For the Love of a Dog
Read For the Love of a Dog Online
Authors: Ph.D., Patricia McConnell
FOR THE LOVE OF A DOG
“Gives fascinating insight into the emotions we always knew our furry companions possessed.”
—Dog Fancy
“A fascinating, highly educational read. McConnell alternates between expressing empathy with our canine friends and taking a step back to explain the scientific limits of any attempt to get into their heads.”
—F
RANS DE
W
AAL
, author of
Our Inner Ape
“For anyone who’s ever wondered how to pick out a well-adjusted puppy, McConnell’s explanation of the neurology of emotion is a must-read.”
—Newsday
“Patricia McConnell skillfully blends cutting-edge scientific data with examples from her personal experiences with dogs to produce a clear picture of the emotional life of dogs. In the process, we learn more about how the mind of a dog works, and how to better understand and interact with them. This is a must-read for all dog owners.”
—S
TANLEY
C
OREN
, author of
The Intelligence of Dogs
and
How Dogs Think
“A compelling combination of stories, science and practical advice to show how understanding emotions in both people and dogs can improve owners’ relationships with their pets.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Brilliant!
For the Love of a Dog
is a perfect balance of science and soul. These stories will keep you up reading long into the night knowing that with your dogs, you love and are loved, need and are needed.”
—D
R
. M
ARTY
B
ECKER
, resident veterinarian on
Good Morning America
and co-author
of Fitness Unleashed!
“Patricia McConnell’s book is a wonderful guide to the inner life of dogs. She warmly describes the posture changes, facial expressions, and other aspects of non-verbal communication that help us read and know what our loving companions are feeling and perhaps even thinking. On this journey in getting to know our pups, we get a treasure trove of information. Her chapter on happiness is a superb practical guide to increasing the happiness and joy of our pets and ourselves.”
—J
OHN
R
ATEY
, M.D., co-author of
Driven to Distraction
“For the Love of a Dog
is a must-read for skeptics who still cling to outdated views of animal emotions as well as for those who embrace other animals as the sentient beings they really are. This is a well-rounded and clearly presented discussion of canine passions. Move over naysayers, and welcome Patricia McConnell.”
—M
ARC
B
EKOFF
, editor of the
Encyclopedia of Animal Behavior
and author of
Animal Passions and Beastly Virtues
“Fascinating from beginning to end—the kind of book you can’t put down, and that you want to read out loud to your friends. It should be required reading for every dog trainer—and her clients!”
—T
RISH
K
ING
, behavior and training director at the Marin Humane Society, Marin County, California, and author
of Parenting Your Dog
“Patricia McConnell has written a book that appeals to both the mind and the heart. She addresses the emotional lives of dogs and their humans with insight, wit, and acute sensitivity to the appropriate balance of science and speculation. Her rich personal experiences make for a compelling and deeply moving narrative. Must love dogs? Must read this book!”
—B
ARB
S
MUTS
, professor of psychology,
University of Michigan, and dog behavior researcher
“In
For the Love of a Dog
, Patricia McConnell provides a fascinating window into the workings of the canine mind. It will bring people who live with and train dogs to a new level in understanding and communicating with their canine friends. This is another excellent book from a renowned author, and everyone who loves dogs will want to read it.”
—W
AYNE
H
UNTHAUSEN
, DVM, animal behavior consultant
“Yet another utterly delightful book from Dr. Patricia McConnell— such a fine storyteller and such a good scientist—the Jane Goodall of the dog world.
For the Love of a Dog
is an authoritative review of emotions in dogs and people. Thoroughly interesting, intriguing, entertaining, and such a pleasure to read. You’ll love this book.”
—I
AN
D
UNBAR
, P
H
.D., BV
ET
M
ED
, MRCVS,
founder of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers
“This exciting book is a welcome addition to our understanding of companion dogs and our relationship with them. At turns engaging, funny, joyous, passionate, sad, and poignant, it is a wonderful blend of science, social commentary, and great story telling.”
—D
ANIEL
Q. E
STEP
, P
H
.D., CAAB,
Animal Behavior Associates, Inc.
LSO BY
P
ATRICIA
B. M
C
C
ONNELL
The Other End of the Leash
Beginning Family Dog Training
The Cautious Canine: How to Help Dogs Conquer Their Fears
I’ll Be Home Soon! How to Prevent and Treat Separation Anxiety
How to Be Leader of the Pack, and Have Your Dog Love You for It!
The Fastidious Feline: How to Prevent and Treat Litter Box Problems
OOKS AND
B
OOKLETS WITH
O
THER
A
UTHORS
Puppy Primer
(with Brenda Scidmore)
Feeling Outnumbered? How to Manage and Enjoy
Your Multi-Dog Household
(with Karen B. London)
Way to Go! How to Housetrain a Dog of Any Age
(with Karen B. London)
Feisty Fido: Help for the Leash-Aggressive Dog
(with Karen B. London)
To my guys
Jim and Luke
Daily, in the morning, this faithful dog
,
silent, sits near me
,
till I recognize him
with a touch
.
At my little notice
his body erupts in waves, streams of joy
.
—R
ABINDRANATH
T
AGORE
, “Recovery 14”
The stories in this book are all true, although I have changed the names of all of my clients and most of their dogs in order to protect their privacy. I doubt that the dogs would care if they knew you were reading about them, but I can’t ask them, so I’ve covered my bases and changed their names. I kept the names of my own dogs—that’s what they get for living with a writer.
Although I’ve changed the names of individual dogs in the book, I have chosen to identify them by breed, even when the story included a dog causing serious injury. I realize that might result in some criticism: no one wants to hear about an individual of a breed they love causing serious harm. Two of the breeds I mention are Rottweilers and Pit Bulls. Because of the negative publicity those breeds tend to attract, I thought long and hard about changing their breed designation in the case stories recounted within the book. But then, changing to another breed would anger lovers of whatever breed I chose. I considered changing all the dogs to mixed breeds, or never mentioning breed at all, but that seemed dishonest and contrived. I finally decided that the best thing to do was to simply recount what happened, the way it happened. However, I don’t want the stories in this book to add to stereotypes of those breeds—any more than I want people to believe that Labradors and Border Collies are “dangerous dogs” just because there are stories in the book about ones who have caused serious injuries. As readers will see, I adore Border Collies, but a problematic one can be a
nightmare. The truth of the matter is that dogs who can open their mouths can bite, and big, strong dogs are more dangerous than little ones, and, most important, a tragically large number of dogs are being bred and raised by people in this country for all the wrong reasons.
On another note, some progressive readers will notice that I have not used the term “guardian” for those of us who live with and love domestic dogs. I have chosen to use the more traditional term, “owner,” although I understand that the choice can be interpreted in different ways. I’m the first to admit that “owner” is not a perfect description of who we are to our dogs, but being perhaps too old and set in my ways, I find the term “guardian” a bit awkward. I’m working on it, but I just can’t make it feel right yet—it feels formal and lawyerly, and somehow less intimate than my relationship is with my dogs. Lacking a better alternative, I have used the term “owner” throughout the book. Of course, the term “owner” itself can also be off-putting; one would never talk about being a child’s owner, after all. But all words can have different meanings, different connotations, and when I say “owner,” I mean simply that they are my dogs and I’m responsible for them. I’m reminded of a woman who introduced her significant other thus: “This is John.
My
John.” My dogs are just that,
my
dogs. They are also my friends and my co-workers, and I have the deepest respect for them.
Readers should also be aware that the term “behaviorist,” used frequently in this book, has many different meanings. “Applied animal behaviorists” are people like me, who use their academic background in behavior to solve problems and issues related to nonhuman animals. These issues can vary from working with aggressive dogs, to enhancing the habitat of animals in zoological parks, to saving endangered species. Our academic background, however, can vary. My Ph.D. major was in zoology, in which I was trained as an ethologist, or someone most interested in how an animal’s behavior interacts with its genetic heritage and its environment. My minor was in psychology, where historically the focus was on how an animal’s behavior is influenced by learning, and on discovering how the process of learning works in both animals and people. This is the source of the other use of the term “behaviorist,” which refers to a perspective that endorses, à la B. F. Skinner, giving scientific attention only to an animal’s
external
behavior. Animals’
internal
processes (such as thoughts and emotions) were believed to be
inaccessible to scientific inquiry. To the benefit of all, both fields are now integrated to a large degree. The term “behaviorist” is used in both senses in the text of this book, I hope in a way that keeps its meaning clear to the reader.
I have also chosen to put references to most of the research described in the book in the “References” section, rather than in the body of the text. I hope the authors of the papers I mention do not take offense. Books like this could never be written without the hours and hours of hard work put in every week by scientists of all descriptions. My goal, in writing this and other books, is to provide a bridge between the knowledge derived from their work and the general dog-loving public. Moving the citations to the back allows for a freer flow of narrative and, I hope, results in a book that keeps the interest of all dog lovers, even if they didn’t love science class in high school.
And finally, if your or your dog’s emotions are causing behavioral problems, don’t hestitate to seek professional advice. Even the best tennis player in the world has a coach, and dog training is a sport as much as anything else.