There is a new book that just hit the book shelves, John Bradshaw’s Dog Sense. I just started reading it and think it is a book with a lot of value. Here’s a summary from the back of the book of some of its messages: “Don’t be an Alpha,” “Dogs can feel love but not guilt,” “Avoid punishment,” “Look beyond breed,” Respect your dog’s sense.” All good, absolutely. The question, of course, is what does the book add to the conversation, there being a good number of books on the market that say the same thing.
Here’s something, from just the first chapter that I think makes the book worthwhile: Bradshaw begins with a valuable discussion about the genetics of canids and the derivation of the domestic dog. I love his inclusion of the entire group of canids (not just grey wolves) and his important point that just because two species share most of their DNA doesn’t mean they behave in a similar way all the time. Case in point: Common Chimpanzees and Bonobos share 99.6 % of their DNA, yet their social behavior is very different. The social system of chimps is based on male-male coalitions and no small amount of coercion, force and fighting. Bonobos tend to resolve social conflicts through sex — pretty much everyone has sex with everyone else. A primatologist once said it’s like Sweden on steroids (I’m just quoting!). Obviously, individuals of the two species share more than they differ behaviorally, but they are not clones and look and behave more differently than you might expect with a .4% difference in DNA. He uses this information to remind us that wolves and dogs may be the same species, but they are not behavioral clones.
Bradshaw compares the canid genome to a “swiss army knife,” a wonderful way to describe a flexible set of predispositions and tools that can be taken and used when needed (e.g. “faculatively social” coyotes who can live alone or in groups, depending on their prey base.) If you are interested in comparative behavior, this is a valuable section. The book includes chapters titled “Why Dogs Were–Unfortunately–Turned Back into Wolves,” “Stick or Carrots–the Science of Dog Training,” “Canine Brain Power,” and “Emotional (Un)sophistication. I’ll keep reading away, and let you know what I think. Sorry I can’t provide a full book review now, I’m a tad behind what with personal issues, grading exams and finishing up the new book.
Anyone read it all yet? Any other good books you’ve discovered of interest to us all?
MEANWHILE, back on the farm: I gave the word to the vet and sitter to put my ewe, Brittany, down on Friday evening. There was simply no saving her, she had “twisted gut” which is not treatable in sheep (it is in cows, but not sheep and goats) and so my great sheep vet (Dr. Jeff Kunart) came out and eased her away. The farm sitter, vet student Anna, said she was ready to go. A dear friend who raised dairy goats for years brought out goat milk for the lambs (thank you Donna!) but as we expected they would have no part of being bottle fed. They’re just too old to learn a new way of feeding. But they had become partially weaned as Brittany declined, and they are just cutting their teeth, so I have hopes that they’ll make it. Other dear friends came over and disposed of Brittany’s body so that Jim and I didn’t have to come home from a funeral and bury a body. Thank you Barb and Dave, we owe you one. It takes a village. And thank all of you for your kind comments about the death of Jim’s sister. The services were beautiful and heart breaking and very special.
Brittany’s orphan lambs won’t grow at the same rate as the other lambs, but they are eating “creep” feed (an area in which the lambs can enter but the ewes can’t) specially designed for young lambs. I’m thankful that I still had some of the ‘baby lamb’ food; they seem to love it and are also eating grass well. I let them out with the flock on Sunday, and they seem to be hanging around my old, noble ewe, Dorothy. I doubt very much she’ll let them nurse, and even if she did, she has barely enough milk for her own twins, but at least they have a ewe to follow.
Willie is wonderful, seems brimming with health. I’m gradually weaning him off his medicine and gradually introducing regular food back into his diet. No sign of GI trouble yet, all paws crossed because his surgery is next Tuesday. The farm is gorgeous right now. I admit I yearn for more time to enjoy it, but I’m savoring every minute I get. The birds and flowers are ridiculously colorful, the yard looks like some 1960’s psychedelic Beatles movie.
Neither of the photographs below are high quality, I had to shoot them through the kitchen window (okay, so it’s not all that clean), but you can still get a sense of how much color there is at the feeders now. There have been as many as 15 Goldfinch, 4 male Indigo Buntings, 6 Rose Breasted Grosbeaks plus Cardinals, Blue Jays, Chickadees, House Finches, Titmice, Wh Breasted Nuthatches, Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers, White-Throated and White-Crowned Sparrows, Orioles, & Red Bellied Woodpeckers at the feeders at the same time. I suspect I’m leaving some out too… After a long winter of little but white, brown and grey, you can imagine what a joy it is to see color again. Between the birds, the tulips and the daffodils, the farm is saturated with color. A magical mystery tour all on its own.
Here are 3 male Indigo Buntings, one of my favorite birds. They are common here in Wisconsin, but tend to sing high up in trees and often don’t look that colorful without the sun on them. The two gold birds are, not surprisingly, Goldfinches. I don’t know why, but our yard is seems to be Goldfinch magnet now.. . we’ve never seen so many at one time. I expect the numbers will dwindle when they get serious about their territories.
Here’s Mr. Flashy Boy, the Red-Breasted Grosbeak with a male House Finch in the background. The RBGs are gorgeous in person, with high contrast black, white and red radiating around the feeders.
Deanna in OR says
I’ve not read Bradshaw’s book yet, but thank you for once again posting a book with a link, and finding it for my Kindle! I’m greedy and impatient about new dog books and I love being able to start reading right away. I’ll let you know what I think.
I’m so sorry about Jim’s sister, and Brittany. It’s especially hard to lose life in the spring, when life is bursting all around. I hope the orphan lambs make it.
I love your bird photos, even through the window. It looks like one of the goldfinches is staring right at the camera!
Lucia :) says
Amazing blue birds! And yes i believe that the black red-breasted one must be very noticable because of the contrast of the colors. We don’t have any so colorfull where I live! (kind of jalous – just outside the kitchen window).
Thank you for suggesting the book, it seems very interesting – I am going to read it.
I am glad Willie is doing better and the lambs are eating on their own.
Amy says
I’m currently reading For The Love of a Dog, which I’m sure you are familiar with. 🙂 I have to say, I’ve read your other books and this one is my favorite! Maybe that’s because it speaks to a place where I am constantly looking at my dogs emotional state… One of the cases you discuss, Blaze, the Border Collie reminds me so much of my dog. (Similar problems fear/motion reactivity.)
My next book in waiting is Control Unleashed – Creating a Focused and Confident Dog by Leslie McDevitt. I’ve heard good things about this book, but I’m interested to dig in and see what techniques she suggests in her book.
I often read right before bed and almost every night dream about dog training and behavior. I’m sure I’ve become addicted to helping my dog and others with what I learn.
I read on Facebook about your sister in-law. Words can’t be properly express my deepest sympathies to you and Jim. Good luck to Willie next week.
S O'Hanlon says
And I had John Bradshaw down as a cat man 😉
Currently reading Dorey’s book on dog domestication – very interesting so far!
Beth says
I may have to check out that book. The longer I watch my own dogs, the more clear it seems that wolf-pack behavior is not all that useful when trying to understand dog behavior. Oh, sure, there are the play-bows and the scent-marking type behaviors. But dogs are much more socially complicated.
My Corgi Jack seems in many ways to be fairly high-ranking by nature; other dogs might ignore my more submissive female’s growl-bark “back off” warnings if playing too rough, but one big bark from him and everyone more or less backs off. I’ve seen countless much larger dogs get down on their bellies to lick the corners of his mouth in deference (and it looks so funny because he has those stubby legs). And yet, he goes into greeting situations with strange dogs with his ears back and body low most all the time; his main goal seems to be to show other dogs he means no harm and making friends is much more important to him than showing status. And if two dogs are playing and one yips because it’s too rough, he’ll run right over to make sure everything’s ok. Again, keeping everyone social and happy seems to be his prime motivation.
I was also under the impression that over-marking with urine is a sign of social hierarchy, yet my low-ranking, submissive female will almost always pee (or poop) right where Jack went; she sometimes sticks her head right under him while he’s going. He clearly gets first choice of thrown toys (he’ll even take them right off her if no one’s watching– just march up and grab) and she won’t go after a dropped piece of food if he’s going for it. Yet she likes to pee where he pees. She also likes to roll where he rolls, sniff where he sniffed, and covets whatever toy he currently has. It seems like she doesn’t want the stress of making up her own mind on where to pee, what to roll on, what to play with and so she just follows his lead in everything.
So it seems that much of what I thought I knew about dog behavior based on wolf ancestry turns out to be much more complex than I originally supposed.
ABandMM says
FYI, the author, John Bradshaw, will be the guest on Thursday’s (5/12/11) Colbert Report (on Comedy Central).
http://www.colbertnation.com/home
Given the nature of Steven Colbert’s interviews, I don’t expect an in depth discussion of the book. However, sometimes the uncut/ unedited versions of the interviews are posted on the Colbert Nation website.
Tricia, I am sorry for your and Jim’s recent losses. I hope as the spring progresses into summer, peace and tranquility will find you and your loved ones.
Margaret T says
Just a footnote here—according to the people at Wolf Park at Battle Creek, Indiana, a play-bow isn’t really for play in wolves. It’s a position that allows them the most flexibility to take off in whatever direction seems wise, and it’s used in testing other animals for weakness. We watched them “play-bow” in an attempt to lure calves away from moms. It’s another example of differences in dog/wolf behavior.
trisha says
Thanks for the reminder that Bradshaw is on Colbert.. how did he pull that off? Can’t wait to watch! And Margaret, I’ve seen juvenile wolves perform a posture that looked something like a play bow too: I wonder if we really do know their intent, first, and second, is it possible they use it in a variety of contexts (like a human smile?)
Barbara says
I look forward to reading it. I have one of the Monks of New Skete books that I’m taking on vacation with me. Because of our business I like to keep current on dog training, behavior and health issues.
Melissa says
Sounds like one to add to my list. I’ve been eyeing off Beckoff’s book on animal emotions. At the moment I’m reading “Mechanisms of Discrimination Learning in Animals” by Macintosh and Sutherland. I borrowed it from the library looking for useful tidbits for my project and have been riveted by the selective attention talk. Now I want a copy, but I think it may have gone out of print. At least, it seems hard to come by. It’s a wee bit text booky, but the subject is interesting and it’s written well enough that I don’t find it all that hard to stay engaged in.
So sorry to hear of Jim’s sister’s passing and Brittany’s. Best wishes for the orphaned lambs.
Interesting about the play bow. Perhaps it’s not surprising that it crept into play in dogs. I guess everything is highly likely to end up in play at some stage. I tend to think wolf body language is more complex than dog body language. It just seems like there are a lot more subtleties. It’s interesting to me that different breeds have different styles of intraspecific communication. Some dogs seem clumsy and like they are nearly always shouting, whereas others seems to have a broader ‘vocabulary’ almost with tonal differences. My little Vallhund loves to run with strange dogs, but hates it when they jump on him or mouth at his face. It’s not uncommon for a dog to just not comprehend his ‘please don’t do that’ signals. He’s pretty clear about it to me, but in all honesty, he’s learnt to be more clear about it because his ‘whispers’ went unheard. Last week he got into a fight with another dog because it was jumping on his head and ignoring his friendly ‘look, I don’t like that’ signals and I wasn’t quick enough to intervene. The next day he saw the same dog and as it bounced up to him it realised who it was and started growling defensively and little Erik turns to face this dog and veritably ‘screams’ “Please, I don’t want to play.”, head and ears down, tail down, semi-crouched, mouth closed, eyes soft, but looking right into this other dog’s face. The other dog paused and thought about it, then turned and left. E looked at me like “I told him to please go away. Can I have a treat?” I love that I’ve possibly managed to teach him to ask nicely. 😉 Anyway, it made me think about how many altercations in dogs are due to differing communication styles. Erik found a way to be abundantly clear without resorting to aggression, but it wasn’t his natural way of ‘talking’ dog. I wonder if their physical similarity to a natural dog shape has anything to do with how they talk to other dogs, or perhaps it has more to do with the degree of mixing they were bred to have with other dogs? Food for thought.
Deanna in OR says
I’m about 1/4 through Dog Sense….very detailed about the theories and evidence for the evolution of dogs and how they might have become domesticated, with lots of “compare and contrast” discussion about wolves (and other canids) and dogs.
Bradshaw’s premise (so far) is that modern wolves have also evolved from the common ancestor of wolves and dogs but in the opposite direction with regard to tameability–only the most wary wolves could survive human pressure on their environment and existence, which makes it even less likely that we can use modern wolves, even observed in the wild, as a model for understanding modern dog behavior. The selection pressures on today’s dogs and today’s wolves have gone in opposite directions with respect to their behaviors.
So far, I’m enjoying the book. Thanks again for recommending it on the day it was published, Trisha!
Susan in Charleston says
I am so sorry for your losses and will keep you in my thoughts. I know this has been a very difficult time.
I just wanted to say that “The Other End of the Leash” is one of my very favorite books and is one that I have read multiple times – something I pretty much never do. There is such great information in it, and I feel like it gives me new insight every time I read it. I have recommended it to everyone I know that has a dog, and I’ve also given multiple copies as gifts. I just wanted you to know how important this book has been to me, and to thank you for writing it.
Michele says
Thank you for another book recommendation! I always trust your judgement on new dog titles, given how much I’ve learned from your books. If my dog could send you a thank you note, I’m sure she would.
Much sympathy to your family at this difficult time.
Kat says
I think I’ve picked up pretty nearly every book you’ve mentioned here and haven’t been disappointed yet. I love having your recommendations. I’ll definitely be adding this one. One of these days I’m going to have to figure out a way to share my ever growing canine library. All I’ve done so far is to review many of them for my local PAWS group. The Other End of the Leash was one of the first reviews I posted. My belief is that if a person is only going to read one book on canine/human behavior/relations it should be The Other End of the Leash.
Currently, I’m rereading sections of Animals in Translation by Temple Grandin. Truly one of the best books out there.
Melissa raised an interesting question about canine/canine communication and how one dog may not hear/see another dog’s more subtle communications. I’ve often wondered if different breeds have different dialects (for want of a better word). Ranger wears his fluffy plume of a tail in a typical herding breed style waving gently behind him or arched over his rump depending on mood and social circumstance. This is always the case unless there are Husky type dogs also playing in the park. When there are Huskies he wears his tail in a Husky curl. What follows is pure speculation on my part but it makes intuitive sense to me. When he was around 18 months old Ranger tangled a couple of times with an aggressive Husky (one who never should have been allowed in a dog park and was pretty quickly banned by Animal Control) . The Husky totally ignored all of Ranger’s peace making signals and attacked him. (the first time we didn’t know the dog and the second we were on our way to the gate to leave but didn’t get there quickly enough) Oddly enough Ranger spent a few months seeking out Huskies as playmates and learning (at least that’s how I interpreted it) Husky tail talk. Now he only occasionally engages in play with a Husky but will always wear his tail in the curl if one is in the park. It’s like he speaks in Husky “dialect” so as to avoid a repeat of the early attacks.
As for play bows I remember reading somewhere that there are play bows (everything that happens next is done in play) and prey bows (I’m going to catch you and eat you) Dogs use play bows with their tails held low or in a neutral position, wolves use prey bows with their tails upright. It makes sense that what we recognize in our dogs as a play bow is a position wolves would use in catching prey since it does make launching into a full out run or leaping in any direction easier. I’ll have to see if I can find the reference and share it.
Laura says
I am so sorry for your loss of Barbara and Brittany. They were both lucky to have you in their lives.
Best wishes to Willie staying healthy pre-op!
I have been waiting for the chance to recommend a book even though it isn’t about dogs. In honor of Sushi – I recommend a cat book called Homer’s Odyssey, A Fearless Feline Tale or How I Learned About Love & Life With A Blind Wonder Cat by Gwen Cooper.
Homer is an orphaned very young kitten who loses his eyeballs. The author, Gwen Cooper adopts him when noone else will. This book is about the lessons Gwen learned about life and love living with this amazing, fearless cat. People who have had their life changed by the love an animal whether it is a cat or a dog will love this very well written book.
Jeanne says
I am so sorry for the passing of your dear Barbara, and Brittany, too. As you once said of you and Luke, some time after his passing “Luke and I have moved on now”, and so it will be with you & Jim and Barbara. You always have each other, just in a different way. But the heartache now is real and huge, and you have my thoughts and prayers.
As you asked for book titles, I have one you may find helpful. My life’s first work was as an oncology nurse, and THE most helpful book, hands down is a timeless work called Final Gifts. Eloquently and succinctly written by two wise hospice nurses it helps us understand the journey experienced by those who are dying. While perhaps best read while in the process I think you will find comfort and further understanding in retrospect. (Authors Maggie Callahan & Patricia Kelley). I highly recommend this, and have given out (sadly) hundreds of copies over the years. It’s a jewel.
And so are you…I’ve recently found your writing and wisdom, and have learned so much from you! As one blogger above said, I know I will re-read your books over and over. My Big Red Rex (rescue Golden, age 3, works no sheep but bravely and relentlessly hunts bunnies) benefits from even my pitiful attempts to put your words to task, and our lives are richer for your wisdom and humor. Thank you for all you do!
Lacey H says
In response to Beth’s comment on overmarking – in my fostering I’ve noticed that some bitches do seem to consistently mark where another dog, especially a housemate, has gone before. Others seem to seek out a spot where no other has been. My hunch is that the former type are saying “I’m with him/her.” These are not dominant females – I have seen that too, and they will particularly try to cover a strange dog’s scent.
Beth says
“I’m with him/her” is the best explanation I can think of too, Lacey, and thanks for putting it so succinctly!
We brought home Maddie as an adult, and she seemed totally baffled by where she was meant to potty and a bit overwhelmed by being in a new family those first few days. It seemed that by staking her claim as being part of Jack’s “pack” she was latching on to another dog she felt was safe.
She does not overmark where strange dogs have gone, except on occasion she will mark over a place that Jack has already overmarked.
When I take her away from home, she will rarely potty at all if she is alone. If Jack goes first, she will go where he went. I think it’s a way of saying “We are not just one dog, we’re a big pack!” Safety in numbers.
trisha says
The ‘overmarking’ issue is just fascinating. Looks to me like I have to write a blog on it next week. Thanks too for the book recommendations, they all look worthwhile. Keep it up!
Beth says
Yes, Trisha, I would love a blog on marking! Jack is Mr. Bossy Boots and he does the typical “If I can’t eat it, or roll in it, I’ll pee on it” marking behavior, and especially marks where other males have peed— the higher he can reach his little leg, the better.
Maddie is just the opposite and seems to pee where he does because it gives her a sense of security. I almost never see her mark where other dogs have gone. My take that she’s a submissive bitch was also the information we got on her from her breeder, who said she was not at all dominant. She’s the type to plaster her ears back at a raised eye-brow, while Jack is the type who would sit down and bark his protests to requests as an adolescent.
My father has a fairly dominant Chessie bitch and she does the more typical marking that we tend to associate (not quite correctly) with male dogs.
Beth says
Oh, and for book recommendations I have a fascinating little book that I picked up at a library book sale. It’s from 1960-ish and it’s called “Farm Dog” by John Holmes; I don’t work herding dogs but my understanding is it’s considered a bit of a classic.
It’s fascinating to see how much has changed and how much has stayed the same. As a working-dog oriented book, it reminds me much more of the bird dog books my father always had around than of today’s more psychology-oriented works.
Joh says
I am sorry for your losses and will keep you in my thoughts.
Thank you for the book tip! As others before mentioned: I really appreciate your book tips.
Good books I’ve read quite recently are some from Viviane Theby, unfortunately it seems that you can get only one in English (dog university) and that’s not her best, but there a some nice examples in it for tricks. I like her “Schn
Kat says
I found the information I was recalling about play bows and prey bows in Canine Body Language: A Photographic Guide by Brenda Aloff. It’s an excellent resource full of great photos of dog communicating various things. I’ve learned a lot from it.
LoveMyDogTraining says
So sorry for your recent losses.
I am looking forward to reading Dog Sense as well as your new book. Do you have an estimated date yet when your new book will come out? I am working on my first book and am realizing just how much work it is, so I don’t know how you find the time to produce new books with everything else you have going on!
Looking forward to seeing you here in Denver in July!
Janice D. says
I saw the brief mention on the Colbert Report and was curious. Thank you for the information that you provided, as I will not be buying/reading this book. I began my serious dog interest at about the same time as I began as a Psychology student back in the ice age, and have owned, trained, worked with and enjoyed dogs for 42 years. As you might suspect from my e-mail address, I am also a lic.vet.tech and an RN. The biology, theory and reality of human and animal behavior have been interwoven in my many diverse employments. But my personal dogs have always been malamutes, and whenever I have fallen for the “now they are domesticated and no longer wolves” approach, the ultimate result is a less responsive, too assertive and aggressive animal. Sorry, not all people act the same, and not all individuals or breed types of dog are well managed by the nouveau softee intellectual approach. The selective forces that promoted domestication have not completely removed ancient core behaviors from the ones I’ve known, and more people err on the side of permissiveness than otherwise. The truth is rarely politically correct or palatable.
Hank Simon says
I liked the colorful bird pix, so I took the liberty of tweaking them a bit. Please feel free to download them as soon as you get a chance, because I may have to free up some Web space, soon. Note: If you blow up the male grosbeak, you can see he has something in his beak.
Please let me know when you’ve been able to download them.
http://home.roadrunner.com/~hanksimon/indigo-buntingsfix.png
http://home.roadrunner.com/~hanksimon/grosbeak_finch_fix.png
retrieverman says
Dogs and wolves taxonomy is very interesting. I’ve always felt that when we make comparisons between dogs and what are really specialized subspecies of wolves, those that are large and adapted to hunting large game, at our peril. Recent genetic studies (a big one useing SNP chips at UCLA) found that dogs were more closely related to Middle Eastern wolves. The two subspecies found there are the Arabian and Indian/Iranian wolf. Both of these are smaller, have smaller heads and brains, and aren’t nearly as specialized at killing large prey as the wolves of Canada, Alaska, or Northern Eurasia.
However, virtually all comparative studies between dogs and wolves, use the big specialized subspecies.
The reason why I am comfortable considering dogs and wolves the same species is that the wolf species is quite diverse, almost as diverse in the wild as dogs are in captivity. They have varied from 25 pounders to 175 pounders in the wild. Some Arabian wolves are in the 25-30 pound range. The extinct wolf of Honshu was about that size, and the newly discovered subspecies in Africa is also about that size (it was previously considered a golden jackal subspecies). I want to see studies comparing dogs to wolves that are like these animals, and not the big “Nanook of the North” types. That’s like comparing modern humans to Neanderthals, which I think is a bit fairer analogy than the chimps and bonobos. Wolves and dogs have had something of a gene flow between populations– which still goes on Italy and Eastern Europe– just as Neanderthals and modern humans did.
Lacey H says
I’m reading and enjoying Bradshaw’s “Dog Sense.” I think Janice D. might find it interesting too, though of course her Malamutes are not Labradors. One doesn’t have to be permissive to be positive.
seana says
Is it mentioned anywhere in the book what type of dog was photographed for the cover? She looks exactly like the rescue puppy I adopted 5 months ago, and no one can seem to figure out what she might be.
Any info will be greatly appreciated!
Maile Lanfranco says
Lots and lots of socializing to try and give this timid dog some self-confidence. Take her as many places as you can pet stores, parks, walk on streets with other dogs.