Dogs: A New Understanding of Canine Origin, Behavior and Evolution [Paperback]

Raymond Coppinger (Author), Lorna Coppinger (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2002

Biologists, breeders and trainers, and champion sled dog racers, Raymond and Lorna Coppinger have more than four decades of experience with literally thousands of dogs. Offering a scientifically informed perspective on canines and their relations with humans, the Coppingers take a close look at eight different types of dogs—household, village, livestock guarding, herding, sled-pulling, pointing, retrieving, and hound. They argue that dogs did not evolve directly from wolves, nor were they trained by early humans; instead they domesticated themselves to exploit a new ecological niche: Mesolithic village dumps. Tracing the evolution of today's breeds from these village dogs, the Coppingers show how characteristic shapes and behaviors—from pointing and baying to the sleek shapes of running dogs—arise from both genetic heritage and the environments in which pups are raised.

For both dogs and humans to get the most out of each other, we need to understand and adapt to the biological needs and dispositions of our canine companions, just as they have to ours.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

Biologists, Breeders and trainers, and champion sled dog racers, Raymond and Lorna Coppinger have more than four decades of experience with literally thousands of dogs. Offering a scientifically informed perspective on canines and their relations with humans, the Coppingers take a close look at eight different types of dogs—household, village, livestock guarding, herding, sled-pulling, pointing, retrieving, and hound. They argue that dogs did not evolve directly from wolves, nor were they trained by early humans; instead they domesticated themselves to exploit a new ecological niche: Mesolithic village dumps. Tracing the evolution of today's breeds from these village dogs, the Coppingers show how characteristic shapes and behaviors—from pointing and baying to the sleek shapes of running dogs—arise from both genetic heritage and the environments in which pups are raised.

About the Author

Raymond Coppinger is a professor of biology at Hampshire College. He is the author of Fishing Dogs and coauthor of Wheelchair Assistance Dogs.

Lorna Coppinger is the award-winning author of The World of Sled Dogs. Together they founded Hampshire's Livestock Dog Project.

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: University Of Chicago Press; 1 edition (October 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0226115631
• ISBN-13: 978-0226115634
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #100,991 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #29 in Books > Professional & Technical > Professional Science > Biological Sciences > Zoology > Animal Behavior & Communication

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

54 of 58 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good in its main parts, July 16, 2004

By 

Bukkene Bruse (Iowa) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Dogs: A New Understanding of Canine Origin, Behavior and Evolution (Paperback)

The Coppingers in "Dogs" try to say a few different things. The main topics are how wolves became selected as dogs, what this implies for their behavior and training, and the ethics of pure-breeding and using working dogs as pets. In these core topics, this book is generally well argued and supported in the main, but suffers from hiccups of poor reasoning. In one example, when arguing why bigger dogs are better for the transhumance, the authors state "to cover the distance with half the steps means a longer lasting dog." Well, the bigger dog also takes heavier steps and big dogs are notorious for structural problems. However, these hiccups are minor distractions.

The first core topic that dogs evolved first as scavengers of human waste dumps is interesting. While still largely a speculative hypothesis, this idea is shown fairly well in the book to be more reasonable than the idea that humans got a hold of enough wolves to domesticate them by selecting the tamest ones and tossing the others. This has implications for training in that essentially sedentary dogs foraging at a dump are not going to have wolf behaviors, particularly the widely assumed pack hierarchy.

Another major topic is the discussion on why working dogs, with strongly ingrained motor patterns of behavior, are not going to be well suited for living in a house - unless you like being herded by your border collie. This too is well done and promoting the option of a more "generic" dog as a better household companion will do much good. There is also a section on how assistance dogs suffer by being bred and developed in manners inconstant with what makes for a good working dog. While this has been criticized as an argument against assistance dogs, a careful reading will show that it is a valid critique of how the system can be improved.

The Coppingers' critique of the profound wrong that is breeding for show will upset the most people. But it is also the best and most important argument in the book. And no, breeding for work, for behavior, which doesn't involve closing a stud book, is not just as bad or the same thing as breeding for appearance from a closed stud book.

Throughout the book, the Coppingers also try to discuss what canine evolution implies for Darwinian theories of evolution, but do so in a confused manner by misunderstanding gradualism in the modern sense as being slow, constant changes in morphology (they also use the word "saltation" in a broad and confused way) rather than the actual meaning of continuous, though possibly quite fast, change at the genetic level. They themselves argue that canids have not changed much genetically and that their diversity of form is due to developmental reasons with the needed genetic variation provided by hybridization within the species. Fortunately, these discussions are not central to enjoying the book.

The Coppingers write with a bit of wit, which I enjoyed. But most importantly, this book is unique to my knowledge in trying to be rational, rather than sentimentally anthropomorphic, towards dogs. As such should be read by anyone with an interest in them and their true well-being.

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not your ordinary dog book., July 3, 2006

By 

Will Barratt (Indiana State University, Terre Haute, IN) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dogs: A New Understanding of Canine Origin, Behavior and Evolution (Paperback)

This is a book about dogs as a species, not dogs as pets. This is a science book, and a really good one. The author is a full-time biologist who knows genetics, environments, dogs (Canines), and field work. Starting with the question "Why are dogs different from wolves, coyotes, and jackals when they are genetically the same?" the author takes the reader along for field work, studies, and a look at working dogs, pet dogs, and village dogs. The work reads like a collection of after-dinner stories told to regular people, all woven together around the central point.

The reader will have to set aside bias about dog 'breeds' as canine genetics takes front seat. Further, some issues about 'breeds' run counter to what many people believe about their fine registered pet. This is often what happens when science bumps into belief.

This is an excellent read for anyone with an interest in humans, dogs, science, and the planet. It just happens to be about dogs.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Logical, easy to understand insights into behavior and evolution, February 2, 2007

By 

TherapyDogs (Sacramento, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dogs: A New Understanding of Canine Origin, Behavior and Evolution (Paperback)

Heard Dr. Coppinger speak at the APDT conference and was fascinated by his theories, and the fact that he's able to change his opinions as insights, training and knowledge evolves. Not someone that's afraid to say he was wrong or has changed his opinion. Some VERY interesting arguments and absolute bolts of insight that should be obvious, but sometimes isn't, things like why infant, puppy, adolescent and adult dogs have different behaviors and why those behaviors aren't carried from one stage of life to the next, heat exchange principles in working dogs (primarily sled dogs, but applies to all dogs), cognitive vs. inherent behaviors, and the argument as to why we wouldn't be thinking of dogs with regard to their "wolf" ancestry, but that they've evolved so far past that the analogy is no longer applicable. A little "wonky" and research"y" in tone, but totally worth the effort for the insights! Scholar meets technician, clearly someone with real world dog experience.