Book Review: Why Do Dogs Do That? (combo answers)

Why do Dogs do That? Real Answers to the Curious Things Dog Do (with training tips), by Kim Thornton (Bow Tie Press, 1997, 64 pages, $6.95)

These little books (about 8” by 5”) are (or were) all the rage. Even trainers bought them. Sometimes. The books live in pet superstores primarily.

I often purchase popular dog books (though I get most of the books I review from publishers or authors – sometimes used book stores or libraries) precisely so I know what my clients are buying and reading and learning from, before they come to me.

I also buy some of these little books for a fun read and to find out why some people think dogs do what they do. However, there is very little research in these books and generally no bibliography.

Granted, Why do Dogs do That? was written in 1997, but still I need to point out that it serves primarily for fun answers rather than helpful ones – answers (of a sort) to questions like Why do Dogs Bark? to Why do Dogs Stick Their Heads Out of Car Windows?

Published in 2010. Or 1964.

Some of the 20 questions everyone already knows the answers to: others, they don’t care about; and still others are for entertainment. but most of the 'answers' combine all these and it is up to the astute reader to be able to discern when the author is pulling your leg. Therefore, I would recommend it to the absolutely new dog person or to the expert who can tell humor from fact.

Since most dog-related occupations are not regulated (except for healthcare [veterinarian-types]), people who want to train dogs can call themselves dog trainers and open a business. People who want to be dog book authors can simply write a book about dogs.

On the other hand, I prefer dog books written by professional dog trainers (preferably those who use positive reinforcement rather than pain). Although the cover to this book mentions the inclusion of training tips, I would not recommend it for training tips alone.

But, I Digress

So, back to the book review. The answers to all the questions you have been dying to ask take up from 2-4 pages each with numerous cutesy illustrations (a lot of dog bones) and an average of 17 sentences per chapter. Wow!

I met the author years ago at a dog writing conference: her background is in journalism, a worthy endeavor, as well as in editing a beginning pet magazine. She has extensive interviewing experience, from which she writes articles.

So, all in all, go ahead and buy this book for a summer beach read, one chapter at a time. Better yet, check it out of your local library!