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Book Review of The Hidden Life Of Dogs

The Hidden Life Of Dogs
yarnovermama avatar reviewed on + 3 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2


If Ms. Thomas had been my neighbor, I would have hated her. She let her dogs run loose all the time and then couldn't understand why this upset the people who lived near her. "We meet Misha, a friend's husky, whom Thomas followed on his daily rounds of more than 130 square miles, and who ultimately provided the simple and surprising answer to the question What do dogs want most? Not food, not sex, but other dogs." Yes, and if I had encountered her dog off leash, I would have called animal control. I love animals but my little children do not appreciate big huskies running loose on the sidewalk and neither do I. It's irresponsible and potentially dangerous.

She makes assumptions in this book about the behaviors of all dogs, based on the observations of her pugs and huskies. Some of her observations are interesting, but hardly count as science. My flat-coat retriever has an entirely different set of instincts, behaviors and desires, and I would never assume her personality and day to day activities reveal some amazing truth about canines. This book is an amusing read but I found myself rolling my eyes too much for me to be able to rate it highly or recommend it.