Product Description

This is the first book to collate and synthesize the recent burgeoning primary research literature on dog behaviour, evolution, and cognition. The author presents a new ecological approach to the understanding of dog behaviour, demonstrating how dogs can be the subject of rigorous and productive scientific study without the need to confine them to a laboratory environment.
Dog Behaviour, Evolution, and Cognition starts with an overview of the conceptual and methodological issues associated with the study of the dog, followed by a brief description of their role in human society-almost a third of human families share their daily life with the dog! An evolutionary perspective is then introduced with a summary of current research into the process of domestication. The central part of the book is devoted to issues relating to the cognitive aspects of behaviour which have received particular attention in recent years from both psychologists and ethologists. The book's final chapters introduce the reader to many novel approaches to dog behaviour, set in the context of behavioural development and genetics.
Directions for future research are highlighted throughout the text which also incorporates links to human and primate research by drawing on homologies and analogies in both evolution and behaviour. The book will therefore be of relevance and use to anyone with an interest in behavioural ecology including graduate students of animal behaviour and cognition, as well as a more general audience of dog enthusiasts, biologists, psychologists and sociologists.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #61064 in Books
• Published on: 2009-02-15
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 304 pages

Review

"...an important contribution and a must read for every researcher and student interested in ethology in general, and dog ethology in particular." --Trends in Cognitive Sciences

About the Author

Adam Miklosi is a Reader in Biology and the Head of the Department of Ethology at the Eotvos University in Budapest, Hungary. He was awarded a Doctor of Science by the Hungarian Academy of Sciences in 2005 and has more the 40 refereed publications on dog behaviour to his name.
He has also authored the hardback edition of Dog Behaviour, Evolution, and Cognition.

Customer Reviews

The Big Picture
Miklosi sees the big picture and recognizes that what we think we know about dog behavior is flawed and more research needs to be done. Scott- Fuller needs to be expanded upon and Pavlov needs to be looked at. Wolf behavior based training philosophy is flawed because of the way previous research was done. What is called babymorphism training philosophy needs more experiments. Miklosi calls "to develop behavioral models based on a different approach" Until this is done dog owners are on their own to devise their own ways to train and use dogs. That includes everything from using dogs as human food, in some cultures, to using dogs as child substitutes in other cultures.

The book is a wake up call to scientists around the world to accept the dog as a valid scientific research tool on behavior not as a animal behaviorally corrupted through domestication and living with humans. Living with humans dogs have found their niche.

The Science of Dogs
Dog Behaviour, Evolution and Cognition is an outstanding achievement. It is primarily focused on the more recent cognitive work coming out of Hungary. The book makes an excellent compliment with Helton's Canine Ergonomics: The Science of Working Dogs. Together they'll give you immense insight into the minds of dogs. Both are scientifically rigorous, unlike many of the popular books written about the minds of dogs. No lore and legend, but real factual information.

Fantastic Review of Literature
Excellent. Wonderful. Refreshing. Yes, I can understand how it could be described as a bit dry, but the book covers a lot of ground. Dryness versus cute stories? I think the approach taken by the author was refreshing. This was no 'I am the best trainer and do as I do' book. The book covers scientific literature on dogs and wolves. The book explains some of those studies often footnoted and referenced. The book describes area for future research. If you want to read about the current research on dogs and wolves in nearly all areas of research, buy this book. If you want to read an author's opinion and conjecture on cute doggie behavior, this is not the book for you.