What Dogs Want: A Visual Guide to Understanding Your Dog's Every Move

by Arden Moore (Editor)

The facts behind 100 dog behaviors. What Dogs Want interprets all the postures, expressions, sounds and actions exhibited by dogs individually and in their with other dogs and people. The 100 behaviors are described over one or two pages each with a photograph and an explanation of why the dog is doing it and what he is telling its owner, such as showing attentiveness or being aggressive. Vet's Notes provide insight into potential medical causes and Breed Boxes shed light on genetic predisposition to certain behaviors. The 100 specific behaviors are divided among six An informative appendix organizes behaviors into 16 types--e.g., Submissive, Attention-seeking, Compulsive, Fearful--and cross-references them to the detailed explanations earlier in the book, e.g., Postures, Expressions, Actions. Where appropriate, advice on how to respond to the behavior is provided. Suitable for all dog breeds, What Dogs Want will be welcomed by all dog owners who seek to better understand their beloved pet.

Genres: Nonfiction, Dogs, Animals

192 pages, Paperback

First published September 11, 2012

About the author

Arden Moore is an animal behavior consultant and the author of 20 books on cats and dogs, including What Dogs Want. She has appeared on The Today Show, Fox News, CNN Headline News, HGTV's "Smart Solution," Martha Stewart Living Radio, NPR and hundreds of other programs. She has been the editor of Fido Friendly and Catnip magazines, and host of "Oh Behave!" weekly radio show on Pet Life Radio.com.

Reviews

[Mindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

One reviewer commented that this book is simplistic. And it is, but that's what makes it a nice accessible book for a beginner. I recently adopted a rescue dog and having only ever owned cats a lot of his behaviour was perplexing. Was he stressed, excited, fearful, I honestly wasn't sure. This book helped me recognize some of the postures and facial movements and expressions that were a mystery to me. I found this book helpful and would recommend it to new dog owners or parents trying to teach their children about dogs.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A simple book that explains dog behaviors. It's a great book for first time dog owners. I found myself skipping over certain things, but overall it was an interesting book. Easy to pick up and put down!

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book on dog behavior with pictures of each behavior for increased understanding. Great place to start for new dog owners or kids.

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought it was a good brief overview of why dogs do certain things. I appreciated the pictures.

[Courtney · Rating 3 out of 5]

In theory, this is a great book. For those who don't know the first thing about dog's body language, this is a good primer. It's a fairly concise pictorial guide divided up by types of behavior (gestures, sounds, etc.) that describes the action/behavior, tells why your dog does it and what a vet's recommendations for addressing that behavior are. My main problem is that, much like humans searching WebMD, every behavior might start to be seen as cause for concern. Seriously, there's a bit on "Why does my dog pant?" with a warning about what to do for dogs who might pant too much (without describing what might be considered excessive). Another fun one: dogs moving in their sleep (shocking conclusion: dogs dream! advice: let them dream! warning: it could be a seizure!).
So, yeah. If you want to know why your dog is doing things you probably already know the answer to, but just really want validation anyway, this is the book for you. I may have picked up a thing or two from this book, but I couldn't help but be disappointed by the fact that it didn't really seem to address any of the behaviors my mutts were displaying (i.e. the reason I checked this book out in the first place).

[Kim Childress · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book for teaching kids how to treat dogs and interpret their behavior (plus it's just fun to learn what's going through your dogs head). Excellent photos show dogs in various poses, so there's no mistaking a playful bow from an aggressive or frightened dog. In fact, I just used the book to demonstrate to my daughter that our two dogs are in fact playing, not hurting each other, though they play rough. Using the book, I did a plya-by-play with the kids, showing how the dogs are "talking" to each other during playtime. "Ella's on her back, belly up, while Jasmine has her neck in her mouth, but now Jasmine has rolled over and switched places. Belly up, Jasmine has told Ella that she's just playing, she won't hurt her, now it's Ella's turn..." Great fun! To see more of my reviews, check out my web site, ChildressInk.com.

[Wren Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone who has spent a great deal of time with dogs, I found much of the things in the book to be common sense. There were some really interesting insights on specific behaviors I hadn't thought about though. I'm sure this would be a very valuable guide to someone who is less familiar with canine behavior. A good read overall, I'd recommend it!

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just got a new dog--and this book served as a reminder to pay more attention to our good-doggie's behaviors as cues to what he wants.

Most of this stuff is pretty intuitive, for long-time dog owners, but I learned a few new things, and the photographs are wonderful.

[melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was very informative, fun to read & learn what your dog may want.

[Joan Colby · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is really a picture book that details dog’s reactions via posture, facial expression, et al. Pretty simplistic.

[Gracekell · Rating 4 out of 5]

It tells you what does want based on 100 different behaviors.

[AnnieM · Rating 4 out of 5]

It had been so long since I had read a dog book, I was due.

I like how this is laid out. It is easy to read. Easy to understand.

I quite liked it and will reread it again and again.

[Susie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has helped me understand what some of Oliver's expressions/actions mean.

[Sarah Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic book for someone who's never had much experience with dogs. Probably too basic for any former dog owner.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good book, probably even for younger kids.

[Barbarawp · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good reference book to keep around...attractive photos and interesting information.