Rating: 
Summary: not her best
Review: I really enjoyed The Hidden Life of Dogs but found this book disappointing. There's a lot more guesswork and very little in the way of true insight here. Worse, Liz goes way off the deep end in the last 1/4 or so of the book. Things like having a purebred dog, using a leash, neutering a male dog, etc. all put you into the "dog fascist" category. There are things you can do when you live in the woods, work at home and so on that don't make much sense in the urban or suburban areas where most of us live, and with the working lifestyles that most of us have to deal with. She needs to come down into the real world more often.
Rating: 
Summary: good book
Review: I was inspired to write this review by reading one already written which claims that Thomas calls everyone with a pedigreed dog, a castrated dog, or a leash on a dog a "dog fascist". Not so at all. I am surprised that people read so carelessly (if they read these books at all). One of her own dogs is pedigreed, as she says in her book. Yes, she disapproves of castrating male dogs BUT NOT OF VASECTOMY, which she recommends as an alternative. Nor does she disapprove of using a leash. She says she doesn't use a leash on her own dogs on her own property in the country, but she tells of using a leash in the city, so presumably she uses leashes when she needs to. This is FAR from disapproving of leashes in general. I wish that reviewers would read more carefully before they blather on erroneously. This is a great book.
Rating:
Summary: Better than Hidden Life of Dogs
Review: I was surprised to read the review below that says this book is not her best. I actually enjoyed it much more than "The Hidden Life of Dogs." She manages to talk about her animals in a way that makes them as interesting as characters in a novel, and while I don't agree with everything she says about dogs, she still seems like a sensible person who would understand that not everyone can treat their pets the way she treats hers.
Rating: 
Summary: Enjoyable and enlightening
Review: If, like me, you were horrified by the events in The Hidden Lives of Dogs, you needn't worry about a repeat in this wonderful book. The author has embraced the joy of the human-dog bond, and in fact by allowing her dogs much more freedom than most dogs enjoy has come to understand that dogs DO chose us for their companions! Her insights show how wolf heritage combines with generations of human cohabitation to create a one-of-a-kind animal in our dogs.Her opinion that dogs are slaves is only mildly off-putting, though her strong stance against euthanasia is sad to read. Hopefully she will continue to mature in her view of dogs and realize that it is not a betrayal to euthanize an animal whose body has so deteriorated that he spends every moment in agony. I feel that I know these dogs well, and the author a little better, and like to "revisit" them all from time to time.
Rating:
Summary: just a note on the breeds in the book
Review: Other reviewers have done a good job covering what the book is about. I just thought some people might like to know that the dogs on the cover are not the dogs talked about in the book. The main dogs in the book are a mixed breed of uncertain heritage, a Belgian Sheepdog, a 3/4 Australian Shepherd 1/4 Chow mix, a mixed breed which resembles a small German Shepherd, and an Australian Cattle Dog mix.
Rating:
Summary: Awesome book
Review: So many people don't realize the true meanings behind the dogs actions. This book helped me to understand dog language. Well written and a very knowledgeable author.
Rating:
Summary: Awesome book
Review: So many people don't realize the true meanings behind the dogs actions. This book helped me to understand dog language. Well written and a very knowledgeable author.
Rating:
Summary: Boris G.
Review: This book is for anyone who likes animals and enjoys reading musings on what dogs/cats/birds... are thinking at any given moment. Thanks to her incredible descriptions and anecdotal tales, you may find yourself starting to think like a dog -- after reading about the white dog, Sundog, I wished I could have met him. She has a great eye for detail and has the ability to make anyone appreciate the complex canine world. I thought her dog fascist musings were funny, but I guess not everyone did. She is opinionated, but based on the inordinately high number of pets she has had over the years, I think she's earned that right. And if you were ever thinking of getting a parrot, read the parrot chapter! The first 3/4 of the book was more absorbing in some ways than the final 1/4 which got into ESP and some other funky areas. I think she probably hit on the main point that probably dogs (and even humans) pick up different clues that account for the supposed coincidences. A very enjoyable book that will help you appreciate our canine friends.
Rating:
Summary: now you'll watch Lassie with new apprecication
Review: This book is for anyone who likes animals and enjoys reading musings on what dogs/cats/birds... are thinking at any given moment. Thanks to her incredible descriptions and anecdotal tales, you may find yourself starting to think like a dog -- after reading about the white dog, Sundog, I wished I could have met him. She has a great eye for detail and has the ability to make anyone appreciate the complex canine world. I thought her dog fascist musings were funny, but I guess not everyone did. She is opinionated, but based on the inordinately high number of pets she has had over the years, I think she's earned that right. And if you were ever thinking of getting a parrot, read the parrot chapter! The first 3/4 of the book was more absorbing in some ways than the final 1/4 which got into ESP and some other funky areas. I think she probably hit on the main point that probably dogs (and even humans) pick up different clues that account for the supposed coincidences. A very enjoyable book that will help you appreciate our canine friends.
Rating:
Summary: Good Dog
Review: This book is great! I recomend it!
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