For the Love of a Dog

If you are interested in what’s going on behind those big, brown eyes, and would like to understand how your dog’s emotional life compares with your own, this book is for you. If you cherish your dog but are often baffled by his behavior, For the Love of a Dog is a revelation—offering you a new understanding of the emotions that sometimes bind, and other times damage your relationship with your dog. This book is:

  • A delightful example of Patricia’s unique blend of science & soul
  • Full of entertaining and moving stores about dog behavior
  • A fascinating explanation on emotions
  • A source of practical insights about dog behavior
  • A visual guide to “reading” your dog’s emotional state

Price: $16.95

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Many scientists now accept the premise that dogs have rich emotional lives, exhibiting a wide range of feelings including fear, anger, surprise, sadness and love. McConnell suggests that dogs express emotions in ways similar to humans, and shows you how to read the more subtle expressions hidden behind fuzzy faces and floppy ears. The book explains the biology of fear, discusses why fear is the motivation for much of what’s called “aggression,” and describes how science can help us help dogs move beyond being frightened. Those of you who consider your dogs part of the family will find For the Love of a Dog engaging, enlightening, and utterly engrossing. Packed with informed speculation and intriguing accounts of man’s best friend at both his best and worst, this book is a treasure trove that will help you have a richer, more rewarding relationship with your dogs.

The audio version of For the Love of a Dog won the 2007 “Audie” (the Oscar of audio books), and the book has received praise from dog owners and scientists alike.  One of the world’s most respected primatologists, Frans de Waal, calls the book “a fascinating, highly educational read.” Barbara Smuts, a psychologist and expert on canine behavior says “Patricia McConnell has written a book that appeals to both the mind and the heart.” Join them and enjoy this entertaining and educational book.

Who Should Buy

If you want to know more about your dog than how to get him to stay off the kitchen counters, this might be the book for you. It’s not a book about training, but ironically, like another of Patricia’s best selling books, The Other End of the Leash, it will help you train your dog. More importantly, it will help you understand your best friend better than ever.

Testimonials

“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.”
-Frans DeWaal,
author of Our Inner Ape

“A marvelous book that everybody who loves dogs should own.”
-Temple Grandin,
author of Animals in Translation

“[McConnell] sheds new light on the emotional lives of animals.”
-The Washington Post

“A wonderful book…Fine, balanced, charming, it is sure to appeal to all dog fans…I read it with great delight.”
-Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson, Ph.D.,
author of Dogs Never Lie About Love

“A fascinating collection of real-dog stories [and] a deliciously easy-to-swallow
science lesson on how much dogs and humans have in common.”
-St. Louis Post-Dispatch

“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.”
-Stanley Coren,
author of The Intelligence of Dogs and How They Think

“Gives fascinating insight into the emotions we always knew our furry companions possessed.”
-Dog Fancy

“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.”
-Dr. Marty Becker, 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.”
-John Ratey, M.D.,
co-author of Driven to Distinction

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.”
-Marc Bekoff,
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!”
-Trish King, behavior and training director at the
Marin Humane Society, Marin County, CA
author of Parenting Your Dog

“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.”
-Ian Dunbar, Ph.D., BVetMed, MRCVS,
founder of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers

“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!”
-Barb Smuts, 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.”
-Wayne Hunthausen, DVM, animal behavior consultant

“This exciting book is a welcome addition to our understanding of companion dogs and our
relationships with them. At turns engaging, funny, joyous, passionate, sad, and poignant, it is a
wonderful blend of science, social commentary, and great story telling.”
-Daniel Q. Estep, Ph.D., CAAB
Animal Behavior Associates, Inc.

Product Details

Description: Paperback
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0345477154
ISBN-13: 978-0345477156
Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.1 x 0.9 inches
Number of Pages: 332

Audio CD
Publisher: Tantor Media; Unabridged edition (October 1, 2006)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1400103002
ISBN-13: 978-1400103003
Product Dimensions: 6.5 x 5.5 x 1.1 inches)
Discs: 10
Run Time: 12.5 HRS
Author: Patricia McConnell PhD
Publish date: August 28, 2006

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