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Title details for What the Dog Knows by Cat Warren - Available

What the Dog Knows

The Science and Wonder of Working Dogs

by Cat Warren
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A firsthand exploration of the extraordinary abilities and surprising, sometimes life-saving talents of "working dogs"—pups who can sniff out drugs, find explosives, even locate the dead—as told through the experiences of a journalist and her intrepid canine companion, which The New York Times calls "a fascinating, deeply reported journey into the...amazing things dogs can do with their noses."
There are thousands of working dogs all over the US and beyond with incredible abilities—they can find missing people, detect drugs and bombs, pinpoint unmarked graves of Civil War soldiers, or even find drowning victims more than two hundred feet below the surface of a lake. These abilities may seem magical or mysterious, but author Cat Warren shows the science, the rigorous training, and the skilled handling that underlie these creatures' amazing abilities.

Cat Warren is a university professor and journalist who had tried everything she could think of to harness her dog Solo's boundless energy and enthusiasm...until a behavior coach suggested she try training him to be a "working dog." What started out as a hobby soon became a calling, as Warren was introduced to the hidden universe of dogs who do this essential work and the handlers who train them.

Her dog Solo has a fine nose and knows how to use it, but he's only one of many astounding dogs in a varied field. Warren interviews cognitive psychologists, historians, medical examiners, epidemiologists, and forensic anthropologists, as well as the breeders, trainers, and handlers who work with and rely on these intelligent and adaptable animals daily. Along the way, Warren discovers story after story that prove the capabilities—as well as the very real limits—of working dogs and their human partners. Clear-eyed and unsentimental, Warren explains why our partnership with working dogs is woven into the fabric of society, and why we keep finding new uses for the wonderful noses of our four-legged friends.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    October 1, 2013

  • Formats

    • Kindle Book

    • OverDrive Read

      • ISBN: 9781451667332

    • EPUB ebook

      • ISBN: 9781451667332
      • File size: 4733 KB

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      September 16, 2013
      In this combination of history, science, and memoir, North Carolina State journalism professor Warren looks at the ways in which domestic animals have been able to assist humans, specifically the world of cadaver dogs, drug and bomb detecting police dogs, and tracking dogs. The author quickly gains the reader's sympathy with humorous accounts of her first days with Solo, the cadaver dog she's owned since birth, and earns the reader's respect with a well-researched chapter that calls into question much of the accepted and fluctuating statistics regarding dogs' superior sense of smell. Her history of the use of animals to locate human remains, which dates back to 1970, is balanced and authoritative. She provides insight into the emotional life of cadaver dog handlers, observing that there is much stress involved in the profession. The author also effectively critiques the misuse of animals' abilities in the legal system, where fraudulent claims of what their dogs found sent people to prison unjustly. The book is a welcome and necessary addition to the growing body of literature on the subject. 24 b& w photos. Agent: Gillian MacKenzie, Gillian Mackenzie Agency.

    • Library Journal

      November 15, 2013

      No breed of dog is a perfect match for every human, and it takes the right person to match the energy and intelligence of a dog like Solo, Warren's German shepherd. Warren (English, North Carolina State Univ.) recounts her seven-plus years of work with Solo, a cadaver dog, and explores the world of other working dogs--search and rescue, bomb and drug detection--melding her experience as a handler with research into the history and science of this niche of investigative and safety work. A former journalist, the author possesses a keen sense of detail and pacing that informs, entertains, and quickly draws readers into her life and work with Solo. This perspective is complemented by an academic treatment that includes extensive research from a variety of sources. VERDICT Warren's title is already receiving endorsements from well-known animal behavior experts such as Patricia B. McConnell (The Other End of the Leash). Part memoir, part investigative reporting, part science writing, this book is sure to draw similar readers and is accessible to a wider audience.--Meagan Storey, Virginia Beach

      Copyright 2013 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Formats

  • Kindle Book
  • OverDrive Read
  • EPUB ebook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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