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The Dog's Mind: Understanding Your Dog's Behavior
"Quite simply this is an excellent book. It is well-written, with snatches of dry humour. It should be mandatory reading for anybody who keeps a dog or has intentions of so doing." -R. W. F. Poole, Daily TelegraphHow do dogs perceive the world about them? How do they see, hear, learn, relate to their owners? How large are their brains, what is their emotional makeup? Why do they suffer from stress and how can it be coped with? Over the last few years a substantial body of knowledge has been built up about the psychology of dog behavior. Combining more than twenty years of practical experience as a veterinary clinician with a personal knowledge and understanding of the latest international research, Dr. Bruce Fogle has written the most inclusive and relevant book on how the canine mind works.
222 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1990
194 people are currently reading
1081 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
February 11, 2012
Not immensely interesting. So much research on canine behavior and psychology has been done since this book was published that it reads as somewhat obsolete. Fogle still seems like an excellent veterinarian and his emphasis on serious science is refreshing and helpful. But I'd recommend Bradshaw's Dog Sense for a more updated and relevant look at the dog's mind.
December 3, 2008
Even if you don't own a dog, this is very interesting to read, especially if you are one of those people addicted to information. This book gave me a deeper understanding of how dogs work, and what makes them work. The part about dog psychology, is even more interesting than human psychology, and far less depressing. Dogs are complex creatures.
This book might be a little much but if you are REALLY interested in the topic, pick up this book. Even if you only to learn about certain things, I still recommend this book since it will only draw you in..
If you have a dog, plan on having a dog, do something where you are around dogs, I highly recommend this. Once you learn about what makes a dog tick, you can use that information to get the dog to do what you want.
I personally liked how it read more like a textbook. Most books on dogs tend to read like self help books. This book is a little outdated, but you won't find most of this information anywhere else.
This book might be a little much but if you are REALLY interested in the topic, pick up this book. Even if you only to learn about certain things, I still recommend this book since it will only draw you in..
If you have a dog, plan on having a dog, do something where you are around dogs, I highly recommend this. Once you learn about what makes a dog tick, you can use that information to get the dog to do what you want.
I personally liked how it read more like a textbook. Most books on dogs tend to read like self help books. This book is a little outdated, but you won't find most of this information anywhere else.
December 12, 2012
I believe this is a must read for anyone interested in dog training and working with dogs in any way. It gives you insight into how dogs think, why they do certain things and act certain ways.
May 2, 2022
The Dog's Mind is basically a very general overview of canine behavior written in the vernacular of a vet for use by a dog trainer. Author, Bruce Fogle has produced an introduction to training your dog in a style that can only be described as clinical, dry, and woefully repetitive. You are not going to gain very much insight into the daily goings on of your own dog from Fogle's book much beyond an appreciation of your canine's fascination with dog shit ! Now, as an aside I will offer one glaring example of my disappointment with The Dog's Mind which I think encapsulates my overall opinion. One would be hard pressed to go a day without bestowing some deserving individual the title of "Bitch". Whether it be a coworker, boss, client, neighbor, etc. Now it just so happens that the forum covered by the book, here being reviewed by myself, offers the ONLY legitimate outlet for this colorful expression. Having said this, Bruce Fogle could easily have substituted the term "Female" in, say a dozen or so, of his hundred decisions to use "Bitch". I mean, really Bruce, I don't think a few sprinkled "Female" references would have lost the reader !
January 23, 2012
Cesar Milan referred to this book in one of his books. My dog came with issues and this book was a big help. (Along with a trainer, three seasons of Dog Whisperer and two of Milan's books!) someone at the park commented it's too bad my first dog had issues. Au contraire...I was forced to be on top of things. I didn't have the luxury of allowing her to be poorly behaved as so many dogs are who don't have aggression problems. Koko is a different dog now and I am a dog walking SNOB! It's all about the walk! One important lesson I got from the book....when you have a setback, back up to where you were successful and start over!
March 21, 2016
It probably goes without saying, but I really wouldn't recommend this book to anyone other than dog owners looking to understand a bit more about the thought process of their pet.
Despite there being high levels of repetition throughout the book, and despite some of the research being outdated (it's been over 25 years since it was first published), I found this quite approachable and a somewhat enjoyable read. The sections about how we can inadvertently create conflict in behaviours via our discrepancies in training vs behaviour outside of training scenarios and the sections about our erroneous application of democracy in how we treat different dogs were particularly interesting.
Despite there being high levels of repetition throughout the book, and despite some of the research being outdated (it's been over 25 years since it was first published), I found this quite approachable and a somewhat enjoyable read. The sections about how we can inadvertently create conflict in behaviours via our discrepancies in training vs behaviour outside of training scenarios and the sections about our erroneous application of democracy in how we treat different dogs were particularly interesting.
December 11, 2020
This book is full of outdated info. Granted it is 30 years old but I think it would do more harm than good for a new dog owner nowadays. The chapter on aggression (ie a 24 page ode to outdated dominance theory which has been thoroughly debunked) is especially egregious. I would not recommend this book to anyone, there are far better resources available
August 31, 2015
As a canine psychologist, 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.
September 2, 2025
I got my first dog when I was homeless in England. Rusty was at least 16, had perfect manners despite not being neutered, and was apparently traded by his long time owner for a beer to my then-crazy boyfriend who thought Rusty would make a perfect present.
I was mortified -- partly, since we were homeless and could barely feed ourselves, let alone a dog. And secondly, I'd never had a dog before. I didn't have much, but I had a dog -- and a library card. The first dog book I checked out was this book.
I devoured the book and had fond memories of it. Unfortunately, it was one of, if not the, first non-fiction dog book I'd ever read, so I didn't have a basis of comparison.
Flash forward 20+ years, and I recklessly decide to buy a copy of the book I read oh, so long ago.
And was appalled at how bad it was.
First published in 1990, more than half of this book is out of date. Most of the training recommendations are embarrassingly wrong. The idea that pedigreed dogs were intrinsically better than mixed breeds was tragically wrong. The idea that you could only get a good dog buy buying a puppy is horrifying. The idea that dogs are basically trapped by their genes and the experiences in the first 12 weeks of their lives, has also been proven to be wrong. Despite what Fogle says, you CAN teach an old dog new tricks.
Even the whole idea of a strict pack hierarchy in wolves, leading to the "human as dominant dog" training mantra that abused countless dogs in the 1990s and early 2000s, has proven to be garbage.
There's very little in this book that could be of possible, practical use to a dog owner.
Not only that, it's dull and poorly organized. Fogle often begins a paragraph declaring A, but by the time the paragraph ends, he's declaring that A is wrong. And his paragraphs are often quite long. He very occasionally throws in a joke, but as it's proceeded by such a serious tone, it's just not funny.
The only good things are the pencil drawings by Anne B. Wilson. That, and knowing how far we've come in being better to dogs since 1990.
I was mortified -- partly, since we were homeless and could barely feed ourselves, let alone a dog. And secondly, I'd never had a dog before. I didn't have much, but I had a dog -- and a library card. The first dog book I checked out was this book.
I devoured the book and had fond memories of it. Unfortunately, it was one of, if not the, first non-fiction dog book I'd ever read, so I didn't have a basis of comparison.
Flash forward 20+ years, and I recklessly decide to buy a copy of the book I read oh, so long ago.
And was appalled at how bad it was.
First published in 1990, more than half of this book is out of date. Most of the training recommendations are embarrassingly wrong. The idea that pedigreed dogs were intrinsically better than mixed breeds was tragically wrong. The idea that you could only get a good dog buy buying a puppy is horrifying. The idea that dogs are basically trapped by their genes and the experiences in the first 12 weeks of their lives, has also been proven to be wrong. Despite what Fogle says, you CAN teach an old dog new tricks.
Even the whole idea of a strict pack hierarchy in wolves, leading to the "human as dominant dog" training mantra that abused countless dogs in the 1990s and early 2000s, has proven to be garbage.
There's very little in this book that could be of possible, practical use to a dog owner.
Not only that, it's dull and poorly organized. Fogle often begins a paragraph declaring A, but by the time the paragraph ends, he's declaring that A is wrong. And his paragraphs are often quite long. He very occasionally throws in a joke, but as it's proceeded by such a serious tone, it's just not funny.
The only good things are the pencil drawings by Anne B. Wilson. That, and knowing how far we've come in being better to dogs since 1990.
July 1, 2021
I bought this book after reading about Bruce Fogle in The Sunday Telegraph and was well aware that the book is 30 years old. My wife and I bought a puppy during Covid and I read a book on the subject by a celebrity trainer called Steve Mann, I think. What absolute garbage. I wish I'd discovered this book much earlier, though at 10 months of age, there is still plenty of time to be guided by it. Without doubt I have a better relationship with my Labrador Retriever, simply because this book has helped me to understand how he is wired, how his genetic make-up affects his behaviour. The result is that me and Jet are getting along so much better. A quick example - he doesn't 'steal' things like shoes, socks, and the rest, rather he is simply acting out his genetically bred traits of retrieving, holding, and carrying. He's not capable of being naughty, no dog is. Thank you for helping us, Bruce Fogle.
November 24, 2020
This started off wonderfully with in depth explanations of the dogs brain and working of its hormonal system but it disintegrated soon after when we fell into talk of "aplpha" and "pack mentality". The medical aspects of the book were very educational and I thoroughly enjoyed the way he explained more complicated concepts (the diagrams were excellent as well) and those pages I did book mark to undoubtedly revisit. The behavioral parts are all painfully out of date, being some 30 years old. Multiple mentions of the alpha leader and numerous mentions (even recomendations) of physically dominating alpha type dogs just ruined this book. All in all while it has some interesting infornation I feel there are plenty of more current and up to date books to get it from
May 28, 2019
As a scientifically-based book about why our dogs are the way they are and why they do the things they do, it was informative (but not an easy) read even though Bruce Fogle does explain concepts in plain English. I do wish I read this about 8 to 10 years ago in that perhaps its insight would have helped me understand and effectively deal with one of my dogs who turned aggressive. As I was reading it now, I'm saying to myself, "Oh! So I should have done "x" instead of "y." It also talked about the problem of obesity in housepets and what to do about it along with many other relevant topics. It was quite thorough. For anyone who has or will be getting a dog, it should be required reading.
December 13, 2017
The most comprehensive, yet condensed, resource I've found to better understand a dog's behavior. If you want to learn more specifics on any of the chapters, you are pointed where to find additional resources.
In addition to educational, the writing is entertaining and given layman scenarios to assist the reader.
If you own dogs, this is cool. If you train or work with dogs, this is a must read.
In addition to educational, the writing is entertaining and given layman scenarios to assist the reader.
If you own dogs, this is cool. If you train or work with dogs, this is a must read.
April 19, 2022
Fogle covers all aspects of a dog's behavior and methods for making your pet an enjoyable family member. Much of the advice concerns puppy training, but an older shelter mutt will also respond to the training methods. Be aware that this book was published thirty years ago, and since then, more research and newer methods have come along. Even so, this book remains a dependable guide to dog training.
January 4, 2022
This is a great book. I read it years ago when I owned a collie and I just re read it again now we have a new pup. It's interesting as it shows why dogs do what they do. It goes into biological and behavioural differences between breeds and genders and the work that has been done to understand this. There is an appendix of how to train commands but it's not a training book.
November 7, 2019
A lot of the info in this book is quite interesting and informative, but obviously in 24 years it has become dated and relies quite a bit on dominance theory (which for those who don’t know was based on a flawed study of captive wolves that has since been refuted).
July 5, 2017
Good for understanding dog's nature, a little dated as far as training methods are concerned.
October 30, 2017
Informative
I deal with dogs for a living and I found this book quite useful in understanding why dogs have certain issues.
I deal with dogs for a living and I found this book quite useful in understanding why dogs have certain issues.
January 30, 2018
Loved this book! A must read to further understand dog psychology!
November 11, 2019
Dog owner's bible
December 28, 2019
Informative read about your dog and what makes him/ her tick. Also some great practical guidance with behavioral issues.
March 7, 2021
Wonderful book! Really explained how the dog's mind works. I will say that the training methods and theories are a bit outdated now as better methods have been proven but it was still a fun read!
April 19, 2021
This book is a bit out of date but well written.
February 16, 2023
Incredibly useful if you want to understand your dog.
July 3, 2024
Such a great book especially if u have a dog that suffers from separation anxiety! Recommend it to everyone who gets a rescue!!
March 16, 2017
read this as part of a college course was quite informative
September 1, 2016
" The more sensory information that the dog's brain receives, the more developed his mind will become. Anatomically speaking, sensory stimulation causes nerve cells in the brain to actually grow and make new synaptic connections with other nerve cells. The network expands to accommodate and assimilate new information. This is why it is so important to provide a pup with a stimulating environment."
"...by perpetuating juvenile behavior into adulthood, we have increased the frequency of crying and whining especially in certain breeds. What you will rarely ever see is an adult dog whining at another dog. This is really a learned response. This form of communication can be controlled and diminished as long as we don't reward it with either interest, affection, or food."
"Dogs don't expect to live in equality with other dogs or with us for that matter. Democracy is a misplaced ideology in the canine world."
"...by perpetuating juvenile behavior into adulthood, we have increased the frequency of crying and whining especially in certain breeds. What you will rarely ever see is an adult dog whining at another dog. This is really a learned response. This form of communication can be controlled and diminished as long as we don't reward it with either interest, affection, or food."
"Dogs don't expect to live in equality with other dogs or with us for that matter. Democracy is a misplaced ideology in the canine world."
November 19, 2016
This book is a bit like a textbook. It is a slightly dated compendium of facts about dogs stressing pack dynamics. There is a lot of information about the impact of the environment on the dog's mind during the first few months of life. Most of us come into our dog's life toward the end of this period so we have little control over their early experiences. I regret that the author showed little affection for dogs. His approach was rather clinical. It was an OK book about dog development and behavior.
November 24, 2020
I start books on dogs and get about 2 chapters in. I write all over the pages about b.s. the author says. I skipped the intro and went right into the chapter one. I am frankly amazed at the really good and truthful knowledge in this chapter about the genetics. He is a bit nieve about dogs and dog breeds in general but the scientific work and knowledge is impressive. Not many can hold my attention. I have a lot of this chapter highlighted. I am only on chapter one, so i will come back and rate and comment on the rest when and if i finish.
January 27, 2016
Fas
I learned a lot from reading this book. I now understand how my dogs think and what precipitates their behaviour. I have learned how I can modify their behaviour with reward based training. I am looking forward to putting what I have learned into practice. This book is quite technical in places for example when he talks about the brain, but it is very readable and extremely interesting.
I learned a lot from reading this book. I now understand how my dogs think and what precipitates their behaviour. I have learned how I can modify their behaviour with reward based training. I am looking forward to putting what I have learned into practice. This book is quite technical in places for example when he talks about the brain, but it is very readable and extremely interesting.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews