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What the Dog Knows: The Science and Wonder of Working Dogs
A firsthand exploration of the fascinating world of “working dogs”—who seek out missing persons, sniff for explosives in war zones, and locate long-dead remains—through the experiences of a journalist and her canine companion, an incorrigible pup named Solo.
Cat Warren is a university professor and former journalist with an admittedly odd She and her German shepherd have spent the last seven years searching for the dead. Solo is a cadaver dog. What started as a way to harness Solo’s unruly energy and enthusiasm soon became a calling that introduced Warren to the hidden and fascinating universe of working dogs, their handlers, and their trainers.
Solo has a fine nose and knows how to use it, but he’s only one of many thousands of working dogs all over the United States and beyond. In What the Dog Knows , Warren uses her ongoing work with Solo as a way to explore a captivating field that includes cadaver dogs, drug- and bomb-detecting K9s, tracking and apprehension dogs—even dogs who can locate unmarked graves of Civil War soldiers and help find drowning victims more than two hundred feet below the surface of a lake. Working dogs’ abilities may seem magical or mysterious, but Warren shows the multifaceted science, the rigorous training, and the skilled handling that underlie the amazing abilities of dogs who work with their noses.
Warren interviews cognitive psychologists, historians, medical examiners, epidemiologists, and forensic anthropologists, as well as the breeders, trainers, and handlers who work with and rely on these remarkable and adaptable animals daily. Along the way, she discovers story after story that proves the impressive capabilities—as well as the very real limits—of working dogs and their human partners. Clear-eyed and unsentimental, Warren explains why our partnership with dogs is woven into the fabric of society and why we keep finding new uses for their wonderful noses.
Cat Warren is a university professor and former journalist with an admittedly odd She and her German shepherd have spent the last seven years searching for the dead. Solo is a cadaver dog. What started as a way to harness Solo’s unruly energy and enthusiasm soon became a calling that introduced Warren to the hidden and fascinating universe of working dogs, their handlers, and their trainers.
Solo has a fine nose and knows how to use it, but he’s only one of many thousands of working dogs all over the United States and beyond. In What the Dog Knows , Warren uses her ongoing work with Solo as a way to explore a captivating field that includes cadaver dogs, drug- and bomb-detecting K9s, tracking and apprehension dogs—even dogs who can locate unmarked graves of Civil War soldiers and help find drowning victims more than two hundred feet below the surface of a lake. Working dogs’ abilities may seem magical or mysterious, but Warren shows the multifaceted science, the rigorous training, and the skilled handling that underlie the amazing abilities of dogs who work with their noses.
Warren interviews cognitive psychologists, historians, medical examiners, epidemiologists, and forensic anthropologists, as well as the breeders, trainers, and handlers who work with and rely on these remarkable and adaptable animals daily. Along the way, she discovers story after story that proves the impressive capabilities—as well as the very real limits—of working dogs and their human partners. Clear-eyed and unsentimental, Warren explains why our partnership with dogs is woven into the fabric of society and why we keep finding new uses for their wonderful noses.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2013
227 people are currently reading
3358 people want to read
About the author
Cat Warren
6 books67 followersWhat the Dog Knows: Scent, Science, and the Amazing Ways Dogs Perceive the World (Touchstone) is Cat Warren's first single-authored book. It became a NYT bestseller and won several awards, including being long listed for a PEN/E.O, Wilson Literary Science Writing award. A young readers edition of What the Dog Knows was published by Simon & Schuster for Young Readers in October 2019, and the paperback of that book came out in October of 2020. Cat Warren is a professor at North Carolina State University, where she teaches science journalism, editing, and reporting courses. She lives with her husband, David, and their current German shepherd, Rev, in Durham, North Carolina.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 293 reviews
November 10, 2013
Love this book! The style is similar to Mary Roach's Stiff, in that it is a memoir filled with research, history, and science. Warren really did her research for this book; I learned so much about the history of dogs and their place in our workforce. Her personal part in this long history is touching. A wonderful read.
I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
March 31, 2014
This book about Solo the cadaver dog mistakenly has a photo of my German Sherpherd dog Sam on it! Just kidding, but my glorious, high-drive, smart, insistent, vigilant dog could be his twin. Mine is not trained to do any important work except make me exercise and laugh at his expressions, though.
So it was terrific fun for me to read about Solo's training and working and imagine Sam in the same scenarios. The stories about the actual call-outs of Solo and all the other working dogs in the book are really dramatic and wonderful.
Yeah, I'm guilty of Hero Dog Worship, as the author calls it. So what. My life is so much richer with my own "macho jackass" of a dog in it.
The book is a nice balance between academic discussion of the science behind dogs working death scent and real-life anecdotes of Solo's development. It's also a very thorough exploration of the past, future, and present-day world of detection dogs, involving dogs and their handlers from all aspects -- police K9, military, volunteer hobbyists, breeders, scientists doing research, etc.
I share the author's joy and curiosity when I watch my Sam lift his big head into the wind, nose twitching like mad, eyes focused afar. What does it mean? I wish he could tell me.
So it was terrific fun for me to read about Solo's training and working and imagine Sam in the same scenarios. The stories about the actual call-outs of Solo and all the other working dogs in the book are really dramatic and wonderful.
Yeah, I'm guilty of Hero Dog Worship, as the author calls it. So what. My life is so much richer with my own "macho jackass" of a dog in it.
The book is a nice balance between academic discussion of the science behind dogs working death scent and real-life anecdotes of Solo's development. It's also a very thorough exploration of the past, future, and present-day world of detection dogs, involving dogs and their handlers from all aspects -- police K9, military, volunteer hobbyists, breeders, scientists doing research, etc.
I share the author's joy and curiosity when I watch my Sam lift his big head into the wind, nose twitching like mad, eyes focused afar. What does it mean? I wish he could tell me.
December 15, 2021
Following Cat Warren's journey into learning and training her dog Solo to become a cadaver dog (a dog trained to find dead bodies). This is fantastic book for dog lovers but also people interested in nature, and the biology of humans - how dogs can be trained to pick up specific human scents apart from other dead mammals is just amazing. I loved Cat's relationship with Solo and how their cadaver dog training changed Cat's view on obedience training and the type of dog she wanted in her home.
Just a brilliant book from start to finish with some maybe bits of knowledge that blew my mind - highly, highly recommend.
Just a brilliant book from start to finish with some maybe bits of knowledge that blew my mind - highly, highly recommend.
November 12, 2013
Surprisingly, pigs, cats, and vultures have all been studied for cadaver tracking, according to journalist Cat Warren. All three can find the scent, but pigs get too big and heavy; cats aren't interested; and vultures tend to sample the findings!
Who knew that the perfect cadaver dog would be the wild and crazy Solo, an ebullient German Shepherd with energy to spare? His owner, the author, maintains that handlers don't want an obedient, docile pet that just sits and stares lovingly at them. The trail beckons, and the ideal scent dog must lead the way.
This is a perfect book dog lovers and those interested in tracking. As the subtitle indicates, What the Dog Knows is filled with both science and wonder, conducting an absorbing journey through the world of forensics, and where dogs—and their human partners—fit in.
Who knew that the perfect cadaver dog would be the wild and crazy Solo, an ebullient German Shepherd with energy to spare? His owner, the author, maintains that handlers don't want an obedient, docile pet that just sits and stares lovingly at them. The trail beckons, and the ideal scent dog must lead the way.
This is a perfect book dog lovers and those interested in tracking. As the subtitle indicates, What the Dog Knows is filled with both science and wonder, conducting an absorbing journey through the world of forensics, and where dogs—and their human partners—fit in.
April 14, 2014
I am an HRD/cadaver handler and this book was like reading my journey while I was training my own dog. Brought back wonderful memories and even the low points you have in training a dog for search and rescue. She givies you the history of some of the roles dogs have had with dealing with our dead. Which I was unaware of.
If you have an interest in the world of search and rescue this is the book for you. It is heart warming and has an honest approach you rarely see.
If you have an interest in the world of search and rescue this is the book for you. It is heart warming and has an honest approach you rarely see.
May 15, 2013
A Dog book by a Cat? This is a very strong non-fiction. Well researched by a science writer with a great talent for weaving together her personal narrative with interesting and fascinating facts about the anatomy of the dog and the history of the cadavar dog trade. For fans spanning Lassie all the way to CSI shows. Dog owner or not, you'll be glad you picked this books up.
June 1, 2014
This is a very good book if you want to learn about working dogs, mostly cadaver dogs since this is what the author worked in at her current time writing the book. She did write about other working dogs which was very interesting to know as well. I enjoyed some of the parts she added about her home life as well.
October 27, 2021
I already was obsessed with dogs, but now I straight up respect them. Warren steps outside our sentimentality and views these dogs as vibrant and often mysterious individuals. Cadaver dogs are something I didn't even know existed, and I am in awe of the work they do. Warren painted a reverent and vibrant picture with this book, and it was a great fall read.
February 6, 2020
I didn’t finish this. It drove me insane. Her writing mimics a dog following scent.... alllll over the place. She had the trail a few times.... and apparently some people love it. Sorry. #falsealert
April 4, 2022
Advertised as a book about dogs, really it’s a book about dead bodies. Boring and misleading.
January 6, 2016
When a nervous, self-focused singleton German shepherd puppy enters journalist Cat Warren’s life, the usual doggy activities are not enough to challenge or focus her new dog’s prodigious energy. That’s when Warren discovers that nosing out the missing dead is a perfect match for her dog’s talents and temperament—and also congenial to her sharp eye and lively intelligence.
Dogs. Death. Murder. Mystery. Decomposition. Trust. Error. Life. Loss. Love. Discovery.
They’re all here––which is why WTDK can be read, among other things, as an extended meditation on human mortality and self-consciousness—two topics I’m personally drawn to. Warren has enlarged my sense of the possible ways to die: There are so so many ways to go (Get murdered and left to rot along a highway; get knocked off and thenburied under a dead animal to throw off searchers, or simply to succumb to being alone, confused and lost.) And once one has departed, there are many ways, some slow, some fast, to fade from the earth––beer-bloated and submerged, or reduced to a years’ old oily smudge broadcasting a sweet, acidic scent through the godforsaken woods. As Warren explains, “we cease to exist,” but we also “stubbornly stick around.”
But cadaver dogs like Solo and handlers like Warren are important and incredibly interesting just because of who they are––solvers of mysteries, assuagers of grief, providers of endings to tragic stories of accidents or murder, and bringers of justice.
Of course, Solo, Warren’s canine partner, isn’t thinking about any of the above. He’s fully engaged in the here and now, focused finding and following death’s sweet scent––not its implications. He’s an expert in what Wallace Stevens called the “the.” Stuff. Running through it, around it, sensing it, sniffing it out, muscling through it. And as Solo’s partner, Warren must tune into this powerful canine mindfulness, too—or as she puts it––she must trust her dog:
“If the drugs or the gunpowder or the bone is actually there and a handler tries to move on? The dogs learns how to “commit,’ to plant himself stubbornly and ignore the handler’s prevarications or even a slight jerk on the lead to come off the scent, a pull that a less-evolved working dog might respond to.
It’s not mystifying. It’s not eerie. It is a beautiful sight, a dog trusting his nose, ignoring his handler’s efforts to get him to unstuck himself from the flypaper scent that he’s stuck to. The dog who ignores the handler’s gaze, which is irrelevant to the task at hand. This is what real faith should look like---hard and unwavering. This is what the co-evolution of a working dog and handler should look like. The dog’s commitment to the truth in the face of your moving away. That’s real teamwork—the dog pointing his nose or paw or entire body at the scent, telling his handler. You bloody idiot! It’s here!”
Do you think you see where this is going? Well you can’t. Cat Warren is much too smart, has too much heart, and is too fine a writer to include any of the “My Dog Saved Me” or “My Dog Taught Me To Really Embrace Life” saccharine bullshit.Instead we see the hard work, the misunderstandings, the errors in attention or translation that inform the dog-human partnership—or as Cat Warren would call it, the work. She even includes stories of notoriously fraudulent handlers just to remind us of the human predilection for lying—to ourselves and others.
Warren demonstrates that training a dog and one’s own head to find the occult dead is hard. That dogs work to the point of exhaustion and beyond to find the missing. The "work" for both handler and dog is difficult and slippery. Important. Scary. Dangerous work. And I’m so grateful that Cat Warren and Solo (and Coda)–– and people and dogs like her and them have taken on the job. It’s an honor to get to know them and to read Warren’s very fine and brilliant book.
Dogs. Death. Murder. Mystery. Decomposition. Trust. Error. Life. Loss. Love. Discovery.
They’re all here––which is why WTDK can be read, among other things, as an extended meditation on human mortality and self-consciousness—two topics I’m personally drawn to. Warren has enlarged my sense of the possible ways to die: There are so so many ways to go (Get murdered and left to rot along a highway; get knocked off and thenburied under a dead animal to throw off searchers, or simply to succumb to being alone, confused and lost.) And once one has departed, there are many ways, some slow, some fast, to fade from the earth––beer-bloated and submerged, or reduced to a years’ old oily smudge broadcasting a sweet, acidic scent through the godforsaken woods. As Warren explains, “we cease to exist,” but we also “stubbornly stick around.”
But cadaver dogs like Solo and handlers like Warren are important and incredibly interesting just because of who they are––solvers of mysteries, assuagers of grief, providers of endings to tragic stories of accidents or murder, and bringers of justice.
Of course, Solo, Warren’s canine partner, isn’t thinking about any of the above. He’s fully engaged in the here and now, focused finding and following death’s sweet scent––not its implications. He’s an expert in what Wallace Stevens called the “the.” Stuff. Running through it, around it, sensing it, sniffing it out, muscling through it. And as Solo’s partner, Warren must tune into this powerful canine mindfulness, too—or as she puts it––she must trust her dog:
“If the drugs or the gunpowder or the bone is actually there and a handler tries to move on? The dogs learns how to “commit,’ to plant himself stubbornly and ignore the handler’s prevarications or even a slight jerk on the lead to come off the scent, a pull that a less-evolved working dog might respond to.
It’s not mystifying. It’s not eerie. It is a beautiful sight, a dog trusting his nose, ignoring his handler’s efforts to get him to unstuck himself from the flypaper scent that he’s stuck to. The dog who ignores the handler’s gaze, which is irrelevant to the task at hand. This is what real faith should look like---hard and unwavering. This is what the co-evolution of a working dog and handler should look like. The dog’s commitment to the truth in the face of your moving away. That’s real teamwork—the dog pointing his nose or paw or entire body at the scent, telling his handler. You bloody idiot! It’s here!”
Do you think you see where this is going? Well you can’t. Cat Warren is much too smart, has too much heart, and is too fine a writer to include any of the “My Dog Saved Me” or “My Dog Taught Me To Really Embrace Life” saccharine bullshit.Instead we see the hard work, the misunderstandings, the errors in attention or translation that inform the dog-human partnership—or as Cat Warren would call it, the work. She even includes stories of notoriously fraudulent handlers just to remind us of the human predilection for lying—to ourselves and others.
Warren demonstrates that training a dog and one’s own head to find the occult dead is hard. That dogs work to the point of exhaustion and beyond to find the missing. The "work" for both handler and dog is difficult and slippery. Important. Scary. Dangerous work. And I’m so grateful that Cat Warren and Solo (and Coda)–– and people and dogs like her and them have taken on the job. It’s an honor to get to know them and to read Warren’s very fine and brilliant book.
October 13, 2017
Really enjoyed this book! Although when I picked it up there was a photo of a chocolate Labrador on the front that seemed inappropriate but this cover seems far more suitable and related to the content. I enjoyed the research and firsthand experience throughout this book on a topic I knew nothing about. I’ve trained dogs before but had never thought about this unique perspective and training to be cadaver dogs. I didn’t relate to some of the quotes at the start of the chapters (a few went over my head but I understand the author is an associate professor so they would have been carefully chosen) but this book and Solo’s adventures will stay with me for a long time!
July 21, 2014
I loved this book. Cat talks about her journey from Dog Sports and Traditional Obedience Competition to having a dog she was afraid would never fit that mold. Solo was kind of a "jerk." But what most people don't understand, is that dogs that act like "jerks" are sometimes the best partners -- because they think outside the box, and solve their immediate issues differently than we would sometimes like them to be solved.
Together, with the help of other trainers, they found the cadaver search and rescue field. And a star was born.
Again, I loved this book. . . not only because of my interest in Dog Sports, but it was just a great story. I'm not even convinced you need to own a dog to like this book. It is not a technical dog training book. It is more of a memoir. And anyone that has been on any training or educational journey - with or without dogs -- I think may enjoy this.
Together, with the help of other trainers, they found the cadaver search and rescue field. And a star was born.
Again, I loved this book. . . not only because of my interest in Dog Sports, but it was just a great story. I'm not even convinced you need to own a dog to like this book. It is not a technical dog training book. It is more of a memoir. And anyone that has been on any training or educational journey - with or without dogs -- I think may enjoy this.
January 9, 2014
Just finished reading a fabulous book about a dog... written by a Cat. This book is part science/part memoir/part history of the training and utilization of cadaver dogs. I loved Cat's vivid descriptions of their many adventures. Cat found a comrade in a seemingly misfit, litter-of-one German Shepherd pup. They were both restless and in need of purpose and direction, and they found it together. Especially meaningful to me was the author's own grappling with the illness and death of her father while training her pup that finding death in the woods is a fun game to play--rewarded with doggie treats and tug-of-war games. A great read--not just for dog lovers! This would be a terrific book club selection, with lots of topics for discussion.
February 28, 2016
Academic-turned-SAR dog handler Cat Warren delves into her experiences training Solo, a headstrong German shepherd pup who finds his way and comes into his own through search and rescue. This is hardly just another heartwarming story about People With Dogs, however... Warren has done exhaustive research into the world of search and rescue, conducted interviews, gone through countless hours of hands-on training, and has plenty of anecdotes taken directly from her time in the field. From the science to the philosophy to the practical applications of working dogs in our world today, Warren has provided an excellent treatise for anyone interested in canine behavior and training. Highly, highly recommended.
November 21, 2013
I thoroughly enjoyed this book from front to back cover. My dog and I attend classes and compete in scent work so I was able to relate to so much in this book...as an aside we compete for fun and this book was about a much more serious type of scent work.
I would highly recommend this book to dog lovers and especially those who participate in scent work with their pups. And, of course, including those that share their homes and lives with a German shepherd.
I would highly recommend this book to dog lovers and especially those who participate in scent work with their pups. And, of course, including those that share their homes and lives with a German shepherd.
October 5, 2013
Fun story about raising, training and loving a cadaver dog. Most gratifying part of the story for me (attempting to raise mild-mannered service dogs and failing with Sundance) was that some people highly value the male jack asses and female bitches from hell of the dog world. That's my little high drive flunkie;-)
January 27, 2014
Not at all the subject matter I expected to be reading when I requested it for Christmas, but excellent and enjoyable, all the same- probably even more so! I'm completely fascinated with cadaver dog work/training and am so glad to have this book and to have read it! The author does great work and writes well without being overly sentimental. Very pleased and impressed with this book!
March 3, 2014
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in dogs, especially working dogs. I couldn't put this book down! Very well written, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the author's training and adventures with her dog, Solo. This book sheds some light on an otherwise unknown subject. I'm crossing my fingers that there will be a sequel!
June 9, 2014
This is an informative and well- written book about cadaver dogs and their training. I had read a little bit about these dogs but had no idea about the depth and range of their abilities. The book was even more interesting to me as Cat Warren lives near me in Durham and I am quite familiar with the old tobacco warehouse where she trained her dog along with the Durham Police K-9 handlers.
September 10, 2022
This was a fascinating look at a wide variety of working dogs but with a particular focus on cadaver detection dogs. I’ve previously read about live find Search And Rescue dogs so this was a super cool deep dive into human remains recovery. I greatly admire the work these volunteer teams accomplish and the level of training and dedication is astounding
March 4, 2014
Loved this for the insights into working dogs and their world, and for the clear writing. Prompted me to look at my dogs in a new light - watching how they work a scent in the back yard or in the fields where we walk them.
April 17, 2021
An absolutely fascinating read if you’re interested or amazed by working dogs, especially cadaver dogs. I would extend this to lovers of true crime as well. Hats off to Cat on this very well researched book that had me hooked from the first chapter.
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April 28, 2015This was fascinating. I love a good narrative non-fiction book.
June 3, 2015
If you're interested, you should go take a peak at the original post on my blog, you'll see that the Cat Warren responded to some of what I wrote -- and was incredibly gracious, too.
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Honestly, the only reason I gave this book a second glance -- okay, a first glance -- is that Robert Crais blurbed the paperback edition and it showed up on his Facebook page. It seemed kind of interesting, but I wasn't sure -- then I noticed that Spencer Quinn also wrote a blurb. And if two of my favorite mystery novelists (who have a thing for dogs) tell me the book is good, it must be.*
They were right -- Warren was a journalist, is now a professor, and knows her way around a sentence. She clearly cares about the subject and has invested a lot of time and effort into getting to know it, her style is engaging and charming (I was chuckling within a couple of pages), and she doesn't mind showing her own failings and weaknesses.
Warren basically covers three topics: there's the science and history of using working dogs (of all sorts of breeds, not to mention pigs(!), birds, and even cats) to find cadavers, drugs, bombs, etc.; there's the memoir of her involvement with cadaver dogs via her German Shepherd, Solo; and anecdotes of other cadaver dogs and trainers that she's encountered/learned from/watched in action.
The history and science of dogs/other animals being used for their sense of smell, is probably the most fascinating part of this book, but it'd be really easy for the material to be too dry to bother with -- Warren's voice keeps that from happening. I think it's terrific that at the end of the day, no one knows what it is about the smell of the human body that dogs sense -- she'll explain it better than me, but that's the kernel the story. I just really enjoy it when the best and the brightest have to shrug and say, "I don't know." The chapter she spends on the future of dogs and/or digital replacements is good for similar reasons. Actually, I could just keep listing little facts/factoids/ideas here, but I don't want to steal Warren's thunder.
The best part of the book -- the part that I found most interesting, and most frustratingly small -- is the Warren's story about getting Solo, discovering he had just too much energy and personality, and needing to find an outlet for it all. Which is followed by the trials and tribulations of a newbie cadaver dog handler and her pup-in-training, growing into a capable working dog. Anyone who has a dog lover as a Facebook friend knows just how easy it is for someone's stories about their dog to get to the point where you can't stand to hear another**. Somehow, Warren avoids this totally -- not an easy feat. It probably helps that dog does far more fascinating things than just hiking through the woods or chasing a ball.
The stories about the others -- her friends, colleagues, teachers, etc. -- round out the book. It's not just about Warren and Solo, it's not just about the military/police efforts with training animals -- it's about dedicated volunteers, K-9 officers and dogs all over the country (and the world) making a difference. In places and ways you wouldn't expect. Really? Sending in one guy and his dogs into Vietnam decades later to search for POW/MIA? Also, seeing how different dogs act differently, yet get the same job done was mind-boggling. Especially for dogs trained together/by the same person, you'd think they'd act similarly.
I imagine it's to spotlight the work of others, to not brag about Solo too much, to talk about things that she and her dog haven't done/seen/smelled -- or whatever reason there is, I wanted more Solo. A lot more. I have no problem with the rest of the book, it's just that there's not enough Solo (or Coda).
Fascinating, entertaining, and educational -- can't ask for much more than that.
** Of course, your friends don't have dogs as cool as mine. Let me tell you a little bit about her . . .
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People are smart, just like dogs.Seriously, how do you not like a book that contains that line?
Honestly, the only reason I gave this book a second glance -- okay, a first glance -- is that Robert Crais blurbed the paperback edition and it showed up on his Facebook page. It seemed kind of interesting, but I wasn't sure -- then I noticed that Spencer Quinn also wrote a blurb. And if two of my favorite mystery novelists (who have a thing for dogs) tell me the book is good, it must be.*
They were right -- Warren was a journalist, is now a professor, and knows her way around a sentence. She clearly cares about the subject and has invested a lot of time and effort into getting to know it, her style is engaging and charming (I was chuckling within a couple of pages), and she doesn't mind showing her own failings and weaknesses.
Warren basically covers three topics: there's the science and history of using working dogs (of all sorts of breeds, not to mention pigs(!), birds, and even cats) to find cadavers, drugs, bombs, etc.; there's the memoir of her involvement with cadaver dogs via her German Shepherd, Solo; and anecdotes of other cadaver dogs and trainers that she's encountered/learned from/watched in action.
The history and science of dogs/other animals being used for their sense of smell, is probably the most fascinating part of this book, but it'd be really easy for the material to be too dry to bother with -- Warren's voice keeps that from happening. I think it's terrific that at the end of the day, no one knows what it is about the smell of the human body that dogs sense -- she'll explain it better than me, but that's the kernel the story. I just really enjoy it when the best and the brightest have to shrug and say, "I don't know." The chapter she spends on the future of dogs and/or digital replacements is good for similar reasons. Actually, I could just keep listing little facts/factoids/ideas here, but I don't want to steal Warren's thunder.
The best part of the book -- the part that I found most interesting, and most frustratingly small -- is the Warren's story about getting Solo, discovering he had just too much energy and personality, and needing to find an outlet for it all. Which is followed by the trials and tribulations of a newbie cadaver dog handler and her pup-in-training, growing into a capable working dog. Anyone who has a dog lover as a Facebook friend knows just how easy it is for someone's stories about their dog to get to the point where you can't stand to hear another**. Somehow, Warren avoids this totally -- not an easy feat. It probably helps that dog does far more fascinating things than just hiking through the woods or chasing a ball.
The stories about the others -- her friends, colleagues, teachers, etc. -- round out the book. It's not just about Warren and Solo, it's not just about the military/police efforts with training animals -- it's about dedicated volunteers, K-9 officers and dogs all over the country (and the world) making a difference. In places and ways you wouldn't expect. Really? Sending in one guy and his dogs into Vietnam decades later to search for POW/MIA? Also, seeing how different dogs act differently, yet get the same job done was mind-boggling. Especially for dogs trained together/by the same person, you'd think they'd act similarly.
I imagine it's to spotlight the work of others, to not brag about Solo too much, to talk about things that she and her dog haven't done/seen/smelled -- or whatever reason there is, I wanted more Solo. A lot more. I have no problem with the rest of the book, it's just that there's not enough Solo (or Coda).
Fascinating, entertaining, and educational -- can't ask for much more than that.
-----
* Yes, I'm aware there are flaws in the thinking there.** Of course, your friends don't have dogs as cool as mine. Let me tell you a little bit about her . . .
January 18, 2014
As the handler of a tracking/trailing K9, I try to find books about Search & Rescue (SAR)/Human Remains Detection (HRD) dogs and scent work. Not just any books, but those written by experienced handlers who train and work with their K9 partners. Partly, it keeps me connected to those who share my interests, and partly to learn something new or reaffirm something old. I want a book that lets me share in the handlers' experiences and who treat their K9 as a real partner. I also often want a book that takes me on a journey from novice to an experienced handler who learns how to read their K9, and thereby bridge any interspecies communication gap, so as to form a true team. Cat Warren has done all of this and more in "What the Dog Knows."
Ms. Warren's written voice lets you walk in her shoes as she moves through the world of HRD. More than just following her journey, she introduces you to handlers, trainers, and others with whom she works, in such a descriptive prose that it makes you feel as if you know each one personally. In discussing K9 scent detection she gives the reader both a scientific and anecdotal background of a dog's abilities to better understand what is, in fact, so difficult to understand. She threads scientific studies into the fabric of real world encounters. Where Ms. Warren also shines is in humanizing her personal experiences; that is, she shares with the reader her feelings and thoughts as she gets deeper into training her K9 and entering a world of finding the remains of those who have died. Rather than a cold antiseptic book on HRD, Ms. Warren invites you into a world that few people ever get to see or experience.
If you are not a K9 handler, you will feel as if you are one as Ms. Warren has you walk with her as a silent observer. If you are a K9 handler, you will identify with her as she takes an untrained dog and gives focus to his high drive and a purpose to his extraordinary scenting abilities. By the end of this read, you will also know her HRD dog, K9 Solo, so well that you would recognize him at any search scene.
Ms. Warren's written voice lets you walk in her shoes as she moves through the world of HRD. More than just following her journey, she introduces you to handlers, trainers, and others with whom she works, in such a descriptive prose that it makes you feel as if you know each one personally. In discussing K9 scent detection she gives the reader both a scientific and anecdotal background of a dog's abilities to better understand what is, in fact, so difficult to understand. She threads scientific studies into the fabric of real world encounters. Where Ms. Warren also shines is in humanizing her personal experiences; that is, she shares with the reader her feelings and thoughts as she gets deeper into training her K9 and entering a world of finding the remains of those who have died. Rather than a cold antiseptic book on HRD, Ms. Warren invites you into a world that few people ever get to see or experience.
If you are not a K9 handler, you will feel as if you are one as Ms. Warren has you walk with her as a silent observer. If you are a K9 handler, you will identify with her as she takes an untrained dog and gives focus to his high drive and a purpose to his extraordinary scenting abilities. By the end of this read, you will also know her HRD dog, K9 Solo, so well that you would recognize him at any search scene.
October 14, 2013
An ARC was provided by the publisher in return for an honest review.
Solo is an Amazing dog with an important Job. He is a cadaver dog. Trained to find the dead and bring peace to their families.
Solo was a singleton, meaning he was the only pup in his litter. His trainer basically calls him a jackass and wonders what it is Cat wants him to do. She wants him to have a job, to be useful. As it turns out the Jackasses and bitches from hell often make the best canine cops :)
Cat takes us through the trials and tribulations of training a dog follow his nose and alert his handler when he finds what he's looking for. I would have loved to have read every little detail about the training methods but these are obviously tightly kept secrets only known to the select few in the training world (jealous).
There have been many attempts to replace the dogs nose. Using everything from machinery to trained vultures. They all lack one thing, the special bond that exists between man and canine. This fearless bond that drives a dog forward into the most dangerous of terrains to do what he was born to do, and to please his master.
I felt that the book was cut short slightly and hoping Cat will continue to write about her experiences as Solo slows down in life and Cado steps up to the mark. The book has given me a thirst for more knowledge of cadaver dogs. It really is a fascinating read. I would recommend it to anyone interested in dogs and animal behaviour in general.
Solo is an Amazing dog with an important Job. He is a cadaver dog. Trained to find the dead and bring peace to their families.
Solo was a singleton, meaning he was the only pup in his litter. His trainer basically calls him a jackass and wonders what it is Cat wants him to do. She wants him to have a job, to be useful. As it turns out the Jackasses and bitches from hell often make the best canine cops :)
Cat takes us through the trials and tribulations of training a dog follow his nose and alert his handler when he finds what he's looking for. I would have loved to have read every little detail about the training methods but these are obviously tightly kept secrets only known to the select few in the training world (jealous).
There have been many attempts to replace the dogs nose. Using everything from machinery to trained vultures. They all lack one thing, the special bond that exists between man and canine. This fearless bond that drives a dog forward into the most dangerous of terrains to do what he was born to do, and to please his master.
I felt that the book was cut short slightly and hoping Cat will continue to write about her experiences as Solo slows down in life and Cado steps up to the mark. The book has given me a thirst for more knowledge of cadaver dogs. It really is a fascinating read. I would recommend it to anyone interested in dogs and animal behaviour in general.
November 23, 2014
Here's a book you'll remember long after you've put it down.
Narrated in the first person, What the Dog Knows follows the evolution of a college professor and her headstrong German shepherd puppy into a successful cadaver search team. Not long after “Solo” joined the author’s household, a cadaver dog trainer suggested that the author enroll him in scent training. What was originally intended as a recommendation for channeling the dog’s energy serendipitously changed both their lives. It forced the author to consider her and Solo’s suitability for human remains detection. Stepping stones along their journey included private training methods for cadaver dogs, cooperative training with law enforcement, and the riveting drama of one of the team’s successful searches.
Cat Warren’s writing is exquisite (she’s a former newspaper reporter and now an English professor at North Carolina State University; go figure!). She offers stories as dramatic as any true crime tale, but underneath them all pulsates the personal growth of both dog and owner. Warren combines her own journey with fascinating diversions into the science of scent and the history of cadaver searches. Above all, the narrative glows with an adoration of all things canine.
The combination of science and autobiography work well. This is a book that would appeal to both true crime buffs and dog lovers. You can’t put the book down without wondering about your dog’s capabilities and ultimately your own ability to work with your pet as a team.
Narrated in the first person, What the Dog Knows follows the evolution of a college professor and her headstrong German shepherd puppy into a successful cadaver search team. Not long after “Solo” joined the author’s household, a cadaver dog trainer suggested that the author enroll him in scent training. What was originally intended as a recommendation for channeling the dog’s energy serendipitously changed both their lives. It forced the author to consider her and Solo’s suitability for human remains detection. Stepping stones along their journey included private training methods for cadaver dogs, cooperative training with law enforcement, and the riveting drama of one of the team’s successful searches.
Cat Warren’s writing is exquisite (she’s a former newspaper reporter and now an English professor at North Carolina State University; go figure!). She offers stories as dramatic as any true crime tale, but underneath them all pulsates the personal growth of both dog and owner. Warren combines her own journey with fascinating diversions into the science of scent and the history of cadaver searches. Above all, the narrative glows with an adoration of all things canine.
The combination of science and autobiography work well. This is a book that would appeal to both true crime buffs and dog lovers. You can’t put the book down without wondering about your dog’s capabilities and ultimately your own ability to work with your pet as a team.
December 22, 2013
When Cat Warren gets a gorgeous German Shepherd, he is all parts uncoordinated, curious and needs a job. Like most working breeds, shepherds are happiest when they have a job to do and when Warren takes her boy to a trainer she knows he needs a job, but she also knows that she physically couldn't keep up with a search and rescue team. She had never really thought of a cadaver dog, but Solo, proves to be a standout early on. And so, the pair have found a calling and not a likely one for the author. Much like Mary Roach attacks a subject, Warren leaves no stone unturned in explaining the science and psychology behind these working dogs.
First off, I got that "ewww" feeling when Warren describes exactly what Solo would be doing, but the whole story is just so fascinating and balanced between personal anecdotes with the science behind the skills, that I just couldn't put it down. The importance of these working dogs is not really that well known. I have read Susannah Charleson's books about training service dogs and this gives a whole new facet to the interesting lives they have. I admire people that have the time and patience to do the hard work that provide these services to help the public. I know from being around my dachshund that the power of scent in dogs is amazing.
July 17, 2014
For those of you interested in working dogs, or even dogs in general - this is another great read. Ms. Warren has trained a GSD, Solo, to be a cadaver dog - after initially wanting to train for another discipline. The book talks about her adventures in training and working with Solo - but not as in depth and documentary as one might think. Instead, the subtitle of the book is brought forth via featured research on canine scent and tracking ability, behavior and how tracking dogs have been used through history. I found it to be a very insightful read from two standpoints 1) more information on dog behavior in general and 2) what it takes to become certified in tracking dogs. This book was most helpful to me on the second point (not the first was good - it was!) as I'm considering my next dog chapter and I'd to have it to include a tracking dog. Ms. Warren's explanation of the type of dog necessary for this type of work, and the conditions in which she too must work were very helpful to me. And gave me lots to think about as I continue my own inquiry into this type of work.
Ms. Warren - I hope you write more! Especially on the inclusion of Coda and how training progresses. Thank you for the great read!
Ms. Warren - I hope you write more! Especially on the inclusion of Coda and how training progresses. Thank you for the great read!
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