The Domestic Dog: Its Evolution, Behaviour and Interactions with People

by James Serpell (Editor)

Dogs occupy a special position in human society. They were probably the first animal species to become domesticated, but their relationship with humans has always been ambivalent. Dogs form strong attachments to humans, even in the face of rejection and punishment, voluntarily allying themselves to us as faithful companions, uncomplaining child-substitutes, enduring workers, and excellent hunters and guards. Yet they are also reviled as vicious killers, unclean scavengers and outcasts. In this book, the many facets of dog behavior are set in the context of the dog's place in our society. Based on firm scientific research, the book dispells many myths and stereotypes about our canine friends, and it will be the definitive reference work on dog behavior for many years to come. Dog-lovers with an interest in understanding how and why dogs behave as they do will find this fascinating reading.

Genres: Dogs, Animals, Nonfiction, Nature, Science, Biology, Unfinished

280 pages, Hardcover

First published September 21, 1995

Reviews

[Andrei Barbu · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book of wildly varying quality with a huge amount of repetition (one could easily cut out 1/3rd of the book without losing any content). It's a collection of independent chapters about about half of which are good.

Chapter 13 by Lynette A. Hart and Mariko Yamamoto was notably so bad I wanted to throw out the book and give it 1 star. It's a mixture of infantile observations -- like the fact that dogs are good companions because they can't speak so they can't offer opinions, how deep! -- and ablist views of people with disabilities.

[Douglas Cosby · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars -- Compilation of different studies on dog evolution and behavior. Full of valuable information. Although, because the chapters are from different studies and different authors, there are overlap and redundancies that get a bit tiresome. Other than that, a good book for people who want to understand the science and psychology behind their dogs. Note: I did not read this book from cover to cover, but perused it for chapters and sections of chapters that interested me.

[Heidi · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is a lot of interesting topics, mostly interesting from a historical perspective, since a lot have changed since 1995, and some of the ideas about dog behaviour has since been changed or disproven. I see that a new edition was published in 2017, and I will most certainly be reading that aswell, since it seems to have a lot of additions and changes.

[Rudie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating, comprehensive and easy to read

This is a book for both the casual and academic reader. There are innumerable references to research and writers. Don't expect a book on everyday training, feeding and the everyday chores but more what underlies their origin, evolution. And behavior. Worth reading

[Thiago Marzagão · Rating 5 out of 5]

This should be the first thing a prospective dog owner reads. It'll help you assess critically the advice contained in whatever dog training book you choose to read later.

[Kerry · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was awesome. A must read for anyone with dogs!

[Lisa Daly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very well researched but this book is more about measures and research about dogs than the breed specfic advice

[Carol]

Informative but a little dry unless you're a veterinarian.