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What's My Dog Thinking?: Understand Your Dog to Give Them a Happy Life
Discover the true meaning of dog behaviour to form the deepest bond with your canine companion.
What does it really mean when a dog rolls over and shows their tummy? They're not always looking for a belly rub...
Drawing on the latest research in dog psychology, this book reveals the secret meanings behind more than 80 canine behaviours, including the seven types of dog greeting and why some dogs eat your underwear!
Packed with dogwatching tips and positive reinforcement training advice, this book will help you keep your dog happy, stimulated - and adorable!
- GenresNonfictionDogs
192 pages, Hardcover
Published October 1, 2020
38 people are currently reading
109 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
September 22, 2022
An informative read about common behaviors of dogs. Much of this information I knew BUT I did gain more understanding with what my dog was thinking when he did... I liked the format of giving an issue i.e., chewing your shoes followed by 'what's my dog thinking?' It's engaging and easy to follow. She gives a lot of pointers to new dog owners.
That cover!!!! So cute.
That cover!!!! So cute.
October 16, 2022
In aller Kürze viel gelernt!
August 26, 2023
This book was very informational and, to my knowledge, very accurate because i have a dog of my own who reflects some of these behaviors. Some of the behaviors , i had no idea what they meant, but now i feel like i am more in the know!
September 22, 2025
Hannah Molloy’s What's My Dog Thinking? Is a great and comprehensive guide to your pet dog, puppy, rescue, adults alike. The book describes standard dog psychology and also suggest force-free methodologies to train and support your companion.
It is very reader friendly in tone, with lots of beautiful illustrations that one may relate to.
As a new dog owner, atleast 1/3 of the book was well known but many new things were learnt or clarified.
The book itself is clearly not only for dog owners, but also for those where a relative, close friend owns such pet, or those interested in general.
Recommended to all that wants to understand dogs, love them or hate them. 5/5
It is very reader friendly in tone, with lots of beautiful illustrations that one may relate to.
As a new dog owner, atleast 1/3 of the book was well known but many new things were learnt or clarified.
The book itself is clearly not only for dog owners, but also for those where a relative, close friend owns such pet, or those interested in general.
Recommended to all that wants to understand dogs, love them or hate them. 5/5
November 24, 2023
Loved!! the graphics were beautiful and it taught me a lot about dog behavior.
January 4, 2022
Great book for beginners. The topics are relevant, easy-to-understand and well illustrated.
November 19, 2021
Great book. Basic breakdown of common dog behaviours and explains why it's happening. The reason I didn't give it a full five stars is because it doesn't go into very much detail of how to fix the common issues- they keep it more high-level, but I would still recommend for any new dog owners.
November 5, 2020
What's my dog thinking? Excellent question. One I asked myself often during the 13 1/2 life span of Teddy, our puggle who passed away two years ago, and almost constantly over the last six months as we raise our new puggle puppy, Charlie.
Why does Charlie dig and bury his treats? Why does he zoom like a maniac? Why does he eat grass, hump other dogs, sniff "absolutely" everything? And most of all, why does he keep jumping up on people? Well, because they have treats -- I already knew the answer to that one. But how do I get him to stop?
Hannah Malloy asks and most importantly answers these and myriad other questions about dog behavior and what to do about it. And she does it in a layout that is highly appealing -- one question across a two page spread, nicely illustrated, laying out the question, the answer to what is my dog thinking, and what should I do about it in the short and long term.
Other segments are thrown in as well, like how to choose a puppy and what to do when you bring him home, how dogs greet each other or chase prey, etc. Not every section or question is going to be relevant to your experience -- Charlie for example loves people, children and other dogs and socializes well, so those chapters didn't speak to me directly (but I read them in order to write this review).
What I love about Malloy's answers is that she embraces unconventional answers -- not unconventional from a canine behavioral point of view, but unconventional from an owner's anthropomorphic tendencies (for example, the answer to why does my dog smile is, he doesn't, that's us personifying what may very well be an aggressive baring of teeth).
There are a couple of touchstones that convince me of Malloy's expertise, a couple of things I already knew, like the smile question, and dogs eating grass because they crave chlorophyll, and dogs being able to tell time because of their amazing sense of smell. That made me trust her in all the areas where I didn't know the answers in advance.
This book is not meant strictly as a training guide. Nor did it fully satisfy my desire for a scientific exploration of how dogs think (partly, not fully). But it is fun and informative in both of those areas, easy to read and reference (I pulled it out several times in the dog park to help other people understand their dogs), and well worth any dog lover's time and investment.
Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. This rave review is completely honest.
Why does Charlie dig and bury his treats? Why does he zoom like a maniac? Why does he eat grass, hump other dogs, sniff "absolutely" everything? And most of all, why does he keep jumping up on people? Well, because they have treats -- I already knew the answer to that one. But how do I get him to stop?
Hannah Malloy asks and most importantly answers these and myriad other questions about dog behavior and what to do about it. And she does it in a layout that is highly appealing -- one question across a two page spread, nicely illustrated, laying out the question, the answer to what is my dog thinking, and what should I do about it in the short and long term.
Other segments are thrown in as well, like how to choose a puppy and what to do when you bring him home, how dogs greet each other or chase prey, etc. Not every section or question is going to be relevant to your experience -- Charlie for example loves people, children and other dogs and socializes well, so those chapters didn't speak to me directly (but I read them in order to write this review).
What I love about Malloy's answers is that she embraces unconventional answers -- not unconventional from a canine behavioral point of view, but unconventional from an owner's anthropomorphic tendencies (for example, the answer to why does my dog smile is, he doesn't, that's us personifying what may very well be an aggressive baring of teeth).
There are a couple of touchstones that convince me of Malloy's expertise, a couple of things I already knew, like the smile question, and dogs eating grass because they crave chlorophyll, and dogs being able to tell time because of their amazing sense of smell. That made me trust her in all the areas where I didn't know the answers in advance.
This book is not meant strictly as a training guide. Nor did it fully satisfy my desire for a scientific exploration of how dogs think (partly, not fully). But it is fun and informative in both of those areas, easy to read and reference (I pulled it out several times in the dog park to help other people understand their dogs), and well worth any dog lover's time and investment.
Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. This rave review is completely honest.
July 12, 2025
If you have known many dogs in your life, much of the content this book will seem like common sense, but sometimes common sense does need to be stated by a qualified expert in order for people to fully take it on board. Though currently without a dog companion, my hope and intention is to have one at some point, when life circumstances allow.
This book is largely structured around common questions the author is asked when in the course of her work as an animal behaviourist. She makes many points that, unfortunately, still need to be stressed to many dog owners, such as that spraying things in your dog's face to discourage them from certain behaviours only serves to stress them out, and taking a generally aggressive approach to training (such as shouting at your dog) is essentially counterproductive.
I have, once or twice, seen people shout at their dogs until the poor creatures shake with fear. There are genuinely people who believe that notions of 'good' and 'bad' behaviour apply to dogs in the same way as to humans, and act as if they've been somehow deliberately defied in a deep moral transgression if the dog acts other than they wish. Apart from the stupidity of this approach, it's a really disturbing thing to witness humans terrifying their dogs. People who do this are always so cocksure of the correctness of their position that it's hard to know how to reason with them in relation to it. Maybe they will take advice from someone with a qualification who advocates for a more compassionate approach to these often quite sensitive creatures.
I'd recommend this book to anyone who simply wants to understand their Doggo more deeply, or who is thinking of getting a dog needs a few pointers on training. Molloy is really knowledgeable and practical, and no matter how much experience you have with dogs, there is bound to be something new that you learn from this book. I learned a few new things about dog gestures and their probable meanings that had never really occurred to me before. This book is highly readable and compassionate in its approach.
This book is largely structured around common questions the author is asked when in the course of her work as an animal behaviourist. She makes many points that, unfortunately, still need to be stressed to many dog owners, such as that spraying things in your dog's face to discourage them from certain behaviours only serves to stress them out, and taking a generally aggressive approach to training (such as shouting at your dog) is essentially counterproductive.
I have, once or twice, seen people shout at their dogs until the poor creatures shake with fear. There are genuinely people who believe that notions of 'good' and 'bad' behaviour apply to dogs in the same way as to humans, and act as if they've been somehow deliberately defied in a deep moral transgression if the dog acts other than they wish. Apart from the stupidity of this approach, it's a really disturbing thing to witness humans terrifying their dogs. People who do this are always so cocksure of the correctness of their position that it's hard to know how to reason with them in relation to it. Maybe they will take advice from someone with a qualification who advocates for a more compassionate approach to these often quite sensitive creatures.
I'd recommend this book to anyone who simply wants to understand their Doggo more deeply, or who is thinking of getting a dog needs a few pointers on training. Molloy is really knowledgeable and practical, and no matter how much experience you have with dogs, there is bound to be something new that you learn from this book. I learned a few new things about dog gestures and their probable meanings that had never really occurred to me before. This book is highly readable and compassionate in its approach.
May 22, 2025
Just finished this book while out at tracking trials. It was the perfect read!
The entire book is laid out to teach about body language and the function of a behaviour, in a range of situations, in a delightfully easy to understand format.
Every double page spread would make its own great standalone poster or infographic. Most spreads are set around a “problem” or behaviour, then follows up with a beautiful painting about the body language and signs to note, what the reason/function is likely to be, how to respond to the behaviour in the short term and then how to respond in the long term. All set out in only two pages to help the owner identify and understand what is going on.
It also has double page spreads scattered throughout the book with the most clear illustrations on interactions like predation, playing together, greeting movements etc. The illustrations are seriously amazing with the little annotations pointing out even the most subtle of changes. Great little body language reference book.
I almost don’t want to return it to the library and I’ve not decided yet if I should just buy my own copy. It certainly gave me lots to think about the reasons behind even the most smallest of behaviours that I hadn't considered before, even as an "advanced" dog owner.
Nice and easy read despite being a dense book, lots and lots of information, incredibly accessible. Will be sharing bits in my obedience newsletter for sure.
(Some small things here and there I didn't care for eg about comforting dogs in storms, breeding or overusing crates, but overall not enough to lower the rating)
The entire book is laid out to teach about body language and the function of a behaviour, in a range of situations, in a delightfully easy to understand format.
Every double page spread would make its own great standalone poster or infographic. Most spreads are set around a “problem” or behaviour, then follows up with a beautiful painting about the body language and signs to note, what the reason/function is likely to be, how to respond to the behaviour in the short term and then how to respond in the long term. All set out in only two pages to help the owner identify and understand what is going on.
It also has double page spreads scattered throughout the book with the most clear illustrations on interactions like predation, playing together, greeting movements etc. The illustrations are seriously amazing with the little annotations pointing out even the most subtle of changes. Great little body language reference book.
I almost don’t want to return it to the library and I’ve not decided yet if I should just buy my own copy. It certainly gave me lots to think about the reasons behind even the most smallest of behaviours that I hadn't considered before, even as an "advanced" dog owner.
Nice and easy read despite being a dense book, lots and lots of information, incredibly accessible. Will be sharing bits in my obedience newsletter for sure.
(Some small things here and there I didn't care for eg about comforting dogs in storms, breeding or overusing crates, but overall not enough to lower the rating)
February 15, 2021
"What's My Dog Thinking? Understand Your Dog to Give Them a Happy Life"
by Hannah Molloy
Reviewed: 15 Feb 2021
I run a dog rescue in Brisbane and am very fascinated with the way dogs communicate to each other and with us. If only more people would learn to read their dogs better, we would not have the amount of surrendered dogs that we do in rescues. This book is very informative with basic information. I've recently had a meeting with Dog Trainer Shannon from A Furever Life and she mentioned about the Canine Aggression Ladder, which is also mentioned in this book on page 150-151. I wish all dog owners would read this book and understand what our dogs are attempting to tell us with their eyes, ears, tails, and body positions. This book is super helpful for anyone who owns a dog or is thinking about getting a dog or even the general public who needs to understand when a dog wants to be approached or not.
The illustrations in this book are fantastic and will be helpful to the visual readers. The author only explains each point in a rudimentary way. If you want thorough explanations on helping your dog with a specific issue, there are different books that may address your concern better.
Overall, a good read for the newbie puppy owner.
by Hannah Molloy
Reviewed: 15 Feb 2021
I run a dog rescue in Brisbane and am very fascinated with the way dogs communicate to each other and with us. If only more people would learn to read their dogs better, we would not have the amount of surrendered dogs that we do in rescues. This book is very informative with basic information. I've recently had a meeting with Dog Trainer Shannon from A Furever Life and she mentioned about the Canine Aggression Ladder, which is also mentioned in this book on page 150-151. I wish all dog owners would read this book and understand what our dogs are attempting to tell us with their eyes, ears, tails, and body positions. This book is super helpful for anyone who owns a dog or is thinking about getting a dog or even the general public who needs to understand when a dog wants to be approached or not.
The illustrations in this book are fantastic and will be helpful to the visual readers. The author only explains each point in a rudimentary way. If you want thorough explanations on helping your dog with a specific issue, there are different books that may address your concern better.
Overall, a good read for the newbie puppy owner.
October 16, 2020
As fluent in dog as I considered myself before, I learned so much from this gorgeous volume. This is a wonderfully useful book for anyone trying to get to know dogs better. The author is a behavior specialist and she answers specific questions that will seem familiar to dog people everywhere. Her insight is deep and her advice useful. I’ve used similar techniques in the past, but I started to tweak them after reading this and I’m happy to report that they worked on my Aussie, Max. I am already using some new tricks that I learned in this book. Even if the book includes photographs, they aren’t really needed, since the illustrations by Mark Scheibmayr show everything that the author is trying to explain. I recognized all the boys I’ve had throughout my life in all of them and now, thanks to Hannah Molloy I will be able to read them much better. I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/DK!
October 19, 2020
Interesting book about dogs with lots of labeled illustrations. This would be a nice book for beginner dog owners or those considering buying a dog.
What’s My Dog Thinking covers topics such as barking, walking, treats, biting, aggression, playing, and some information about breeds. It shares tips using illustrations of the various body parts and body language of dogs.
This is probably not a the book for you if you need detailed training guidance or in depth research about dog breeds. But a fun, easy read for anyone looking for an overview on a variety of dog behaviors.
What’s My Dog Thinking covers topics such as barking, walking, treats, biting, aggression, playing, and some information about breeds. It shares tips using illustrations of the various body parts and body language of dogs.
This is probably not a the book for you if you need detailed training guidance or in depth research about dog breeds. But a fun, easy read for anyone looking for an overview on a variety of dog behaviors.
October 14, 2020
I wanted to read this book because, as the mom of a Maltese, I often really wonder what he's thinking. I read this book in one sitting. It is beautifully illustrated and doesn't overwhelm the reader with information. It would be a perfect gift for someone who's just adopted or gotten a new puppy or dog. I learned some new things that I will be trying with my own dog. Definitely a purchase for my library and I recommend to anyone who has a dog in the house.
November 2, 2020
This is a very easy-to-read book that is rich in information on dog behavior and care. The illustrations are beautiful! This is a great read (and gift idea) for those with a new dog and anyone motivated to have a better relationship with their dog.
Thank you, DK and NetGalley, for a digital ARC!
Thank you, DK and NetGalley, for a digital ARC!
August 27, 2022
Granted, I've not read a bunch of books pertaining to understanding, living with and training dogs. However, Hannah, writes from experience and wisdom with humor and detailed explanations of how to read your dog's body language to know what is being communicated to humans if they'll only learn to observe and speak "Dog." I found her book both informative and entertaining.
February 27, 2023
Good high level information about many different behaviours and issues that could come up when having a dog. Compassionate approach comes through in every page. Illustrations and quality of print is also great.
For those looking to address any specific issues, it would be good to have references for further reading or materials beyond the (very helpful!) basics covered in the book currently.
For those looking to address any specific issues, it would be good to have references for further reading or materials beyond the (very helpful!) basics covered in the book currently.
January 3, 2021
Great overview of common dog behaviors. Easy to read and flip through, and the illustrations are immensely helpful.
January 9, 2021
entertaining book but does not really answer the question many times
January 9, 2021
Top illustrations! Easy to use! Fun ! Discussions at dinner! Factual! Helpful!
December 1, 2022
Pretty good. I learned some new things.
January 15, 2023
Very helpful! This book is more of a guide, and not a reading book, but it's great and super helpful to reference back to.
February 19, 2023
This book is structured much like dinosaur books for kids, with little tidbits in info boxes dispersed among lots of photos. Not something I can focus my attention on as an adult, personally.
February 16, 2025
Many useful contexts - not just for better dogs but to be a better person too! “Atavistic behavior”, Trigger stacking and many many useful concepts to think within a relationship framework.
November 22, 2022
Illustrations were really good. Helped me understand certain weird behaviours of my dog.
May 5, 2025
Educational but not groundbreaking. Was a good read but overall nothing new or interesting came from this.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews