A Dog Is Listening: The Way Some of Our Closest Friends View Us [Paperback]

Roger A. Caras (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 10, 1993

As readers of A Cat Is Watching know, Roger Caras has a special affinity with the animal kingdom. Now, in a winning mix of psychological insight, factual research, and personal, paws-on experience, Caras takes the reader into the special world of dogs. 25 photographs.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

ABC special correspondent Caras ( A Cat Is Watching ) here offers up a valentine to canis familiaris . His detailed and energetic appraisal of the dog's conventional sensory abilities discloses such curiosities as the fact that dogs have 60 degrees more peripheral vision than humans do, and explains how these abilities help the dog fulfill its evolutionary roles (peripheral vision, for example, is "invaluable" in hunting). Dogs, according to the author, have a demonstrable sixth sense, the capacity to "taste air," and he uses anecdotal evidence to propose that man's best friend may also have sensory awareness of magnetic fields and barometric pressure, as well as a "who-knows-what earthquake detection mode." The most intriguing hypothesis, that dogs may perceive infrared radiation, is supported by the report of a mutt that invariably knows when its seizure-prone mistress is about to succumb to an attack. Caras's concluding argument that dogs can indeed think defies orthodox animal behaviorists, but, like the rest of his good-natured book, will gratify dog lovers. Photos not seen by PW.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Kirkus Reviews

Amiable companion volume to A Cat Is Watching (1989), explaining just what goes on in Rover's head, and why. Caras, who puts up 12 dogs on his rambling farm, mixes personal anecdote, fact, and speculation in this chatty rundown of a dog's life. Despite the title, listening is only one of many dog senses he elaborates on; of the ``conventional'' senses, in fact, it's smell that impresses him the most--if a small drop of butyric acid were released in a Philadelphia-sized city, he tells us, a dog could detect it anywhere in the city up to an altitude of 300 feet. Dog taste, touch, and sight also reveal their wonders through Caras's admiring pen, as does the ``less-conventional'' sense of the Jacobson's organ, which allows dogs to ``taste air''; but more marvelous still is a seventh sense that Caras, bucking traditional science, writes of here. This includes not only dogs' fabled ability to predict thunderstorms and earthquakes but one that Caras has no name or explanation for, revealed to him in ``the closest thing to a miracle I have ever seen,'' in which he observed a dog anticipate its master's epileptic fits. As if emboldened by this discussion, Caras goes on to explore another scientific mine field- -that of canine feelings and thoughts--mostly by drawing on his own pets' behavior (e.g., their ability ``to come to sensible solutions'' to life's problems, as in dealing with a new family member). A recap of dog evolution follows, concluding with a brief summary of breeds and some dos and don'ts--especially, don't cross dogs with wolves, which, Caras says, produces a ``messed-up'' version of each. Charming dog lore for dog lovers, not on a philosophical par with Vickie Hearne's work (Bandit, etc.) but just right for reading by the fire, Rover curled up at your feet. (Twenty-five b&w photographs--not seen.) -- Copyright ©1991, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Touchstone (March 10, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0671797263
• ISBN-13: 978-0671797263
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #710,087 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the sweetest books on dogs ever., January 4, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: A Dog Is Listening: The Way Some of Our Closest Friends View Us (Paperback)

I confess. I'm a dogaholic. I may only have one in my home,, but in my heart there are thousands. As many as need homes. Clearly Roger Caras is just that way, too. His "gosh, golly, gee whiz" sense of wonder and humor (sometimes mixed together), fit perfect with the way he tells his "tails". Some of the stories are nothing short of amazing as witness in particular the story of Sheba who alerts her owner to her on-coming seizures. How? It doesn't matter. What matters is that she does. A truly remarkable story in a truly remarkable book.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Love him, love his dogs., November 11, 1996

By A Customer

This review is from: A Dog Is Listening: The Way Some of Our Closest Friends View Us (Paperback)

There are dozens of reasons to recommend this book. It is full of insight and anecdotes about those loveable, canine companions. But the best reason to read this book is that on every page it is obvious that Roger Caras loves his dogs. If you own a dog, and why would you read this book if you didn't, then you know how he feels, and in these pages you have found a kindred spirit who can echo your sighs and your gushing 'awes' at the antics of our furry friends. Read this book to learn about dogs, their habits, their senses, their remarkable abilities.. Savor this book for its warmth and emotion, and keep your dog handy, you'll need to hug him at least once a chapter

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars For the love of animals, January 11, 2006

By 

Dagmar F. Pelzer (Miami, Florida) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Dog Is Listening: The Way Some of Our Closest Friends View Us (Paperback)

It is obvious that Roger Caras loves animals. Not just dogs, but all animals. So do I. This book provides tremendous insight into the history of dog owning, on how they became pets, how they react, act, in other words, how and why they do what they do.

I loved the descriptions of interaction between animals. So much of that I had the pleasure of observing myself. But put in words makes the book and my personal experiences that much sweeter.

This book is a perfect gift for anyone who owns a dog or plans to own a dog.