Any one read the book: “Dog Sense: How the New Science of Dog Behavior Can Make You a Better Friend to Your Pet”?

It's by Dr. John Bradshaw — a British scientist. He was on MSNBC just now.

I bought the book and the audio and am listening to it now. I have just finished chapter 1 where he does a recap on the genetic origins of domestic dogs. He explains why interpreting the behaviour of domestic dogs by observations of wolves in captivity has contributed to misconceptions about dog behaviour, in particular ideas about dominance, submission, and pack structure. Its pretty interesting. I'm hoping by the end of it I will understand what is going on in the mind of my reactive adolescent dog.

"How we came to misunderstand dogs"

http://www.salon.com/books/int/2011/06/05/john_bradshaw_dog_sense


"In place of the rigid, often violent, alpha-led wolf societies we once believed produced the modern dog were actually cooperative, familial groups. And in place of the choke-chain school of negative reinforcement should be a training program based primarily on the positive."

Jenny, I'd love to hear your opinion of the book, when you are finished.

Food for thought: Dogs appear to the be the first domesticated animal. They are highly social, and they have been evolving in relation to human society for 10s of thousands of years. They are not a sub-species of wolves, they are likely mixed species that emerged because of social traits, not species traits. There is evidence that dogs became domesticated on different continents and were comprised of different canid species. Wolves are in there but they are not the only species.

Dogs most likely were the first domesticated animal because they were able to attune themselves to bond emotionally with us humans. They are social animals that have highly evolved social intelligence. They are extremely perceptive when it comes to reading human emotion and intention. They respond to emotion. So my dog knows the difference between when I am happy, sad, nervous, angry, etc. My dog responds to these states of mind. My dog does not seek to dominate me, as much as affiliate with me. When my dog does not feel connected to me, he feels anxious. His anxiety can show up in many, many different forms. When I treat my dog harshly, it makes him anxious. When I engage in bonding behaviours, my dog is more attuned to me and less likely to panic at stimulus from the environment. What has previously been interpreted as dominance or submission displays, can also be seen as affiliation displays, promoting trust and kinship.