How Dogs Think

Book excerpt: Our understanding of how dogs think is littered with common misconceptions about the extent of their intellect and how they make sense of the world around them. How Dogs Think unravels the mystery of what a dog can understand and how much dogs can learn. World-renowned dog expert Stanley Coren explores the thought processes of dogs, describes how dogs solve problems, explains the depths and limits of their thinking and examines the kind of concepts which dogs can and cannot deal with. Along with practical advice for people who want to improve their dog's learning ability and working intelligence, How Dogs Think will answer such questions as: Do dogs have a notion of time? To what extent do dogs understand what you say? How sharp are their senses? What do they see and hear? Do dogs have a sense of music, humour, empathy, guilt or love? Do they learn by observation the way that people do? How much can they remember? Do dogs have ESP or the ability to predict earthquakes, and is it true that they can detect cancer or the onset of an epileptic fit in their owners? Drawing on all the latest scientific research, How Dogs Think will enable dog owners everywhere to understand more about what goes on in the mind of their best friend.