picture with my niece Ella, and she kept pulling on his ear. He leaned as far away as possible without breaking the stay command. What a trooper!
—Stef