I
am so behind in my reviews and decided to just dive in with my most recent
reading…so here goes:
The Genius of
Dogs: How Dogs Are Smarter Than You Think
Well, I ask you…how could I say no to this book? It jumped off the New Acquisitions shelf of
the Hinkle Library. The Genius of Dogs: How Dogs Are Smarter Than You Think by Brian
Hare and Vanessa Woods is a readable and fascinating excursion into dogs and
their relationship with humans. I learned so much without reading the notes at
the end; however, this is a book I want to purchase.
It begins with Hare’s history with
dogs and how his first dog turned him on to this area of research. Hare, a professor of evolutionary
anthropology and founder of the Duke Canine Cognition Center knew his dog was
different and began his research as an undergrad. I was especially interested in his theory of
how some wolves adapted into the life of domestication. He does not believe that man would have
trained them because it would have required sharing food with them. Hare believes it is much more likely that
some wolves were attracted to humans through the garbage that accumulated in
towns and eventually developed an attraction to humans. All this was surmised from the research
results of a Russian who bred foxes for genetic testing under the guise of fur
breeding, thus escaping Stalin’s banishment of genetics. Survival of the fittest sometimes means survival
of the friendliest.
The research he has done making
connections between humans and dogs is astonishing. My primary reason for
reading the book was interest in more effectively working with my dogs. I was not disappointed: “Like infants, dogs
are best at following the direction of your gaze when you signal to communicative
nature of your head movement. Dogs are
more likely to look where you are looking if you call their name and make eye
contact before shifting” (241). His
research has proven that puppies have the same reactions to human gestures as
adult dogs. They also respond well to a
high pitched voice, which explains why Viola and Fabian react to my singing in
such a positive way. While reading this
book I began thinking of the benefits of having testing done on my hounds. Brian Hare has an extensive website www.dognition.com providing the opportunity to test and
understand your dog’s cognition and personality. Pursuing this avenue with one of my hounds is
my next goal.
Not being able to write in this book
was a challenge, hence, my desire for a personal copy of it. The book closes with this thought: “Dogs have
such a natural affinity to humans that the gentle stroking of a human hand can
release chemicals inside their brains that make them feel calm and
affectionate. They even prefer to be
with humans [rather] than with their own species” (282). Well, of course…I knew that.
Hare,
Brian and Vanessa Woods. The Genius of
Dogs: How Dogs Are Smarter Thank You Think.
New York: Dutton, 2013. Print.
