The Dog's Mind: Understanding Your Dog's Behavior

This book gave me loads of insight. Quite technical, with many details and diagrams of how the different parts of the (dog's) brain works. I still use it as a reference book. However, the average dog owner might find it a bit too in-depth in this respect.Even though this book is quite old and has since been over-taken by more recent research (In Defence of Dogs by John WS Bradshaw for example, which is an excellent book, I thoroughly recommend for anyone interested in dogs), this was still a very enjoyable read.In fact, I would have given it 5 stars if it weren't for the fact that it's so old now. It's like a prototype version of In Defence of Dogs, although it goes into less detail. Bruce Fogle's writing is charming and easy to read, with the occasional joke slipped in amongst the data. It has some sweet little pencil drawings of dogs to illustrate each chapter too. Most of the information in this book is still very relevant today, although some people might disagree with some of the training methods within (for example, the dog barking at the door, which was resolved by the dog receiving a whack in the face with a Yellow Pages when all other training methods failed. Might I also add that the dog wasn't struck by its owner, it ran face-first into the book when it charged at the door. This book doesn't condone animal abuse!!).The latter half of the book also details the behaviour of dogs throughout their lives, right up to death. Reading about how the old dog slows down, how the brain doesn't function as fast and how the eyes start to fail, really made me think about how my own dogs are ageing and will soon eventually die too. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend to enthusiasts of dog/animal psychology, because despite its age, it's worth a good read.

This is my first “dog” book I read from start to finish. Although the write up is now about 30 years old and would likely benefit from a revised edition, it is still a great book. Dr Fogle’s book is a fascinating summary of the then up to date scientific veterinary knowledge of the dogs behavior and he writes it in a very accessible popular style without applying the trivial and merely anecdotal writing style which is a hallmark of most other dog books which I perused. Highly recommend reading !

I got a sheltie puppy a few months ago, and even before that, I started reading as many books as I could about breeds, raising and dog behavior. I got this book after reading Cesar Millan's books, who recommends this book a lot. When you read it, you can notice its influence in Cesar's way. It's written in a easy-to-understand language, but not simplistic. Fogle uses a lot of references for everything he says, in addition to his own conclusions and personal experiences. Very nice book for those who are still experiencing the difficulties of their first dog, and for those who already are experienced but want to understand him better. For me, only negative point is black-and-white, with drawings instead of pictures, and a publishing date of 1992, making it hard to find his references. But still a book which proves its value when you see in practice what you've read.

I read a bunch of books on training and dog behavior before I got my corgi puppy, and this was by far the best. It is comprehensive and scientific. I love that he isn't just making assumptions about why dogs do things based on observation because correlations is not causation! Instead he draws relationships between dog behavior and their physiology and neurology. I also enjoyed how he related dog physiology and neurology to human, it gave me some insights into what experiences are probably similar for dogs, and what experiences are completely different. I used to work at a pet store and was able to solve many peoples doggie problems based on information I learned from this book.I will say, if you are looking for a training guide, this is not what you are looking for. If you are looking to understand you dog in a meaningful but also scientific way, this book is perfect!

I first encountered this book at our Public Library. I had just gotten a Labrador Retriever puppy (that I had not known I wanted...), and figured that I needed some help with training him. A big dog like that MUST be trained or he could be dangerous... Well, I check out this book and read it cover to cover. I found it to be extremely well written and easy to follow. I used the things I learned in this book to train the dog and myself as owner (or owned...). Well, that Lab turned out to be the very best trained dog that I have ever seen. I have since used it on other dogs that have been in my life with similar success. I have given copies of this book to others at least six times. If you are only going to buy one book on dog training this is the one. BUY THIS BOOK!

Dr. Fogle's treatise on the Dogs Mind is quite complete if not overly detailed.Part I, The Anatomy and Psysiology of the Dogs Mind, is suitable for the professional behaviorist or veternarian care giver,or breeder, but unnecessarily involved for the casual dog owner who wants to know why my dog does what she does. While interesting, I could have done without it, as a new-to the- game dog owner. Part ll however, gets to the meat of the matter with simplicity and completeness , dealing with learning and behaviour issues which is my area of interest. I would have liked to have seen an alphabetized index for ready reference. The Appendix, dealing with training is very helpful and concise. All in all I found the book useful, informative and written with humor and insight, but ultimately,not indispensible in my Library of dog books

Livro excelente! Amei!

Carried this with me for years, had to replace my copy. A must read

Eye-opening book that helps you understand dogs' behaviors and needs, starting from their biological and psychological reasons. Bruce Fogle will not try to sell you any new device or service, but explains the science behind dogs in language understandable for everyone. This book is a must-read for any dog person. From the same author, I also highly recommend "the complete puppy and dog care".

Tanta informazione che aiutarebbe a scegliere un cane. Il libro di Angelo Vaira "Dritto al cuore del tuo cane" è più utile, però

Un des premiers livre qui s'appuie sur la science, l'éthologie , pour nous apporter des réponses sur ceux que le chien pense et ressent.