The Dog Decoder: The Essential Guide to Understanding Your Dog's Behavior

by David Alderton, Leeann Moreau (Editor)

While many dog owners have an intuitive link with their four-legged companions, wouldn't it be fantastic of dogs could talk?  Sadly, they can't, but when looking for a way to deepen relationships with your dogs this book will point out the key signs that you and your dog are actually engaged in an ongoing conversation. When your dog becomes excited, do you know whether he's expressing joy or anxiety? This books shows how to pick up on the signals and messages he sends out to you and others.  You'll also learn how understanding your dog's behavior will help you bond more closely with him.  It contains clear, annotated photos that show the signals that dogs convey in both normal and special situations.

The Dog Decoder  helps you interpret the different messages your dog sends out, and in no time, you and your pooch will be speaking the same language.

Genres: Nonfiction, Animals, Dogs

176 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

David Alderton is a UK-based writer specialising in pets and natural history topics. Growing up in a home surrounded by pets, he originally trained to become a veterinary surgeon. An allergic dermatitis acquired in his final year of study forced a change of career however, and so led him into the field of writing about pets and their care. He has since become a regular contributor of articles on this subject to a wide range of newspapers and magazines in the UK and abroad, and also participates frequently in radio and television programmes.

His books have currently sold over six million copies, and have been translated into 30 different languages. David’s titles have won awards in the USA from the Cat Writers' Association of America and the Maxwell Medallion from the Dog Writers’ Association of America, as well as being nominated for the Sir Peter Kent Conservation Book Prize. He has also chaired the National Council for Aviculture, the umbrella organisation for bird-keeping clubs and associations in the UK, and is a member of the Kennel Club, as well as editor of the monthly magazine Practical Reptile Keeping.

Reviews

[Oriente · Rating 4 out of 5]

Terjedelméhez képest kevés fontos vagy érdekes információt találtam benne, bár az is igaz, hogy nem az első kutyatartási olvasmányom. Maradjunk annyiban, hogy a fotók zseniálisak és rettentő cukik.
Képeskönyvnek hibátlan!

[Gracekell · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't like some parts of this book because it stereotyped aggressive breeds such as Pit Bulls and German Shepards.

[Jora · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was easy to read, enjoyable, and had lots of cute pictures. Most of the information is quite basic, though.

[Lori · Rating 3 out of 5]

Last year, we welcomed a new addition to our family – a puppy. She’s much smaller than our other dogs, yet somehow, she’s managed to take the lead in the pack. We’re still adjusting to having her around, but it continues to be an exciting journey.


I came across this book that caught my attention, offering a wide range of topics that seemed perfect for our new pup. I was especially drawn to the pages that feature terriers and poodles as she is a mix of both breeds.

While the information is fairly basic, the photos in the book are fantastic, capturing typical canine body language that’s both informative and fun to study.

[Christine D · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you have a dog, not all of this is new stuff but there is a lot of interesting facts about dogs in this volume.

[Jan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fairly basic information. The 2018 edition has great pictures (so cute!).

[Lindsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fairly basic overview, but it spans a wide variety of topics. I also loved the format and all of the cute pictures!

[Mary Lou · Rating 3 out of 5]

Covered a lot of information in quick bites. Good photos depicting typical body language. Probably not for the veteran dog owner's bookshelf, but even after working for a vet, a decade of pet sitting, and seven dogs of my own, I learned a few new things from "Decoder".

[Lynne · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2 Stars - quick, easy to read tidbits of info