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Book reviews by Dr. Don N. Lloyd of Raincheck Springers.

"Clinical Behavioral Medicine for Small Animals" by Karen L. Overall

This book was written for practitioners and students of Veterinarian Behavioral Medicine. It discusses the diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of the commonly occurring behavioral problems in dogs and cats. It is both scholarly and understandable. These attributes are not often found in the same manual. Most us will not want to own this text, but all of us should know it is available. There may be occasions when referring to it could lead to a remedy before a problem becomes serious. 

"Dogs Behaving Badly" by Dr. Nicholas Dodman

This book will help you get into the mind of your dog. Not only does Dr. Dodman clearly explain why our dogs do things that sometimes puzzle us or disgust us and occasionally scare us, he also provides practical methods and effective techniques to alter such behaviors. Discussed (in alphabetical order) is everything from aggression to zoonosis. Included is an appendix which lucidly explains behavior modification techniques. This book needs to be read by all dog people and probably should be owned. It is also available on cassette. Few authors have grown in their writing ability as much as Dr. Dodman. I used to criticize him for no passion and for trying to emulate another author. No longer true. He is terrific.  

"Dogs Never Lie about Love: Reflections on the Emotional World of Dogs" by Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson

It's hard to believe that someone who is supposedly educated in the scientific tradition could so freely brush aside quality research and substitute his own anthropomorphic observations. Yet, that is exactly what Dr Masson repeatedly does. One would think his Ph.D. was in some obscure language such as Sanskrit. He has obviously read extensively and quotes solid research liberally, but he frequently interprets the behavior of his own three dogs in purely human terms, and dismisses explanations that do not match his sentiments. He will quote a noted researcher and then disagree based on what he has observed in his own dogs. On the other hand, he goes out of his way to agree with certain authors who clearly "have an agenda." While this book does have some limited merit, unless you are already extensively read I think your time would be better spent reading one of the books that I have previously recommended.

"How Dogs Think", by Stanley Coren

This may not be Dr. Coren's best book, but it is definitely one of his best. This book gives a realistic insight into how dogs view their owners, other dogs and the strange world into which they must learn to adapt to survive. Plus, it tells us how to help them make the necessary adaption. Of particular interest is what and how dogs see and smell compared to what their human companions see and smell. Our world and a dog's world are not the same, even though we live under the illusion that it is. Dr. Coren discusses dog behaviors that are so hard-wired that they cannot be changed and which behaviors can be changed, as well as how to change them. He explains the problems with using punishment as a training tool. One of the most interesting chapters is the one in which he explores the possibility of dogs having ESP or a sixth sense. Like the three other books by Dr. Coren that I have reviewed, I recommend that this book be read by all who own a dog or plan to own one.

"Merle's Door" by Ted Kerasote

While this work of fiction (based on a real dog) was probably intended to educate, the best thing I can say is that it is a good read. The story is about a writer and his dog who live, ski and hunt together. Judging by the bibliography, which would do a doctoral dissertation proud, Mr. Kerasote has extensively researched dog behavior. He uses a lot of ink explaining Coppinger, Coren, Lorenz, Pfaffenberger, Dodman, McConnell and many, many other noted researchers and yet he shamelessly anthropomorpizes his dogs every behavior. I am impressed that he could learn so much and know so little. He takes two chapters for his dog to die. He captures the emotions that we all have when we lose our "best friend," but he takes way too long doing it.

"The Pawprints of History" by Stanley Coren

This book by one of my favorite authors doesn't measure up. It is a series of anecdotes of the heroics of dogs down through history and of dogs’ relationships with famous people. Although Dr. Coren claims these stories to be thoroughly researched, some are probably myths that have grown and changed with the retelling. Others seem to be exaggerations by well-known people who loved their dogs almost blindly. I didn't learn much and don't think you will either. Don't bother with this book.

I have searched for a book (actually a series or articles that appeared in Dog World Magazine around 1960).  No library in the country has it so I finally just googled the authors name. DUH!  Guess what? The first reference that came up was exactly what I was looking for. It is "Planned Breeding," by Lloyd C. Brackett.  This little booklet (also known as Brackett's Formula) was one of two books recommended to me by my mentor, Hugo Gamboa, who thought it was the holy grail in dog breeding. He didn't follow it exactly, but he did end up with the top winning Great Dane ever (up to that time). This is also the formula that is recommended by Dr. Carmen Battaglia and is discussed on his Web site www.breedingbetterdogs.com. You can buy a copy from Dr. Battaglia, but I think that if you Google Lloyd C. Brackett you can read it on line. I highly recommend that you do so.

"Superdog: Raising the Perfect Canine Companion" By Michael W. Fox

I didn't realize until I got well into this book that Dr. Fox had an agenda beyond helping one rear their dog, and it isn't being friendly to the show/hobby breeder. I have since found out that he either is or was a high-ranking official of HSUS. Need I say more? He is absolutely convinced that dogs have psychic abilities and ESP but fails to offer any convincing evidence or hints of real research. I even find much of his advice about caring for dogs to be suspect. Apparently he graduated from vet school, but hasn't spent much time staying current or participating in continuing education offerings. My opinion is that this guy is a little bit off kilter.          

"The New Animals Doctor's Answer Book" by Michael W. Fox

This is a long series of questions that have been posed to Dr. Fox and the answers he has supplied on the care and treatment of gerbils, chameleons, chinchillas, cats, parakeets, hamsters, rabbits, dogs, fish, etc. Some of his answers are on target, some are so simplistic as to be insulting and others completely miss the mark. Again, his agenda comes through loud and strong. If you feel compelled to read a book by Dr. Fox, read one of the others. This one really misses the mark. I checked out three of this guy's books to read over the weekend. The one I haven't read yet is one that I recall reading 35 or 40 years ago. I remember having a bad taste in my mouth after reading it. I am going to wade through it and see if I remember why.

"The Truth about Dogs" by Stephen Budiansky

Not only is this one a keeper, but this is the book I wish I had written. Mr. Budiansky is not a veterinarian, a psychologist or an ethologist. He is a writer. Period. He does admit to being an "amateur" student of animal behavior. His observations are sometimes controversial and sometimes challenge conventional wisdom, yet it is apparent that they are based on the latest science in genetics and canid psychology. He has studied well and thought carefully. If you want a slightly different perspective about your best friend's emotions and intelligence, you should read this book. For instance, Mr. Budiansky makes the argument that the apparent differences in intelligence between different breeds is more a difference in genetic predisposition of temperament than in I.Q. His discussions of how and what dogs see and hear are among the most enlightening and understandable that I have read. I highly recommend this book.        

"Understanding Your Dog" by Michael W. Fox

I remember reading this book some 20 years ago and being left with a bad taste in my mouth. As I reread it this past week, I couldn't remember why I had objected until I got into the later chapters where Dr. Fox gets sidetracked on the social ills of mankind and modern society, as he sees them, and starts giving hints of his real agenda. Nevertheless, when Dr. Fox sticks to the subject of dogs and their behavior, he is mostly on target. His assertions on early stimulation of puppies and his discussion on reading a dog's body language were actually rather forward thinking in 1972, the copyright of this book. Your time would probably be better spent reading Coren, Coppinger or Dunbar. On the other hand, this book would not entirely be a waste of time.

"Why do Dogs have Cold Noses?", by Stanley Coren

The eminent writer and researcher, Dr. Stanley Coren, wrote this little book specifically for his grandchildren.  Never in my career did I have the pleasure of teaching younger people, but my guess is that this book is age appropriate for 9 to 12 year olds. I must add the caveat, however, that I had a few college freshmen that would have struggled even with this material. This book covers four topics each of which is a subject about which Dr. Coren has written extensively in his "adult" books. The four topics are: 1) How humans and dogs became friends. 2) How dogs see the world. 3) How dogs talk. 4) How dogs think. I recommend this book for your young dog enthusiast. You can borrow it from your public library, or you can sniff around and find one to purchase.

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