The Domestic Dog: Its Evolution, Behaviour and Interactions with People [Hardcover]

James Serpell (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 26, 1996 | ISBN-10: 0521415292 | ISBN-13: 978-0521415293

Dogs occupy a special position in human society. They were probably the first animal species to become domesticated, but their relationship with humans has always been ambivalent. Dogs form strong attachments to humans, even in the face of rejection and punishment, voluntarily allying themselves to us as faithful companions, uncomplaining child-substitutes, enduring workers, and excellent hunters and guards. Yet they are also reviled as vicious killers, unclean scavengers and outcasts. In this book, the many facets of dog behavior are set in the context of the dog's place in our society. Based on firm scientific research, the book dispells many myths and stereotypes about our canine friends, and it will be the definitive reference work on dog behavior for many years to come. Dog-lovers with an interest in understanding how and why dogs behave as they do will find this fascinating reading.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The technical quality of the data is high, the chapters well-written, and the book is well-organized. This title is a welcome addition to the scientific literature describing the behavior of dogs and dog-human interactions." Science Books and Films

Book Description

This unique book provides a comprehensive, state-of-the-art account of the domestic dog's natural history and behaviour based on scientific and scholarly evidence rather than hearsay. Anyone with a serious interest in Canis familiaris, its evolution, behaviour, and its place in our society will find The Domestic Dog an indispensable and fascinating resource.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 280 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (January 26, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521415292
• ISBN-13: 978-0521415293
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,909,587 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

46 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Academic, researched, impartial book on dogs., May 1, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Domestic Dog: Its Evolution, Behaviour and Interactions with People (Paperback)

Does it seem that retail book stores stock dog books that appear opinion-based and poorly referenced or researched? The early chapters of The Domestic Dog concerning evolution may be a little bit factual and historically oriented (read: a tad dry) but presents an excellent understanding of how dogs came into contact with humans and the resulting reliance and interations. The book, in part, looks at areas of canus familiarus and human interaction from both a biological, survival necessity to what kind of kennel should be considered based on breed selection. There are many discussions on topics not normally covered in commercial or general appeal dog books that will compliment, inform and provide insight into otherwise unknown or insufficiently covered areas about dogs. Areas of new information include (but is not limited to): pack hierarchy, dog development and growth, dog psychology and others. It is one dog book I can rely on for its research, reference material and impartial analyses into breed types. It has helped me learn more about dogs than previously possible in other purported books based on fact. I do believe that one must be more interested in dogs than just a casual manner (i.e.: one must really want to get into the nuts and bolts) to enjoy and finish this book.

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Domestic Dog, James Serpell (Ed.), July 29, 2002

By 

Bob Pr. "Bob Pr." (Topeka, KS USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Domestic Dog: Its Evolution, Behaviour and Interactions with People (Paperback)

For those people hungry for scientific literature on dogs and curious about what other references there are on particular dog topics, this is a must read/must have text; almost every chapter serves as a review of the scientific literature on that topic. Those who don't care for reading anything drier than James Herriot's "All Creatures Great & Small" should avoid it.

The book is probably used as a text for graduate students and upper division majors in ethology, comparative psychology, zoology, etc. It was published early in 1996 so the information is current as of that date. The book is in its 5th printing so some professors must share my judgment of it. Let's hope that by 2005 there's a revised edition including and evaluating recent work.

It has 17 chapters written (or co-written) by 21 specialists in their fields -- British, American, Italian -- (after an introduction) divided into 3 major divisions: I. Domestication & evolution (2 chapters) ; II. Behaviour & behaviour problems (8 ch.s); III. Human-dog interactions (6 ch.s). The chapters provide an excellent summary and the key references to the area discussed. A few chapters have a definite British flavor but American readers will be able to transpose when needed.

Dog breeders (& many owners) may be especially interested in the chapters dealing with what's known about heritability of traits, temperament, etc., as well as the role of early experience on later behaviors, disorders, etc.

A few chapters are filled with research results in tables and graphs. One is dense with specialist jargon. But all are readable if you're interested in learning what the applicable sciences know and do not know about the dog. All chapters have information I found important and to some, I'll refer back to many times.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Serious Must for Serious Dog People, May 10, 2003

By 

Tamara Taylor (Sanger, TX United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Domestic Dog: Its Evolution, Behaviour and Interactions with People (Paperback)

First published in 1995, nothing else as comprehensive and as carefully researched on canine behavior and development has been published. For the general reader, the writing style may be a bit dry; however, because each chapter has different authors, the writing style, while basically academic and fact driven, varies.

Any serious dog breeders, trainers, or owners will find themselves returning to certain chapters over and over again. Breeders and even new puppy owners would benefit from the chapter by Serpell and Jagoe on "Early experience and the development of behaviour," which updates the standard beliefs about puppy development resulting from the Bar Harbor experiments of over 50 years ago.

Excellent book!