Folks:
The book is DOGS,A Startling New Understanding of Canine Origin,Behavior and Emotion, by a biologist and dog lover,
Dr. Ray Coppinger and his wife, Lorna.

Good read, I highly recommend it. The seminar I attended was by him, about his book. The venue was also a huge draw for me, but not going there with this post, lest we go off topic!

since nobody esle is going to comment here, I'll answer myself with reflection on what has come to be useful from reading this book for me...see: Predatory Motor Patterns in Dogs

It's seems odd how the locked thread has gotten so many hits since it was locked, yet nobody has any comments about this
book!

I'll comment.
But, maybe the lack of comments is a result of this being discussed within several threads since the book came out in 02.
From the perspective of working dogs, their attributes and breeding i think the most important ideas within the book are that in many instances dogs participate in the behavior not due to a external reward system but simply because it feels good to engage in that activity. For breeding the simple fact that the dogs aren't "tamed wolves" is important and that the first weeks of life for a pup are irreplaceable in regards to rearing practices. his examples of course are very divergent from the goals of protection sports, personal protection, detection work, and police service work but I believe there are lessons to be learned.

 Quote:

Folks:
The book is DOGS,A Startling New Understanding of Canine Origin,Behavior and Emotion, by a biologist and dog lover,
Dr. Ray Coppinger and his wife, Lorna.

Good read, I highly recommend it. The seminar I attended was by him, about his book. The venue was also a huge draw for me, but not going there with this post, lest we go off topic!

I reailize this is an old thread and have read the even older threads on the book, but am surprised this book did not generate more discussion on the scope of the content when it came out. The threads seem very narrow in focus given the content of the book.

The concept that the dogs really are distinct from wolves and far more separated from them than most people "want' to think, now that wolves have been "romanticized" - - - that just flowed with all the articles and knowledge of wolf-dogs being a complete mistake

The inherent problems with "breeds" of dogs and maintaining genetic diversity

The concept of domestic dogs as having developed from indigenous "pariah" scavenger dogs and the relative newness of dog breeds and closed stud books. As well as the complete destruciton of some like the bulldog by breeding an unworkable caricature for our folly.

The problems with the concept of "pet" dogs and the problems we see when trying to produce them from working dogs and bring them from an environment where their natural drives can be captured by the work to one where they become a problem. Though I do think he is a bit more down on the quality of life of a working service animal - and perhaps he does not have the experience with them - - He thinks sled and herding dogs have a great life but police and other working dogs do not; not so sure I agree.

I think he was a bit down on the human-canine relationship in general but think there is more truth in what he is saying than I would want to admit.

Does make a strong point for enriched puppy rearing - well anyway, it was at the library, never heard of it before, and it is a quite interesting read.

So anyway, the book is still out there. It is a very different perspective than many other books I have read.

Thanks for posting your reply!

Sometimes a seed can lay dormant for years before
conditions for it to germinate are right.

I got to meet Ray, and I can tell you the man loves dogs as
much as any of us could ever hope to, and has a wealth of experience with them that would be silly to ignore.

I read his book same as I've read and listened to most
everything on this site...folks with decades of experience are
simply the best teachers.