Customer Reviews

Dogwatching

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I first read "Catwatching" and with my love for the cats and dogs who have always been a part of my family, "Dogwatching" was a must-read book. I was not disappointed. Filled with answers to every-day questions, you will discover some interesting facts in this book. While many of the questions may seem common, the answers may be far different from what one might assume. Why do dogs bark? What actually happens when they mate - it is not the simple quick process one might think. What is a dog really telling you when he wags his tail? What about their eyesight and hearing capabilities? How did the "hotdog" get its name? What do we mean by "dog-days" and where did the term originate? I thoroughly enjoyed this book from start to finish. What really set this book apart from many others is that it does not revolve around dog care - there are a vast number of other books on that issue. This one concentrates entirely on the dog's nature, history, and unique mannerisms. It is great book written by a well-informed author and a highly enjoyable read.

As a new dog owner, I wondered why my dog did so many unusual things. This book provides the answers in a clear concise question and answer format. An easy read, and very entertaining. Not really a dog care book, but read it if you care about dogs!!

Coming as it does from a respected zoologist, this is a surprisingly unscientific collection of canine trivia. I'm a very slow reader, but I finished off the 130 pages in a winter afternoon. Most chapters are very short, so there is blank space at the end of each. The line drawings by Edward Coleridge are nice, but are doubtful at adding useful information, while leaving even less of the scant pages to convey text. "Dogwatching" has the appearance of a book hacked out in a few days. Morris is capable of much better.

The book consists entirely of single-subject chapters, each one answering a question that Desmond Morris selects to ask himself, such as "Why do dogs bark?" and "Why do some breeds have short legs?" For the most part, Morris answers his own questions with far more confidence than proof. There are no footnotes, no bibliography, no index, no references to other works. If you have a question about dogs, you better hope Morris has asked himself the same question. You also better hope that Morris got the answer right, which is far from a foregone conclusion.

Morris uses a breezy style that seems to rely on his personal authority and opinion rather than proof or citations. Since he doesn't attempt to prove his statements, many of his explanations could have been made at least as clearly in a sentence or two, but have been inflated into these mini-chapters.

Morris does seem to sincerely love dogs, giving them full credit as our best friends and supporting their humane treatment. I salute him for that, as well as for writing a sometimes interesting book. There are a few chapters that told me things I did not know about dogs, but I have to remain sceptical about those, since those "facts" are only pinned on Morris' personal authority. A person's reputation should earn him the right to be read, but readers should use care to accept statements from "authority" only with accompanying evidence.

Some of the areas where I think Desmond Morris errs:

Morris sees dogs as essentially being very slightly modified wolves. Much of this book directly explains dog behavior by referring to observed wolf behavior. But recent research has shown that in some very important ways, dogs differ from wolves.

"Dogwatching" was written in 1986, and (from looking at the copyright page) apparently has not been revised since. A LOT of new knowledge has been discovered about dogs and their canid cousins in the last 19 years.

For instance, it is now known that dogs, and even dog puppies, can read human body language like a book. Yet wolves can't. Nor can even human-fostered wolf cubs learn to "read" people. Even chimps can't read people like a dog can. In the context of dog-human relations, this is a HUGE behavioral difference between wolf and dog.

It is also clear that when he wrote this book, Morris didn't know about the remarkable work with foxes in Russia that created a domesticated fox by breeding for tameness over a few generations.

Morris even seems to think that a wolf can be just like a domestic dog, if only it is raised like one. This could even be a physically dangerous idea -- just ask some of the people who have hand-raised wolves and wolf-dog hybrids. Wolves may be unafraid of people who have raised the from puppies, but they never become "domesticated." "Tame" wolves may, and regularly do, turn on their human keepers, whereas wild wolves give humans a wide berth. Wolves simply lack the empathy that dogs have for the humans in their "pack."

"Dogwatching : Why dogs bark and other canine mysteries explained" may be fine for those who love both dogs and trivia, so long as those readers don't care very much if they get correct answers. Everyone else should save their money.

This does answer a lot of puzzling questions, but it is by no means extensive. Some of the information seems outdated, and he seems to make it out that all dogs live happy healthy lives. Which they don't. If you are looking for indepth information on dog behavior, skip this book, I'd recommend The Dog's Mind by Bruce Fogle. If you're looking for some simple answers to simple questions, or just interested, this is a good buy. This would be good for a 10 year old as well.

This is a slim, question-and-answer style book that deals with some basic, seemingly puzzling, behaviors exhibited by dogs, explaining the biological and psychological reasons behind them in clear understandable language. This is by no means a comprehensive overview of dog behavior, and is best recommended for the reader with a casual interest in the subject.

When Fate put a beautiful puppy on my lap I was delighted and at the same time worried by my bottomless ignorance on "dog care".
So I started a research on books addressing this issue. I found many useful ones and profited from them.

Mr. Morris' "Dogwatching" is very special. It is not a traditional "How to take care of your Dog"; it's constructed as a series of questions & answers including many different topics that neophytes are willing to discover.
Some are serious as "How often do dogs feed?", "Why dogs pant so much?", "At what rate do puppies develop?" or "How does a bitch deal with her newborn puppies?"
Some focus on rather comic issues, but not less important for will be "dog fathers" as "Why do puppies chew slippers?" or "Why do dogs try to sleep on their owners' bed?"
Lots of miscellaneous items are discussed in this very short and entertaining book.
It really gave me an overall picture of the "hows" and "whys" of canine mind and eased my apprehensions.

I recommend this book to anyone who's going to raise a puppy. It's also a fun reading for any pet lover or general public.
Reviewed by Max Yofre.

A very entertaining and informative read by one of the world's most brilliant minds! I'm a huge fan of Desmond Morris and I have enjoyed all the books of his that I've read so far.

This book is a must-read if you're a dog lover, especially if you're into science and animal behavior!

This book is certainly not advanced or scientific, but it is a must for 1st time dog owners. Also, it is a terrific introduction of a new dog to children. Basic understanding of dog behavior is the start of bonding between owner and dog, and this book offers this basic understanding. I've trained basic obedience to hundreds of new dog owners, and I recommend this basic book.

once again desmond morris takes a series of questions this time about dogs, and answers them in a complete and fascinating way

extrememly informative, easy to read, and good for any animal lover

i also reccomend his books on cats and horses

DogWatching is a stunning rendition of canine behaviour with close analysis of the ancestery of the species. I would reccommend this book to anyone.