How Dogs Read Us, Part 2

Last week, in How Dogs Read Us, Part 1, I discussed some studies that explore the way dogs decode our signals, an ability that is passed along genetically. This second section,  adapted from the same article for Your Dog newsletter, addresses the fact that not all dogs are equally skilled at reading signals and not…

How Dogs Read Us, Part I

You pretend to throw a Frisbee in one direction, then toss it in the other. Your dog swiftly shifts gears to catch the disk in mid-air. Or you’re in a bad mood and your pup intuits that a sloppy kiss will cheer you right up. All dog owners have experienced, and likely marveled at, such…

Five Nonfiction Dog Books I Love

[originally posted November 28, 2009] After yesterday’s shameless self-promotion post for Am I Boring My Dog, I thought it only fair to talk about some of the books that influenced, inspired, or otherwise gave me great reading pleasure while I was doing my research. Full disclosure: I started putting this list together for Flashlight Worthy…

Dog trainers, behaviorists & dupes, oh my!

Somehow, my post on how to find a good dog trainer keeps getting sidetracked, and I’ve begun to realize why. It’s not just that I felt the need debunk the most popular notions of training so as to put the subject into context. It’s also that training is unregulated, and therefore difficult to discuss without…

About My New Book: Am I Boring My Dog?

I met my friend Michael for dinner the other night, and excitedly hauled out my advance copy of Am I Boring My Dog. After browsing through it for the requisite time to indicate interest, he said: “I thought it was just going to be a bunch of funny anecdotes. This looks very informative.” Perhaps I…