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Dogs: a Startling New Understanding of Canine Origin, Behavior and Evolution
 
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Dogs: a Startling New Understanding of Canine Origin, Behavior and Evolution (Hardcover)

by Ray Coppinger (Author)
4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)

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Product details

  • Hardcover: 352 pages
  • Publisher: Prentice Hall & IBD (1 May 2001)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0684855305
  • ISBN-13: 978-0684855301
  • Product Dimensions: 24.4 x 16.5 x 2.6 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 273,655 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Product Description

Amazon.co.uk Review
Dogs: A Startling New Understanding of Canine Origin, Behaviour, and Evolution was written by behavioural scientists Raymond and Lorna Coppinger who have raised hundreds of different dogs of various breeds, raced sled teams, and published professional and popular works on canine behaviour. This book, their manifesto, covers their views of canine evolution and treatment by humans and offers deep insight, provoking theories, and controversial ideas regarding our relationship with them. Though some of the material is most appropriate for readers with some zoological background, much of it is written for a general audience--one that cares about dogs not just for what they offer humans, but for their own sake. Arguing that much of current thinking about dogs' evolutionary history is misguided, they share their own rather complex story of wolf-like animals coevolving with permanent human settlements and only recently being subject to directed breeding and artificial selection. This is interesting enough, but they go on to take issue with the use and treatment of dogs, some of which they claim is bad for dog and human alike. Pure breeding, making companion animals of inappropriate breeds, and even some uses of disability assistance are assailed for neglecting genetic and other hardwired aspects of canine life. Surprisingly little is known for sure about dogs' lives and behaviour, so the Coppingers' contribution is a welcome, if occasionally unsettling, eye-opener. --Rob Lightner

Review
Dr. Richard W. Wrangham

professor of anthropology, Harvard University

Forget being the alphawolf. "Dogs" teaches old dog lovers new tricks. For thousands of years after dogs stopped being wolves, and before they became pets, they were something else -- a self-domesticated species with a mind of their own. The Coppingers' convincing new theory of dog evolution will be as interesting for archaeologists as for breeders and pet owners.



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5 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
4.2 out of 5 stars (5 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A fascinating look at dogs, 19 Feb 2004
By Kurt A. Johnson (Marseilles, IL USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)   
This book is a fascinating examination of the familiar dog by a professor of biology, who is also a former sled dog racing champion and dog trainer, and his wife, who is also an expert at the raising and training of dogs. Studying where dogs came from, what they are and where they are going, the authors reach some startling conclusions. They reject that idea that Mesolithic hunters stole wolf puppies to originally domesticate dogs, instead following the flow of adaptation to suggest that the path of domestication leads through the Neolithic garbage dump!

After that, the role and attributes of modern dogs are examined. Finally, the explosion of genetic "diseases" among purebred dogs is examined, and its causes laid bare.

This is a fascinating look at dogs. Much that I have noticed about the dogs in my life has been explained to me, and a great deal of food for thought given. I highly recommend this book; it will answer many questions, including some you never thought to ask.

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11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Best book on dogs ever, 5 May 2003
By A Customer
This is the best book I have read about dogs. This book revolutionised the way i thought about dogs. It got away from the cliche of how man domesticated wolves - dogs domesticated dogs by hanging round settlements. More, it outlined for me the way the dog had evolved. If you are looking for a quick book about how to deal with your dog, this isn't it. But if you are interested in dog evolution and the relationship between man and dog, it is a must.
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18 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A fascinating book about what dogs really are!, 26 Aug 2001
By alva@willas.net (Scandinavia) - See all my reviews
I really enjoyed this book! There was a lot of information about village dogs, their beahviour and way of living. Like Coppinger I believe that we can learn more about the behaviour of our pet dogs by studying these village dogs rather than wolves.

There was also a lot about livestock-guarding dogs and why they behave so differently around sheep than do Border Collies and other herding breeds. This information was new to me, and I was thrilled to learn so much new stuff about dogs. Definitely a book I can recommend to people that want to learn more about what dogs really are.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

1.0 out of 5 stars pseudo-scientific nonsense
... I had no problem that the book is quite opinionated; what mainly bothered me was that the author (although Mr. and Mrs. Read more
Published on 29 Dec 2002

5.0 out of 5 stars New ways of looking at dog
This book is a must to a person, who is curious about how the dog in the first place might have developed to be the animal we now know and love. Read more
Published on 31 Jul 2002 by briannandoah

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