Does My Dog Love Me?: Understanding How Your Dog Sees the World

by Graeme Hall

Brought to you by Penguin.

Have you ever wondered what your dog is really thinking?

Our dogs mean the world to us and as owners we do our best to make sure they feel happy and loved, whilst also keeping them in line when needed. But wouldn’t it be so much easier if we spoke the same language and could ask what they were thinking or feeling?

In his latest book, top dog trainer, Graeme Hall, reveals the secrets to understanding what your furry companion is trying to say and how they see the world. Drawing on 15 years of experience training over 5,000 dogs, and backed up with scientific evidence, he tackles all the tricky questions you’ve ever wanted to ask, such as ‘how do I tell my dog he’s been naughty?’ and ‘how long does a dog remember?’.

Sharing his own personal stories and practical tips, Graeme demonstrates how to interpret your dog's body language and use that knowledge to build a stronger, more rewarding relationship, as well as how to avoid common mistakes. Whether you're a seasoned dog owner or a new pup parent, this book will change the way you think about your four-legged best friend.

Genres: Nonfiction, Dogs

Audible Audio

Published February 1, 2024

Reviews

[my.bookshelf.87 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Being a lifelong dog-lover and also a fan of Graeme Hall's tv series, Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly, I had to listen to this book. The audio version was read by Graeme himself, which was nice.

The chapters are very short, which I liked. Lots of information I already knew, but I did learn a fair bit from this book, too. I think it's one to keep and refer back to as necessary. It answers a lot of questions.

[Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a new dog owner, I greatly appreciate this book. Covers so many areas of concern. Sensible, clear advice.

[Siobhan Mackie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a lovely, humorous and educational book, answering many of the questions dog owners have been asking for years. Using anecdotes from his working relationships with dogs and their owners, The Dogfather brings his signature dry wit and expensive knowledge to a wide variety of situations so that we can learn how to treat our dogs without even having to leave the sofa.
Even as someone that has watched Graeme's TV show, I felt that there was still more that I learnt from this book, and although my dog is genuinely really well trained, there are dogs around me that I will be applying some of the guidance in this book to.

[Elizabeth Dewfall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bought the book but listened to audiobook made me smile and giggle extra special having Graeme reading

[Stephen Clynes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Graeme Hall has been training dogs for over 15 years and has appeared in many television series showing viewers how to train dogs and solve problem behaviours. Graeme is great to watch on television but how does he score as an author?

I enjoyed reading Does My Dog Love Me? And consider it to be a GOOD 4 star read. Graeme comes across in print no better or worse than on television. Reading his book it feels like he is in the same room as you and has popped around from a friendly chat. His lovely personality and dry humour leaps from the page. His book is easy reading and is full of content, not just from his own experience but many university research studies over the years. His experience and research, which he lists at the end of his book under the title List of Sources, makes this book an informed and interesting read.

I liked how Graeme explained how dogs have evolved since they have become domesticated. He explains just what is important to dogs and how their brains work. His extensive understanding of dogs lets you into what your pet is thinking as they live in the moment. Reading this book is reassuring as a dog owner in the same way as car owners’ manuals explain what makes them tick and the technology behind it…

I should stress that there’s nothing necessarily wrong with leaving your dog at home alone for three or four hours, because it won’t bother some dogs in the slightest. In fact, most dogs will take themselves off to bed as soon as you’ve walked out the door, pleased that they’ve got some peace and quiet. I happily leave mine for four hours at a time.

A dog’s peripheral vision is very wide, incidentally - they can see behind them quite a long way - so even if they don’t appear to be seeing you, they might be.

But dogs are, and always will be, more wolf than human. Domesticated animals are still animals, so they’ll never lose all their natural instincts.

But in most cases, you needn’t be obsessed with keeping your dog entertained at all hours of the day. As long as most dogs are well fed, well walked and have a cosy place to sleep, they’ll be happy.

…Having been retired for over a year now, I spend a lot more time with our dog. Frankie is by my side all day long, unless we go out in the car without him. Reading this book cements my belief that Frankie and I both have an easy and contented life for all the right reasons.

[Harriet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Graeme Hall has a really lovely way of writing about dogs. There is lots of useful information and some good advice here. It's not a formal training book, but if you have or want to have a dog it's really useful for setting the tone for interacting with dogs. I love how well he communicates how dogs live in the moment.

In fact I recommend this to anyone who likes dogs or spends time around them who isn't already an expert in the science of dog behaviour, because it's a charming insight into their ways.

The audiobook version is really good. I love how Graeme reads his own words - it feels like having a nice chat, rather than being lectured to.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

First of all Graeme seems like such a nice man and wonderful around dogs. It was very easy to listen to and I'm sure the fault is on me for expecting more out of this book. I thought there would be some interesting facts that I hadn't heard before, but it was mainly filled with anecdotes and his guesses on answers to most asked questions. The audiobook passed the time and i loved his accents for the dogs so I would recommend it, but don't expect to come out learning lots more about dogs.

[Harsh Tibarewala · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the book. I like the special analogy of the super power of dogs. When we go into a kitchen we can smell that a pizza is being cooked whereas when a dog is near a kitchen he can smell something is getting cooked which has Basil, Tomatoes, Garlic,

[LynnHammond · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book that gives an insight to dogs and helps with understanding them better. There’s some fun little stories and the book is chunked into small sections for easy reading. Loved it!

[Alexis Noble · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just delightful, insightful and totally enjoyable. As an added bonus my pup hasn't eaten this book yet either.

[Yvette · Rating 4 out of 5]

What’s not to love, feels like Graeme is actually talking to you . He has years of working with all kinds of dogs so his insight into their psyche is invaluable. Definitely recommend.

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely audio book to walk the beagles to.