More Than Just a Dog: Understanding, loving and living with dogs. The indispensable guide for all dog lovers

by Simon Wooler

Our ability to make meaningful connections with other animal species and their ability to return the favour is, perhaps, never more beautiful than the bond we have with dogs.This book explores what every dog owner knows – that a dog is never just a dog. They are our companions, best friends, members of the family and for some the most important part of our lives.

Simon Wooler, trainer to social media’s most famous fearful dog, Sophie from Romania, unlocks the heart of the special relationship we have with dogs. He explores how over millennia, they have inveigled their way into our homes and hearts and evolved to live alongside us. He explains how dogs learn (and why they sometimes seem immune to our efforts to train them), how they communicate and what influences the powerful bond they form with their people. He unpacks the problems of fear and reactivity and with insight and humour acts as a guide for all dog lovers navigating life’s changes and challenges.

Demystifying the science of dog behaviour and debunking the sticky myths that all too often can get in the way of understanding, this is a celebration of the joy of life with dogs in all its messy, loveable reality.

302 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 13, 2025

Reviews

[Rhys Thomas · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was disappointed with this book. Although very readable, I found it a bit long-winded and lacking in detail. Sorry, but not the guide for me.

[Cristo · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is more like a novel than an"essential guide for humans" for living with dogs. The blurb was promising but the book was neither a novel or how to guide for dog lovers. I don't really know what it was in the end but I felt a bit hoodwinked and ripped off.
The writing style was heavy going and would've benefited from some diagrams or pictures to break up the continuous dialogue. It reminded me of a teacher who liked the sound of their own voice more than doing proper lesson plans and you'd look back at the end of class wondering what you'd actually learned.
Having picked up and put down the book numerous times I tried both reading in detail, then skim reading just so I could try to finish it in case there were worthy bits of info.
On one hand it was myth busting the use of treats, then in a later chapter talked about all the problems experienced with their dogs when using treats in a time pressure situation, but without clearly giving guidance. I kept hoping for some actual specific good advice and "how to" examples, but it was sadly lacking.
I did not enjoy this book.

[Jonė Mikšaitė · Rating 5 out of 5]

Insightful and funny read. I really enjoyed the emphasis on the dog being the companion and a friend on a basis of forming a life-long inter-species bond, that is undoubtedly beneficial for both parties involved. The author approaches dogs as wonderful living beings, who deserve utter most kindness and support from the owner - a lovely perspective. A must read for any dog owner!

[Mrs L · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable

A good read and I found myself having a vested interest in all of the dogs, especially in Winston. I already knew about #SophiefromRomania so the others dogs’ stories were told well. It’s good to know about Uncle Si’s work and knowledge in more detail.

[Carl Sweeting · Rating 1 out of 5]

Badly written, boring and more about the author blowing his own trumpet than dogs and dog training.