Wag: The Science of Making Your Dog Happy

by Zazie Todd, Marty Becker (Foreword)

An alternate cover edition of this book can be found here.

A psychologist and respected dog trainer shares the secrets to a happy pooch.

Did you know that seemingly noiseless electronics may be upsetting your dog? Or that letting her sniff the breeze is one of the best gifts you can give her?

Wag bridges the gap between human and canine by demystifying the inner lives of dogs to share evidence-based advice for making them happy. Acclaimed blogger Zazie Todd distills the latest canine science and shares recommendations from leading veterinarians, researchers, and trainers to cultivate a rewarding and respectful relationship with your dog—which offers many benefits for you, your family, and your four-legged friend.

Genres: Dogs, Nonfiction, Animals, Psychology, Audiobook, Science, Adult

299 pages, Paperback

First published March 10, 2020

Reviews

[Diana · Rating 5 out of 5]

4'5*

Easy to follow, full of studies and references to back up the author's word, comprehensive and full of things to learn about ethology.

I will be sharing my review on January 5, 2022 here https://youtu.be/h7wFLfCWFvY

[George Bolte · Rating 5 out of 5]

I personally have well over 100 books about dogs, dog training and dog behavior. I also have 3 dogs myself. I am a highly dedicated dog trainer for "companion" dogs, continually enhancing my personal education on the subject.This book is not a repeat of what I have learned from all the other trainers, behaviorist and scientist I have studied. It is not a training book per se, even though it will greatly aid your training efforts. I often tell my clients "If you want to give your dog the best life possible, you need to get educated". We can't teach our dogs how to navigate our unpredictable, sometimes confusing human world, without understanding how they learn and what motivates them. Because dogs can't talk to us how do we know the kind of life they would prefer? Her book Wag The Science of Making Your Dog Happy answers those questions and much more. Zazie's book Wag The Science of Making Your Dog Happy will educate you in a  most delightful and engaging way. I highly recommend it.

[Cranky Commentary (Melinda) · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was necessary for me to skim this book, as the writing was dry as a bone (nyuk nyuk 🙃). Maybe it’s because I’ve read so many informational books about dogs already, or maybe it’s because I already knew most of the information.

I did learn some trivial facts. I’ve known that shock collars and invisible electric fences are a bad idea. I’ve seen good dogs turned into nervous wrecks, especially with those damn fences. What I didn’t know, is that these are illegal in many countries. Good for them. But why does USA have to be so slow to implement laws for animal welfare? Declawing cats is still legal in all but 6 states and D. C., and is often encouraged by money-hungry vets. Shameful. But I digress.

I do agree with the training techniques. Like child-rearing books, though, there are wild differences in opinions. My opinion is in agreement with this one, if you can plod through the reading. It’s written like an egg-head scientific journal, with foot notes galore.

I’m going to give this 3 stars, because the information is good.

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this pretty quickly because I skimmed quite a bit. Most of it did not apply to the situation we are experiencing at home with our lab, but it still helped confirm that we are doing everything right. Everything I did read was interesting and exceptionally researched.

[Carla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, I really liked how Zazie took so much science and research, condensed into this book and also made it understandable for everyday dog owners! Well, I can't say that I'm an everyday dog owner because I have many years of experience in dog behavior. However, even with all that experience and training, I still learned several new nuggets from her book. I love the "How to Apply the Science at Home" that's at the end of each chapter. It breaks down the main points from the chapter with practical information that you should know (or do) for your dog. I love, love, the "Checklist for a Happy Dog" in the back of the book! The book covers the entire lifespan of a dog, from beginning to end. I have to admit, I glossed over the end because even though it's been over 4 years since I had to put my beloved dog down (who got me on the dog behavior path), it was still hard to read. Just like it was hard for Zazie to write after losing her beloved Ghost. Well done Zazie! I've enjoyed your blog the last 7 years or so, this book is awesome, and I hope for more to come!

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this would be a great book for a new dog or puppy owner, good to keep in mind for gift-giving if I know someone who's getting one. I didn't necessarily learn tons I didn't know already, but I love reading about dogs so I guess I'm fairly well informed. (Well informed but not perfect at all -- it's not always easy to turn reading into actions!) I loved the anecdotes about her dogs Ghost and Bodger, who had very different personalities. It's well organized, and I like the philosophy that dogs have different likes and dislikes and to pay attention to what's best for each dog.

[Christie Bane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very good book about making your dog’s life as happy as possible, for people who care about doing that. (I certainly do!) It summarizes a lot of research studies in a way that makes them very accessible to a non-scientist, and explains exactly how regular dog owners can translate those findings into improving their dogs’ lives. The book educates on the topic of dog welfare but without being militant about it (I have a serious issue with extreme dog welfare activists, especially when their recommendations affect the handlers of working dogs negatively, but this book doesn’t go that path.) I would say this is probably the best modern book I can think of to regular dog owners (not dog trainers) who would like to go the extra mile to learn more about their dogs.

[Lindsay · Rating 3 out of 5]

wasn't what i was expecting. it was a dog training book as opposed to tips on how to make your dog happy. it was very well researched though and i liked the stories about her dogs

[Weisser · Rating 1 out of 5]

Utterly useless. Research is included but invariably results in a pop-psychology gloss. Any actual issue a dog-owner would want help on (say, heightened fear responses or leash-reactivity), the answer is inevitably: hire a specialist, or "there are a number of good YouTube videos on this." The author's specialty is in human psychology; as for dogs, she is merely a "certified dog trainer," which she herself admits in the book is a meaningless designation.

BuzzFeed and Medium already exist if you need empty scientistic articles. Pass on this.

[Seana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous book chock full of valuable information about your dog’s development, senses, and personality as well as evidence-based strategies for care-taking, enrichment, and training. By a leading expert in dog behavior, training, and companion animal psychology, this easy-to-read book brings new insights to dog owners and lovers on how to keep their furry family members of the canine variety happy.

[Shel · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely, informative, well-organized book! As a fan of the author's Companion Animal Psychology blog, I enjoyed how all these nuggets of wisdom for dog friends came together in this book. Particularly liked the Checklist for a Happy Dog at the end of the book. Evidence-based guide with practical tips for applying the science re: how dogs learn, grooming, vet visits, walks, enrichment, food, senior dogs, and end of life decisions.

Recommended for: Dog people!

Pairs well with: From Fearful to Fear Free, by Marty Becker, as a practical guide for people who want to do right by their dog (s), and Unleashing Your Dog by Marc Bekoff and Jessica Pierce -- and the Companion Animal Psychology blog, of course!

[Charlston Goch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Real score 4.10. Any reason for not scoring above average, and so improving said average lies entirely with me and the guilt I feel for not going on enough walks with my babies. Guilt is a powerful emotion. This was a wonderfully informative book. I also had to break my rule re books that make me cry getting five stars. Yes, I cried. But if you’re talking about the end of life of these most precious babies of mine, that is 100% expected, and in no way the same as the cathartic tears of fiction. Doesn’t count if you actually break my heart, even preemptively.

[Kyleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great resource for new dog owners or those thinking about getting a dog. Not much at all new to me, but some nice reminders.

[Sami Haeli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Science based and helpful—I found this book easy to read and understand, as well as very useful.

[Teo Ekstrom · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't want to be mean about a dog book--I feel like anyone who spends their life learning about dogs and trying to help other people learn deserves a lot of credit. I just didn't get a whole lot out of this one.

The layout was fairly repetitive--basically, a chapter would open on a topic (Aging Dogs, or Daily Exercise). Then, the author would summarize every study they could find on the topic. The results were rarely dramatic. It would be things like "In a study of 8 border collies, dogs who slept on the bed did not report increased signs of aggression than dogs who did not sleep on the bed. However, they did wag their tail 5% more than the control group." I mean, really small n's and really minor results almost all the time.

If you haven't read any dog book ever and you want to read this one, go ahead. It won't hurt you and it does have a lot of decent dog information. However, I can't recommend it if you've already read a good number of books and you're looking to expand your knowledge.

[Robyn Youl · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE WONDER OF WAG!

Dear Dog Owner. Start on Wag - the way to change a dog’s day! A dog is not a slave. It is a sentient being. COVID 19 is the time to transform. Grow into Canine Guardianship. Capture the wonder of “Wag”. Follow Dr. Todd and make curiouser and curiouser discoveries about dogdom. I was ensnared, surprised by joy at such a bounteous harvest of information, of intimacy with dogs and radiant connection with them. “Wag” demands some fun! QED, the Papillon wishes to respond. (Robyn Youl, QED’s Hapless Guardian) A Review From QED: Chere Renarde: Your instincts and insight into our species are just what humans need. What a predatory mind for information you have. You hunt it down for humans. You’ve snatched the facts, dug up the humans who are experts on us dogs and put it all together into one handy volume. This is the book humans should be reading now they have all been put on the chain by COVID 19. My human loved it. I enjoyed the “let’s think about it” walks after each chapter. She pondered, I piddled. I especially enjoyed her changed behaviour after she read the bits about anthropomorphism - now at last she does not have to be a closet Fur Mama. Bonjours ma renarde, QED - Le Patron

[Michael Knolla · Rating 2 out of 5]

As a social psychologist the author is no doubt familiar with issues in their own field like the replicability crisis (that the results of many studies are not consistent when the study is repeated calling into question the conclusions), small sample sizes, lack of diversity in test subjects, etc. While some acknowledgment is given of this given that, unsurprisingly there is less dog related social psychology studies than human AND that the author has a very clear agenda that they seem to be preferencing when choosing which studies to cite there is a real issue in how much weight to give anything put forward in this book. Beyond that it very much reads as a blog to book with lots of often only semi-related smaller subjects stuffed together under a broader chapter head.

Interesting enough I guess for what it is but as prep for a new puppy or guidance for our existing pets this one missed the mark for me.

[Irene · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh. If you're a responsible dog owner who does your research on dog care topics, attends dog classes & activities, and keeps up with dog news through blogs, podcasts, & reputable Facebook dog groups, then I don't think you're going to find much new or actionable here.

More than likely, you're already implementing many of Zazie Todd's suggestions, but you probably know a dog owner or two who could benefit from reading this book that scrapes together a variety of science content.

Please visit my dog blog McSquare Doodles to read my full book review for Wag: The Science of Making Your Dog Happy.

[Jade Caprio · Rating 2 out of 5]

I would recommend reading Tyler Muto's blog post, A Silent Killer to understand why I think this book is so...well, deadly.
And, full disclosure, I did not, and will not fully read this book, I will not take the advice of someone who called e collars cruel based on a very problematic study.
I will not take the advice of someone who would rather use a no pull harness over a prong collar even though there are VERY credible studies detailing how bad they are for a dog's structure.
And tbh, as soon as the term "WALKIES!" came up I knew I was in for a ride.
To quote Tyler's blog post "death before discomfort" that is truly what this book reminds me of. In a perfect world a reward based training approach would work miraculously for every dog. But we do not live In a perfect world.

[Amanda C · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you’re thinking about getting a dog, have never read a book about dogs and generally are inexperienced with dogs, this book is 5 stars. A lot of basics from diet to lifespan are included, along with a check list towards the end to take inventory on if your dogs needs are being met.

If you are familiar with dogs or dog training, need specific breed information or are dealing with a particular issue-I wouldn’t read this. Instead, get a breed specific book by an expert for the kind of dog you own.

This book cites what feels like hundreds of very small studies that support the authors perspective on positive reinforcement and operant conditioning-both of which are valid approaches but research supporting other methods was non-existent (and the research does exist!)

[Judith · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am not sure who is the audience for this book. Maybe someone who has never had a dog or been with a dog? I was expecting a snappy short book about the things you could do, in particular to make your dog happy (as the title indicates). Instead I found an encyclopedia of dogs starting from how to select a dog, etc. . . .zzzzzzzzz---whoops I fell asleep just trying to describe this book. I could have gone straight to the chapter about what makes a dog happy but guess what---that chapter wasn't included. I love dogs and I love books but I just couldn't muddle through this one.

[Krista · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm going to go ahead and say it: I think everyone who has a dog or is thinking of getting a dog should read this book. It covers key topics and presents each topic alongside summaries of recent studies (and includes references to all of the studies for anyone who wants to look them up specifically). While some things will (hopefully) be extremely obvious to most of my friends and family (like don't use a choke collar on your dog, don't hit your dog, etc.), there are nuances to positive reinforcement training that I definitely didn't understand until I began my journey to try to uncover the latest thinking on dog behaviour and training dogs.

This book won't tell you everything and there are many parts where I wish there would've been more details, but towards the end I started to realise why it wasn't filled with details: dogs are individuals and for many specific questions there are no easy general answers to work for all dogs. You should speak to your vet, speak to a dog trainer, speak to a dog behaviour specialist, speak to someone who's an expert on your particular breed/type of dog for more specific questions. However, this book offers a great starting place to build a solid foundation and the information in it is based on the very latest studies. The concepts are explained clearly and each chapter has a good summary of the key points. There's also a very helpful checklist/quiz at the end of the book to help assess how you're doing and what you might still need to work on.

There's a lot of information about dogs out there, and sadly a lot of it is still based on older studies that don't reflect what we now know about dogs. I think there's still a lot to learn, but we already know more than enough to make decisions about how to treat dogs and how to live with them - with the kindness and respect that they deserve. With the help of this book, you can work on making your dog's life happier and more fulfilling.

[Fuzzy Cow · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pets can be troublesome. They are extraordinarily poor communicators, but they do communicate. They are also the pet owners responsibility. We need to be responsible for their care, and their happiness. But how do we do that? Zazie Todd tries to provide some insight, especially insight backed by studies.

In general, there are two part to this book. There's the antecedent section, where we learned about Zazie's two pets, and how she relates the them. The other section is different training techniques and reports on studies that show the benefits of that technique. In general, the book tries to go through the stages of dog ownership through the life of the pet.

In general, I didn't feel like this was a super exploratory book. It talked about all the fads in training and some common misconceptions. Unfortunately, it felt as if the opinion of the author was already decided for each of these studies. In some ways, that's great. It means that the author clearly edited/rewrote this book and developed a consistent opinion. On the other side, it felt like there was no room for another opinion. It's difficult to be the expert and allow space to "be wrong" but as the book is currently written feels very safe. I would have liked a chapter showing where the science is going, what science is unsettled.

I don't think this is a bad book. As a new pet owner, I believe that this book primed me to think more deeply about training. I believe that this have been helpful for me. Maybe I'm being too harsh. Maybe pet ownership is too serious of a topic to be controversial. However, as the book continued, it felt as if the author was leading, rather than showing. Regardless, very informative.

[mysilicielka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Podobało mi się, że autorka nie kreuje się na wszechwiedzącą zaklinaczkę psów. Książkę stanowią w głównej mierze jej swobodne opowieści o życiu z adoptowanymi czworonogami oraz przytaczanie różnorodnych badań nad psami czy podawanie danych statystycznych. Z jednej strony jest to o tyle ciekawe, bo pozwala nam na chwilę „wejść w skórę psa”, zrozumieć wiele procesów z jego perspektywy. Z drugiej strony osoby, które mają jakieś problemy ze zwierzakiem (a takie zazwyczaj sięgają po tego typu pozycje), nie znajdą tutaj pomocy, tylko taką suchą wiedzę.

Autorka proponuje podawanie smaczków trochę jak złoty środek na wszystko, a ja w tym czasie kątem oka zerkałam na mojego psa, który jest niejadkiem i ma bardzo wrażliwy żołądek… Być może u większości właścicieli to zadziała. Są jednak pewne przypadki, których nie przeskoczymy, musimy się zwrócić do specjalisty (weterynarz, treser, behawiorysta), o czym również często przypomina autorka.

Dlatego polecam książkę czytelnikom, których po prostu ciekawi życie psa, jego natura i potrzeby. To nie jest wilk, który w domu tylko czyha na okazję, by objąć dominację, to nie jest także ludzkie dziecko, które możemy rozpieszczać do przesady i karmić deserami z naszego talerza. Pies jest psem i zgadzam się w tym, że wielu problemów w naszych ludzko-zwierzęcych relacjach moglibyśmy uniknąć, gdyby edukacja na ten temat była powszechniejsza.

[TomyAllen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall I enjoyed reading this book. The anecdotal stuff from the authors own dogs was cute. Also shared some advice and little quotes from other people in the field of dog training, care, and owning. Having so many pieces of science in there is also encouraging. It's good news to see more studies being done...though it's not enough yet. And the lists at the end of each chapter that tell you how to apply the information gained to your own life are very helpful.

However there are definitely a few cons:

• While it quoted many scientific reviews it also needs to be understood that there are very few studies that have actually been done (Particularly peer-reviewed and unbiased by companies) and none on a large enough scale involving many breeds and circumstances...so really it's not conclusive evidence.

•It can be very dry. Some of it feels repetitive or just not really useful or helpful

•The author pushes reward based training to the exclusion of all else. Going so far as to demonize certain training tools.

For those of us with a lot of research already done and lots of background and experience this may not be the best book for you. But for someone newer to the subject may find the information within helpful...though you should never limit your to one source of information.

[Tori · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book offers easy to read advice on everything from training to play to food in order to improve your dog's happiness. I've always been interested in pet behavior and psychology, so it was fascinating to learn more about it. I'd consider myself somewhat experienced with dogs, and while I knew a lot of the information in here, I also learned quite a lot. Some of the advice is geared more towards people who are thinking of getting a new puppy, but there is also plenty of ideas for experienced dog owners to help improve their dog's quality of life even more. I wish this book had been around when my dog was a puppy, because it debunks a lot of training misconceptions, many of which my family received back when we first got him. Ideas like dogs are similar to wolves in behavior (they're actually not) and you have to be the "alpha" in the relationship, or that scolding is an effective punishment for bad behavior. The book is very clearly written, with scientific studies broken down in an easy to understand way and bullet points at the end of each chapter giving advice on how you can put the information into practice. If you own a dog or are considering getting one, this book would be a great one to read.

[Kate Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a dog trainer, I loved this book. Did I necessarily learn anything shocking or new as someone in the field? No. But it’s easily digestible for people who aren’t dog experts which makes it perfect for 90% of my clients! It’s not filled with training info they don’t know how to execute properly. It’s using real life studies that are happening now rather than the same old studies from 30+ years ago. And Zazie is a fantastic story teller. How she wove in tales of her current dog and heart dog was so relatable and made this book go by in a flash. I will hand this book out to everyone just stepping foot into the world of dogs because it’s the first book I’ve read that is written purely for the dogs happiness and not make a handlers life easier.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read a lot of dog books. I wanted to love this one, it got great reviews and I was really excited to read it.
I was disappointed. I learned a few new things but I came away with the feeling that the author thinks anyone who has a dog should devote nearly their entire life to making the dog happy. If I didn't have a job and bills to pay, I might agree.
One thing she insists is vital for a dog is a bed to sleep on - my dog would tear that up in a hot second but I felt as if I'm a bad dog owner because I don't give him a new one daily to rip up - because ripping it up would also be and enrichment activity.
I'm not sorry I read it, but I doubt I'll ever go back to its pages

[Jessica Hayes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this book is great! It is quite dense—it’s science-backed so there’s a lot of data from research presented throughout each chapter.

Although dense, I think this book is so important! Anyone who wishes to own a dog should read this before making the decision and bringing a dog into their home. Current dog owners should also read this— I grew up with dogs my whole life, and now have one of my own. I learned a great deal of what I could be doing better and differently to provide my dog with a better, safer, and happier life.

I highly recommend this to all hopeful and current dog owners!

[Marcia Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a dog owner myself, I thought this book might be instructive, helpful, and a guide to explore new ways to improve my dog's life. It was written by dedicated animal specialists, using data gathered from experiments, evaluations, canine interactions, and so on.

Some reading may find new information in this book, but its constant use of scientific data wound up being a bit daunting. As any dog parent knows, each dog has his or her own unique ways of communicating, interacting with humans and other pets, and enjoying life. In the end, I was glad to have read most of the book, but did not find it as helpful as I had hoped.