Decoding Dogs: Inside the Canine Mind is a great audiobook. If you are interested in knowing more about your dog’s mind, this book will give a fantastic insight into various research findings on canine cognition.
The author, Professor Ellen Furlong, is an animal cognition scholar with experience working with nonhuman primates, domestic dogs, and other species in sanctuaries, zoos, and in the field.
The book covers many topics studied in scientific research and experiments, and the author unpacks some very complex topics in an easy-to-digest way.
Note: you can find the audiobook on Amazon using this link
A key point for me that I’d like to highlight is that this book is not as actionable as other books reviewed on this blog. Still, it is a captivating listening for anyone remotely interested in knowing more about their dog’s mind.
The chapters are all around 30 minutes, making it easy to listen to one in a short commute, but with enough information for you to think over for hours after that.
It covers dog origin, evolution and domestication and progresses to what dogs see, hear and smell. The book also covers human relationships with dogs and vice-versa, as well as ways that dogs communicate.
The introduction and first chapter were a little slow, but the book became more interesting with so much information packed in each chapter that I was a little sad that it finished.
Professor Ellen Furlong explains many topics by comparing dogs’ behaviour to humans, which is a fascinating way to learn. And while constantly being clear that there are more questions than answers in the field of canine cognition studies, she also makes some remarkable statements backed by research.
My favourite “dogs are endlessly fascinated by humans” made my day. And listening to Chapter 9 about oxytocin (the social bonding hormone) levels spiking when dogs look into their owner’s eyes, and the fact it happens with humans when looking into their dog’s eyes too, made me want to go and cuddle Gambá and Pequi.
There is so much more in that audiobook – I wish there was an actual printed book, as making notes and reading and highlighting quotes would be easier.
An absolute 5 stars for me and a great listen to anyone into dogs.
Cheers,
Ademar
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