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

by Stanley Coren

We've shared our lives with dogs for thousands of years, but they still act in ways that baffle us. Do you ever look at Ginger's body language and wonder what she's about to do? Do you wish you could predict how King will act when brought into a new situation or meeting a new person? Do you compare your sweet, mild-mannered dog with your neighbor's aggressive, unruly canine and wonder where your neighbor went wrong? In short, do you ever wonder why dogs act that way?

This new book by the undisputed expert on dog behavior, intelligence, and training, Stanley Coren, answers all these questions and more. For many years, most people -- even scientists -- mistakenly believed that dogs were simply domesticated wolves, with natures, minds, and behaviors significantly diminished from those of their wild cousins. But recent discoveries have demonstrated that dogs are actually much more complex than wolves, coyotes, foxes, and other wild canines; their ability to adapt to a man-made world is far more flexible, and their personalities are far more diverse. Using the fascinating findings from scientific experiments by dog breeders and the domestication of foxes and wolves, Coren re-creates the story of how dogs evolved over time into the myriad forms and breeds we love today. With specific information on which breeds were bred to become more dominant, affectionate, cooperative, or even dangerous, this practical, surprising book can help you to select a new companion or simply to understand your old friend better.

In Why Does My Dog Act That Way? Dr. Coren also presents for the first time a simple, fun test you can administer to your own dog to get a detailed picture of his personality. Based on the personality-profiling questionnaires used in human psychological studies, the "Dog Behavior Inventory" is a straightforward, user-friendly test to help you analyze the personality of your dog in relation to other members of his breed. Using the findings of the U.S. Army's once-classified studies of "Superdogs," you, too, can train your pet to become a "superdog" -- a friendly, calm, confident, "bomb-proof" dog that is not disturbed, angered, or frightened by much of anything. New, exciting data also explain the characteristics that make some dogs act heroically -- the real-life equivalents of Lassie and Rin Tin Tin who spontaneously act to save human lives.

So, why does your dog act the way he does? You'll soon find out in this uniquely complete guide to dog psychology, filled with all the entertaining anecdotes and scientific data that Coren's avid followers have come to expect and enjoy.

Genres: Dogs, Nonfiction, Animals

288 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 5, 2006

Reviews

[Kristen · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was a mix for me, and although I ultimately gave up on it, there was a lot in here that was really interesting and stuck with me.

Pros:
-the history of domestication and wolf vs dog
-the experiments he cites about how animals are domesticated (or not)
-the section on pit fighting and history of fighting breeds

Cons:
-the extensive and annoyingly 'common sense' guide to the breeds, which seemed to stand without actual evidence or any real purpose
-the way the book degenerated into a breeder's guide to socialization
-Coren's dry writing

Overall, the parts where he actually discussed personality and the way dogs' are shaped by history and biology were really interesting. As he went off onto tangents (breeds, 'superdog', etc) it got less interesting and more specified for people who are looking to be a helicopter dog owner, which is not what I was looking for from this book. I ended up skipping chapters 9, 11, 12 and 13 as it got too boring for me.

[Melody · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amusing, erudite and very informative. I was skeptical when I picked this up, fearing it would be another touchy-feely "love your doggie" sort of book. It's not. Coren is a scientist, pure and simple. He's also an unapologetic, unreconstructed Darwinist of the Dawkins school, which gets huge points from this reader. Highly recommended for dog-owners.

[Apryl Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really appreciate Coren's scientifically-researched common sense approach to life with dogs. "Common sense" being used lightly here, as so much of what we usually assume is based on our own notions. It's human nature to project our interpretations on everything we experience, so pitty the pups who depend upon our bumbling leadership. That's why I've come to trust Coren's books, even though this one is quite a mixed bag.

I'm not sure this is the best possible title, although I can't offer a better option. There's a lot of ground covered here. It's like trying to address and define individuals in a world of unique characters--can it, should it even be attempted?

My pups were found abandoned along a country road in rural southern France at approximately 3 months, spent the following month with the hunter who found them (as their family tried to locate the...hmmm, what's the word?). It's been fun and funny and damned exhausting to get them stable enough to redirect their energies. Next step is a DNA test! They seemed like a Berger de Crau and a Beauceron, and we assumed they're from the same litter. The Beauceron's turning into a German shepherd terrier, and the BdC now has a long silky coat. All that to say, the Dog Behavior Inventory isn't much use to my 6-month old mixed breeds. NOW is the time to train them up no matter who they are or where they came from!

Finally, the chapters on 'Creating Monsters' and 'Heroic Hounds' were extremely powerful. Again, I appreciate knowing the research, but that prepare me for the emotional impact of reading about the extremes. Sometimes, I really don't like people. In contrast, my respect for these clever canines has increased all the more, and I'm really stepping up my game to find the best employment for Bertie & Penelope. It's not often that a non-fiction will stir me to laughter and tears, but this is one of them. And that to say, there could be no other better way to wrap up this book than with the story of Fray, Louis and Pinzo! Will science ever be able to tell us any creature's motivations?!!

[Jeremy Bruner · Rating 3 out of 5]

I actually started reading this over five years ago. It lulls hard in the middle if you're not hardcore into the behavior science (which of course is the most important part of the book), so I took some time off and then came back to it. But, the basics about the evolution of dogs and how genetics and environment play in to personality are fascinating. Really loved the sections about breeding and training practices for dogfighting (and the genetic implications of it) and about altruism/helpfulness were great.

[Katie Butera]

Lots of great stories to provide illustration for author's research.

Also helpful to consider the following for my current breed of dog, English Springer Spaniel:
Dominance/Territoriality = low
Intelligence/Learning Ability = moderately high
Emotional Reactivity = very high
Sociability = very high
Energy = moderately high (meaning, springers can chill once activity needs have been met).

pg. 257 includes personality profiles of individual breeds

[Bruce · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lot of interesting material, if you like dogs. It discuses dog's relation to and evolution from wolves. How to raise a sell socialized dog. Personality characteristics of different breeds, and which breeds are most likely to rescue you when needed.

[Karine Tremblay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alexandre Dumas

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting, very science-y, so I read it slowly, mixed in with lots of other books.

[Abbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is more about establishing the personality of a newborn dog, rather than one that will help you divine why your dog (who came from the pound) is confused by playing but loves eating bees. It would be a very useful book for the new puppy owner, however, and it features several chapters of heroic dog stories (always inspiring to yours truly, sentimental dog lover).

It includes a little quiz that tells you which breeds have personality types more suited to you. It told me what I already knew: that I like dumb, friendly dogs who aren't much into scampering around the house (ie a dog that wants to function as a rug).

It was a fun book, but the title mislead me, is why I was disappointed.

[Stephen Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love the author. Good book. The chapter on raising a superdog is worth the book. There is also a chapter on dog hero's and looking into that, which is an easy winner for anyone. Left me wanting more, which hopefully I will get from his next book of his that I have not yet gotten to reading. Also has dog breeds categorized by factors of Dominance/Territoriality, Intelligence/Learning ability, Emotional Reactivity, Socialability, and Energy. Found that interesting, but think Boston Terriers could have been rated higher. And it didn't have cockapoo which is my current dog, so I had to settle with looking rating for Cocker Spaniels and Poodles and trying to extrapolate. Overall I would recommend highly any book by Stanley Coren.

[Dena Beck · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was an enjoyable read, but not a lot of practical information for the owner of three adult dogs. It would be practical for someone raising puppies. It covers the importance of the things they experience in the first weeks of their lives. For those of us who didn't have our dogs at that stage in their life, it highlights what they likely missed. It doesn't offer much in the way of how you can correct for that later in their life-possibly because he doesn't think you can. I liked his writing style, and plan to read the reviews of his other dog books. Maybe I will see that one of them might be more practical, and I would read that.

[monica · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a great book for anyone interested owning a dog, especially if you have no idea what breed would be the best choice for you. Written in an easy-to-read style, it incorporates a plethora of interesting elements: from American Kennel Club conformation standards, to commonly-used examinations of dog behavior, to university studies of human personality and the history of the man-dog relationship. Read it to gain a better understanding of the ins and outs of dog personality.

[Xenia0201 · Rating 1 out of 5]

I ask myself that question every day...I was thinking I'd learn something here about my psycho pointer. Book was very clinicsl and very generalized. Explored much of the psychology of a dog but didn't offer too many solutions. Or at least any I could find. Lots of info, but none I found particularly useful.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorites- some chilling revelation in this one. I was almost disappointed, because it doesn't start out with the warm, anecdotal tale of dog lore that each of his books does, but... it's there... deep into the book. I imagine if the reader were hit with this one right off the bat, the story would have deterred any further investigation.

[Ed · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel I understand my 4-legged friends a bit better as a result of knowledge gained by reading this book. Only people who never had a dog could state that they don't have personalities. They are as different as people with their traits and quirks.
Recommended for larger public library collections or special collections dealing with domesticated animals.

[Abby · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't know why I keep reading Stanley Coren; I think he's a mediocre researcher who relies completely on breed stereotypes. But I guess we all like to read about stereotypes. That's what this book is about. Some interesting anecdotes, but it didn't make sense as a cohesive work and had a lot of unnecessary, irrelevant chapters.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a "why" book, not a book that offers solutions to existing behavior problems. Full of interesting research and anecdotes, discussions of personality testing for dogs, and how to raise a "superdog" from birth to age one. Lovers of the fighting breeds will be upset by his definite stance that their dangerous reputation is in part well founded and the result of centuries of careful breeding.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Coren offers a great introduction to the mind of dogs; he writes as both an animal behavior specialist (PhD in psychology) and as someone who loves the dogs in his life. If you've never read any of his books, you will learn a lot from this. If you've read some of his others, however, you will find a certain amount of repetition from earlier works.

[D. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written by a scientist, this easy-to-read volume uses various studies to describe and explain the temperament and personality of dogs. The author is a psychologist with a good understanding of evolutionary theory and natural selection which he uses to explain dog behavior. Breed personality profiles and anecdotes make the book engaging.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book about dog bhx written by a research psychologist. Great resource for curious dog owners, especially psychologically minded ones. Only draw back is that it can read a little dry at points. Recommended.

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stanely Coren is always informative, funny and anecdotal. A Professional psychologist as well as one of the smartest people on dogs, this is truly a great book to have around when trying to figure out exactly what is going on when your dog acts or doesn't act the way you expect.

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun and rather fascinating study of dogs. I especially enjoyed the personality quiz that was included in the book. The anecdotes ranged from amusing to heart-breaking. The chapter on heroic dogs especially stood out. I really enjoyed this!

[Duckpondwithoutducks · Rating 3 out of 5]

To clarify, this book is more on what constitutes a dog's personality and if is it possible to quantify a dog's personality. It won't give you pointers on what to do to train your dog, but it will make you cry at the stories about how dogs have saved people's lives.

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Many previous reviewers said that they stopped after the personality questionnaire. But I recommend reading the last two chapters as well, because there are some great stories of dogs rescuing their masters that teared me up.

[Jason Caughell · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was funney the way it described the dog's personality.

[Miranda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book! Really helped me understand my dog more and develop a closer relationship with him!

[Tisha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining, but not a behavior book.

[Abbey · Rating 4 out of 5]

love it. As the owner of two neurotic rescue dogs and one very confident dog, it explains what may have been the causes in a very understandable way.

[Lora · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kind of left the book after the dog personality test (Stevie=high sociability/moderately low intelligence? A prescription for success for many PEOPLE.) But the rest of the book was good too really.

[Darcy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though I don't own a dog... This is a book that I would have my own copy of and keep on the bookshelves as it is so informative and well written. Wow!!!