Unleashing Your Dog Lib/E: A Field Guide to Giving Your Canine Companion the Best Life Possible

by Marc Bekoff

The phrase "it's a dog's life" connotes happy-go-lucky days of pleasure and ease. But our canine companions are in many ways our captives. No matter how cushy their captivity, we decide what and when they eat; where they sleep, poop, and play; when they can walk and when they must sit or stay. As the demand for dog trainers and veterinary behaviorists attests, dogs are not naturally adapted to living with and among modern humans. They give up a lot of freedom and instinctual pleasure, as well as their innate strategies for coping with stress and anxiety, in exchange for the comfort and care they get from humans. Bekoff and Pierce show that it is possible to let dogs be dogs without wreaking havoc on our own lives. They begin by illuminating the true nature of dogs and helping us "walk in their paws." They reveal what smell, taste, touch, sight, and hearing mean to dogs and then guide readers through everyday ways of enhancing a dog's freedom and minimizing deprivations in safe, mutually happy ways. The rewards, they show, are great -- for dog and human alike.

Genres: Nonfiction, Dogs, Animals, Audiobook, Psychology, Biology

Audio CD

First published March 5, 2019

About the author

Please see http://www.literati.net/authors/marc-... and you can read my essays for Psychology Today here -- http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/a... --

Reviews

[Shel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent science-based advice on building the best relationship with your dog. Segmented into the five senses.

"...let your dog be a dog, as much as possible, as often as possible, and with as much patience and goodwill as possible."

Interesting fact:
Humans have 9,000 taste buds.
Dogs: 1,700 can't taste umami (savory)
Pigs: 14,000
Chickens: 30
Cats: 470 can't taste sweet

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a delightful book! It will definitely affect our lives with our six-month-old puppy. The authors’ overall philosophy toward life with dogs is reasonable, profound, and thought-provoking. I appreciate the strong research foundation of the information and recommendations. The writing style is light-hearted and enjoyable, and the book is a quick read overall. Highly recommended.

[Bonnie Kutch · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish every dog owner would heed the advice in this book. Of the many dog books I've read, it seems that Marc Bekoff understands canines better than any authority out there, and recognizes dogs for the amazing, intelligent, sensitive beings that they are. His earlier book, "Canine Confidential," conveys the same level of compassion for dogs and stresses the need to respect them as unique individuals, each with their own set of needs, desires and quirks. I highly recommend that anyone who owns or works with dogs to read this book as a reminder of how dogs feel living in captivity, whether it's in our own homes, foster homes or in shelters. Dogs definitely deserve the best life possible.

[Tabby · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a interesting read into the ethical issues that surround dog guardianship. It includes many different ways of enhancing our dogs lives with the scientific research and reasoning to back it up.

The chapter which details how dogs could be considered a captive species did make for some uncomfortable reading as I wanted to scoff and say the authors took it too far however the reasons set out made for a very persuasive argument.

[Wesley · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lot of basic knowledge that every dog owner should possess. Very easy to digest, very well structured. And probably experienced owners learn a thing or two while reading this.
Like the title says, it's a field guide and I think this is a must-read for every new dog owner. And a recommendation for all others.

[Cristina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Me ha encantado, el ABC de la tenencia canina para dueños primerizos

[Tristy at New World Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

Endorsements:
“Imagine having dogs stand up and tell you how to give them their best lives. While they can’t (or, at least, it can be tricky to translate what they’re saying), Marc Bekoff and Jessica Pierce can. This book beautifully uses the science of dogs to help dog people bring compassion to our lives with them.”
— Alexandra Horowitz, head of the Dog Cognition Lab at Barnard College and author of Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell, and Know and Being a Dog: Following the Dog Into a World of Smell

“This is not just another dog book. It’s a dog manifesto! Written by two supremely gifted experts, Unleashing Your Dog reveals not only what your dog wants but why. You owe it to your dog to read this book!”
— Sy Montgomery, author of The Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration Into the Wonder of Consciousness and How to Be a Good Creature: A Memoir in Thirteen Animals

“As always, Marc Bekoff and Jessica Pierce champion the dog’s point of view. Unleashing Your Dog is a scholarly book that is also a delightful must-read for dogs’ human companions. It will enrich their dog savvy and improve their dogs’ quality of life by giving them the opportunity to experience life through their dogs’ eyes — well, actually, their noses and ears. I loved this book.”
— Dr. Ian Dunbar, author of Before and After Getting Your Puppy: The Positive Approach to Raising a Happy, Healthy, and Well-Behaved Dog

“A must-read for all dog owners. We could all do with understanding our canine companions a bit better.”
— Modern Dog

“This insightful and thought-provoking book offers information about the inner lives of our dogs that educates while being immensely readable. Marc Bekoff and Jessica Pierce debunk myths (such as that dogs don’t experience jealousy — yes, they do), and explain why off-leash time and opportunities to use their extraordinary senses are so vital to the well-being of our canine friends who are, essentially, living in captivity. This book is a must-read for everyone who wishes to understand dogs and build harmonious relationships with the dogs in their lives.”
— Lisa Tenzin-Dolma, author and principal of the International School for Canine Psychology & Behaviour

“In this remarkably informative, inspirational book, ethologist Marc Bekoff and ethicist Jessica Pierce explore ways we can improve the lives of the dogs we claim to love but too often hold in virtual captivity. Everyone who shares their life with a dog or is thinking of doing so will benefit from this book, as will the dogs. In unleashing their dog, readers might find that they have liberated themselves to once again take joy in small pleasures, like a dog running freely.”
— Mark Derr, author of Dog's Best Friend: Annals of the Dog-Human Relationship, A Dog's History of America: How Our Best Friend Explored, Conquered, and Settled a Continent, and How the Dog Became the Dog: From Wolves to Our Best Friends

“In our modern times it is so easy to forget that, despite all our efforts, our best friends have remained dogs! Marc Bekoff and Jessica Pierce provide a powerful eye-opener on this fact for all dog owners.”
— Dr. Ádám Miklósi, head of ethology at Eötvös Loránd University and director of the Family Dog Project

“Marc Bekoff and Jessica Pierce — both superbly savvy, super dog-knowledgeable and dog-friendly PhDs — make a great team when it comes to helping us understand and provide properly for our dogs. In this glorious book, they urge us to consider dog ownership from the dogs’ point of view, to ‘walk in their paws,’ so to speak. This book will ultimately ensure that your dog has a home for life and you have a much-loved and properly understood canine companion. Two paws up for this great work! Designed to inform and educate in an entertaining and easy-to-read format, it will help dogs and dog owners everywhere live richer lives.”
— Dr. Nicholas Dodman, professor emeritus at Tufts University and author of The Dog Who Loved Too Much: Tales, Treatments and the Psychology of Dogs and The Well-Adjusted Dog: Dr. Dodman's Seven Steps to Lifelong Health and Happiness for Your BestFriend

“Unleashing Your Dog is the go-to book for enriching the lives of dogs. With practical suggestions based on cutting-edge scientific research, Marc Bekoff and Jessica Pierce show how dogs can exercise their senses and bodies to enjoy life to its fullest in a human-dominated world. This easy-to-read guide will enlighten and entertain dog lovers everywhere.”
— Dr. Marty Becker, DVM, author of Your Dog: The Owner's Manual: Hundreds of Secrets, Surprises, and Solutions for Raising a Happy, Healthy Dog

[ReaderofBooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Een interessante mix tussen een essay en populair science. Het boek lijkt enorm erg op "How dogs think" van Stanley Coren, maar is veel korter en minder informatie-dik geschreven. Naast dat dit boek informatie geeft over het gedrag van honden, gaat het boek ook heel erg in op welzijn en ethiek van het houden van honden. Ik vind het heel interessant dat Bekoff de vraag stelt of het houden van honden wel ethisch gerechtvaardigd is. Op basis van wetenschappelijke kennis geeft Bekoff tips hoe we het leven van onze hond prettiger kunnen maken.
Andere handige weetjes: Eigenlijk zou de spreekkamer elke keer na een hond geweest is helemaal geboekt moeten worden, omdat hondjes anders de angst van andere hondjes kunnen ruiken. Elke dag de waterbak goed schoonmaken en vullen met schoonwater is echt nodig, aangezien honden water kunnen proeven en dus ook kunnen proeven dat het niet vers is. Honden leren beter en sneller handgebaren aan dan vocale commando's.

Er waren niet veel nieuwe zaken die in het boek besproken werden voor mij (zeker na Coren's meer uitgebreide boek), maar alsnog interessant om te lezen. Ik zou dit boek aanraden aan hondeneigenaren en -liefhebbers die Coren's boek te dik en wollig vinden en/of die geïnteresseerd zijn om over het welzijn van de hond na te denken.

[Natasha Orslene · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love to read books about how I can be a better pet owner, and this book gave me a lot of great ideas for my boy, Ozzy.

In Unleashing Your Dog: A Field Guide to Giving Your Canine Companion the Best Life Possible by Marc Bekoff and Jessica Pierce, the authors share the concept of "unleashing" your dog, which means finding ways to give them more freedom. They share how dogs operate within and perceive the world around them, and then give detailed ideas and explanations on how to enhance their lives through smell, taste, touch, sight, and hearing.

I got so many ideas from this book that I can put into action immediately. There was a section on ethograms - described as a "menu of what dog's do" in various situations - and I love the idea of being able to understand my dog's behavior and adjust how I communicate with him based on these ethograms.

What I appreciated about this field guide was that the ideas and concepts are accessible to anyone. You don't need anything fancy or have to live in a specific area to do what's best for your beloved pet. You can enhance their lives right now, from where you are, with what you have.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mixed feelings on this one. The intro was eye-opening to me in its exploration of the relationship between humans and their pet dogs. I hoped the book would have concrete tips on how to better support the freedoms of my pets... but in many ways it was lacking. Some stuff was too complex (i.e. making ethograms, which it refers you to other books to learn how to develop). On the flip side, a lot of the advice seemed very basic -- things you maybe shouldn't need to include in a book like this (i.e. protect your dog from noises it doesn't like, only touch dogs when they want to be touched, let dogs sniff their surroundings, etc.). And there were so many times that he said "more research is needed" on this or that, which is not something that's helpful for me to read - I'm not planning on doing that research! There were enough things that were helpful to me that I'd recommend it, though.

[Dayton Martindale · Rating 4 out of 5]

Basic thesis is: dogs are inescapably captive in our society, but evidence suggests they’re happier (and perhaps better behaved) when they have more freedom in their lives. It then suggests a number of small and large practical steps we can take to reduce deprivations and enhance freedoms (even if unfortunately we can’t eliminate captivity). One minor critique is that, while there’s a long bibliography, it doesn’t go that deep explaining much of the research, and there’s a lot where the research is thin (that’s not the author’s fault but sometimes they could have better clarified what motivated each suggestion). Still, its slightness also makes it an easier and more accessible read, which is good for what it is. In sum: perhaps less helpful as a science deep dive than I was hoping, but very successful in its intended use of providing useful tips and interesting facts to dog companions.

[Ash Spedding · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good short read. Not super in depth but it is quite a short book. I've read some other books by Bekoff and Pierce (and various others) so nothing new but a very good overview, concise and "friendly" and accessible for all. Mostly focuses on the sensory life/experience of dogs. I do some work with dogs and think this would be a good read for anyone looking to adopt or purchase a dog as it focuses on the welfare of dogs rather than their training, which is probably the best place to start, with "training" being layered on top after this. If I bred dogs I'd ask any prospective new puppy guardian to read this and this alone before they were considered for puppy from me; being on board with most/all of it would be a good litmus test and I'm not sure I'd want anyone to have a puppy if they had many major objections!

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unleashing Your Dog doesn’t tell you a lot that is new about dogs, but it does tell you where the science is these days. Authors Marc Bekoff and Jessica Pierce are academics from Colorado—Berkoff in biology and Pierce in bioethics. Here are a couple of things I did not know before. A dog’s emotional intelligence and information processing are on different sides of the brain, so it is especially easy for it to get confused by mixed messaging if the emotional resonance for a command is not right. There is a lot we don’t know about tail wagging, but wagging to the left is usually happier than wagging to the right. Who knew? The basic message from Bekoff and Pierce: pay attention to the whole range of doggy behavior. We should watch them as carefully as they watch us.

[Fabian Mariño · Rating 3 out of 5]

Perros libres y sueltos me ayudó a confirmar muchos conceptos que ya tenía, como el tema de dar más libertad a nuestros compañeros caninos. Me enseñó a ver de forma diferente ciertos comportamientos como el juego y la amistad entre perros, especialmente éste último porque en donde actualmente vivo (Alemania) las personas no permiten la socialización entre perros, inclusive es algo que se evita.

La traducción al Español deja mucho que desear, parece una traducción hecha por Google Translate, sería bueno revisar varias expresiones que solamente tienen sentido en una traducción y no en el texto que se está tratando, inclusive hay un texto no traducido "and" en una parte.

En resumen: "Deja que tu perro sea perro, tanto como sea posible"

[Cora · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dry, bland, basic information presented in a less than reader friendly way. Almost seemed text-booky. I quit just a couple of chapters in. Two years ago, I read a far better book by Patricia B. McConnell entitled The Other End of the Leash: Why We Do What We Do Around Dogs. If you are looking to understand dog psychology and a better way to interact with your dog, I would highly recommend that book.

[Cheresa Naudé · Rating 4 out of 5]

Marc's writing is, as always, a delight. This was a very simple, well-researched piece of reading which explains the serious topic of caring for our canine companions in a very light way. Much of the information was already known to me, but it was interesting to read and great to experience like-mindedness in the content. This book is a must for any dog guardian, especially those new to canine companionship.

[Greg · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lot of good theory in this book and some helpful takeaways (especially about body language and interpretation), but also just as many descriptions without digging deeper into what to make of it. For example, many times the authors will end by saying something like "we don't know why this is the case, but it'd be interesting for someone to research it".

[Cyndi Cross · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's a lot of useful information in this book, but some of it should be taken with a grain of salt; as the info only reflects purely positive training methods, and perpetuates false beliefs regarding balanced training methods & some of the tools we might use to encourage the training of difficult or highly reactive dogs.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well-organized and edited with practical advice that applies even to dogs that often cannot be safely unleashed. A book all dog owners should read. It changes your perspective your perspective on your dog's lived experience and hopefully motivates you to make that experience as good as it can be.

[Megan Ley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This point of the book is to give your dog enough freedom that he's happy with enough structure that he's safe. It gives lots of little tips about how to do this and is a quick, easy read. A lot of the information is common knowledge. The book was okay but probably should've been an article.

[Eric · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book! I needed to learn how essential the simple things my new pup does are natural to her and do not to do these things to annoy me. Barking, sniffing butts (lol), licking. I learned to appreciate my dog and her curiosity and wonder. Five stars from me.

[Guillem Rubio Ramon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a good and refreshing read. This book is essential for any dog guardian. It reframes common knowledge from the perspective of dog freedom and humans as the ultimate enablers of it: ‘Dogs have only as much freedom as we allow them’.

[Monica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed the perspective!!

[Greg Soden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! Very helpful for me as I move my three little dogs into their senior years!

[Julie Wienke · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an EXCELLENT book if you have dogs! Bekoff explains all the behavior of our puppers that us humans deem weird.

Highly recommend!

[Mallory Hopkins · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good information. Not super thorough. Writing isn’t very compelling.

[Madeleine Cassidy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really great book on giving perspective on the dog-human relationship and defining basic needs of our canine companions.

[Hasu Long · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very helpful information. I would recommend it to all dog owners. :)

[Maria Lucia Seidl de Moura · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book belongs to my daughter who is a dog trainer. I have read it and learned a lot.

[Diana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just bear in mind that the author is a biologist and not an ethologist or educational trainer, so he is going to know more about evolutionary biology than than ethology or training/education.