Why Does My Dog Act That Way?: A Complete Guide to Your Dog's Personality (Paperback)

by Stanley Coren (Author)
Key Phrases: creating monsters, biosensor program, personal protection dogs, The Personalities of Dog Breeds, United States, The Dog Behavior Inventory (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. Psychologist and dog expert Coren (Why do Dogs Have Wet Noses?, The Intelligence of Dogs) returns with another insightful, fascinating look at everyone's best friend in this primer on the canine psyche. Drawing on a rich body of research, Coren patiently and systematically explains that dogs come hardwired with reliable personalities, allowing their human companions to interpret and predict their everyday behavior. Armed with that knowledge, Coren gives readers tips on how to create a "superdog," a welcome four-legged family member who socializes well with others and isn't overly emotional. Along the way, Coren debunks a number of myths (among them that dogs are little more than domesticated wolves), offers development tips for the key stages in a dog's life (beginning at birth) and providing owners a complete roadmap for socializing their puppies. Devoted fans will note that some material overlaps Coren's previous work, but this illuminating handbook is still an indispensable reference for dog owners as well as shelters and rescue groups.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review
"Coren's love for dogs shines like a beacon...[a] thoughtful and fascinating exploration of the mind of a dog."

-- Patricia B. McConnell, Ph.D., author of The Other End of the Leash

"The author, a psychologist, cleverly combines scholarship, opinion, and anecdotes...Read...his book[s] with your best friend."

-- The Dallas Morning News

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Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Free Press (December 4, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743277074
• ISBN-13: 978-0743277075
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #405,845 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good, not great, February 8, 2007

By	Chris Perkins (Chandler, AZ USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Why Does My Dog Act That Way?: A Complete Guide to Your Dog's Personality (Hardcover)

Interesting in parts, but it didn't live up to the title. I found it to be more of an exploration of how dogs became domesticated over thousands of years, and the ways in which they differ from their wild brethren. There were some good insights, but overall I felt it was too "clinical", for lack of a better word. I much preferred the author's How To Speak Dog.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Disappointed doesn't even describe it..., June 16, 2009

By	Schutz - See all my reviews

Stanley Coren is aparently an "expert" on dog behavior, but I think he's the only one calling himself that, particluarly when it comes to discussing the history and behavior of "bull and terrier" breeds.

Coren states in the early parts of his book that any dog (of any breed) that exhibited aggressiveness towards humans were culled, which is correct. Later in the book, in a chapter titled "Creating Monsters", he discusses how "pit bull" type dogs were developed, and how selective breeding has created dogs that are more aggressive. And this is where things go south.

Coren goes into great detail about how dogs - specifically American Pit Bull Terriers and "American Staffordshire bull terriers", along with Staffordshire Bull Terriers and any other bully breed - bred to fight other dogs are also inherently aggressive towards humans. Not only is this a damaging assumption on Coren' part, but it is also very incorrect - bully breeds were bred to be DOG aggressive, and any dog that showed unacceptable behavior towards people was immediately killed. "Bull and Terrier" type dogs were - and remain - very intelligent, very stable, and very people-friendly. It takes a great deal of painful, fear-inducing "training" to cause a bully breed to be aggressive towards humans. Think something along the lines of inserting gun powder into a dog's anus just as a stranger approaches.

His anecdotes are irrelevant - like the one about the woman who slipped and fell, only to be attacked by her Staffie while trying to get up - and since they cannot be proven or disproven, they only provide more of a misunderstanding, fueling the general public's hysteria.

He even provides a handy chart at the end of the book, letting readers know which dogs are "dominant" (suggestive the possibility for aggressiveness), which have a high "Intelligence/learning ability" (suggesting that some breeds a "stupid"), which are "emotionally reactive" or "social", and what each breed's energy levels are. The information contained in this chart is completely incorrect, and anyone who has ever owned a dog will be able to tell you that.

I have been studying dogs for over a decade. I have spent the last 10 years of my life studying behavior, learning throries, intelligence, social structures, and training methods. At the end of the day, Stanley Coren is human psychologist, and spends most of this book discussing human psychology and how it might apply to dogs, but probably doesn't.

I found this book to be a confusing, dull read - there is a lot of personal stories, anecdotes, and mis-used information (any dog "expert" knows that CDC dog bite statistics aren't accurate or unbiased), and Coren contradicts himself more than a few times. The only thing worse than Coren is Millan!

There are other, better books available on dog behavior. Don't waste your money on this one!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you love dogs and want to know more about them this is a great book for you!, February 29, 2008

By	Mr. H (Saskatchewan, Canada) - See all my reviews

This book was a very interesting and informative read. Although it was not what I expected, I was pleasantly pleased with what I did get from the book. The book deals with how and why dogs came to be, over evolution, the great companions they are now. Along with a general guidelines of what personality to expect from a breed. However it does go into detail of how it is genetics more than breed that can play huge impact on a dogs personality. There is also a heartbreaking section about dogs used in illegal fighting, as well as inspiring tales of heroic dogs. I think this book is a good read for the anyone who just loves dogs and wants to understand more about them.