Will I love The Genius of Dogs?

You’ll never look at our best friend the same way after reading The Genius of Dogs.

An engaging tour de force of how to understand an animal that has helped shape human history for more than 15,000 years.

Hare and Woods are not only experts on all things dog, but also have done pathbreaking work on chimpanzees, bonobos, and Homo sapiens, so they know what they are talking about as far as primates go as well.

Dr. Brian Hare accidentally became a dog researcher when his research supervisor showed him an experiment with chimpanzees.

The chimps couldn’t understand what humans were trying to communicate when they pointed at something. Hare’s reaction: “My dog can do that!” His supervisor asked him to prove it, and a canine career was born!

The Genius of Dogs explains what dogs are good at, and what they’re not so good at. It’s absolutely fascinating, and you’ll be tempted to test out his findings on your own dog! He explains various experiments that he and other researchers have undertaken to test different… show more.

Humans have lived with dogs for thousands of years, but we are just now beginning to understand the depth of their intelligence, emotions, and abilities.

Brian Hare leads the Duke Canine Cognition Lab and his insights into what dogs can (and can’t) do and how they think have opened my eyes as a dog parent and lifelong dog lover. This book has helped me give my dogs a more fulfilling life by understanding more about their perceptions and needs and our relationship with them.