[JNF]≡ PDF Gratis The Social Lives of Dogs Elizabeth Marshall Thomas 9780684810263 Books

The Social Lives of Dogs Elizabeth Marshall Thomas 9780684810263 Books

Download As PDF : The Social Lives of Dogs Elizabeth Marshall Thomas 9780684810263 Books

The Social Lives of Dogs Elizabeth Marshall Thomas 9780684810263 Books

Very good read.


Tags : The Social Lives of Dogs [Elizabeth Marshall Thomas] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Explores how dogs adapt to life with their human owners, contributing to a comfortable environment by making adjustments and forming alliances within the household's various sub-groups,Elizabeth Marshall Thomas,The Social Lives of Dogs,Simon & Schuster,0684810263,Dogs - General,Dog owners;New Hampshire;Anecdotes.,Dogs;Behavior;New Hampshire;Anecdotes.,Dogs;Social aspects;New Hampshire;Anecdotes.,Anecdotes,Animals,Behavior,Dog owners,Dogs,Dogs - CareHealth,GENERAL,General Adult,INDIVIDUAL SPECIES OF MAMMALS,Nature Dogs,New Hampshire,Non-Fiction,Pets,Pets Dogs General,Social aspects,United States

The Social Lives of Dogs Elizabeth Marshall Thomas 9780684810263 Books Reviews

The author is an anthropologist. She uses this expertise to give a different point of view on the behavior of dogs and cats in particular and to a small degree parrots. The focus is on the dogs. All of the above species live in or have lived in her and her husband's home. Although I didn't agree with everything she gave me plenty of things to think about and consider from traditional viewpoints. I will definitely keep in mind some of her concepts as I live with my two dogs.
When I started to read this book I did not know Elizabeth Marshall Thomas was an anthropologist and the writer of several books about animals. It didn't take long, however, before I realized the exceptional quality of what I was reading. Her observations about the animals within her care were brilliant, and helped me to better understand my own interactions with my canine friends. I highly recommend this book.
I really enjoyed reading this book.The author's household of pets--not only dogs but cats and birds--provided countless stories of animal and human interactions. Not only were these tales entertaining but also instructive as to what goes on in the minds of her pets. I gained insight into my own little dog from this book. The author works with animals professionally and brings that perspective into play. She was at her best in recounting the ways the dogs interact with each other (and with cats), and how the groups of dogs with their chosen human leader interact. Some really remarkable stories that provide models for our human relationships as well!
As many reviewers have noted, this book is misleading. It is a collection of anecdotes and opinions from the author, not a fact-based book on the social lives of dogs. But I accepted that and hoped for a good read anyway. I started to get a feeling this was tanking early on when I thought the author took ill-considered actions towards her animals. Example, why let dogs and cats roam outdoors unrestrained by even a fence in a rural setting when they seem to regularly get into trouble with other animals (like skunks) and run away periodically causing problems for neighbors. Her house seemed (too) full of animals. She makes unwarranted assumptions about their inner thinking. I became less and less able to buy into her extraordinary stories. Finally, she noted "in all recorded history, there is not one verified case of a wolf making an unprovoked attack on any person anywhere". This is false, perhaps it applies to modern US, but not historically. There are hundreds, maybe thousands of predatory attacks in history that are well documented. Usually, babies or children are taken by wolves. So, at that point, I gave up and deleted the book. I don't accept that she is a very responsible dog owner or an expert in the subject she is talking about.
The author shares some interesting observations about relationships between animals and humans, and status hierarchies. Interesting, but not relevant unless you have a menagerie of ten plus animals like she does.

Where she lost all credibility for me was when her old dog started suffering, became paralyzed, was in constant pain. She does not believe in euthanasia as long as a dog still wants to eat. Her dog could not move from his pillow, was lying in his waste, but was always hungry. Yet so ill that he could not eat, even though he wanted to. She made this "beloved" dog suffer for many months when it was clear he had no quality of life except pain. He was in such pain that he would bite his family when they tried to pet him. Yet she refused to make that tough decision that so many of us have had to struggle with. Finally she called in the vet, but she waited far too long. It made me sick how she made that dog suffer to justify her "philosophy".

Another example is a newborn kitten who was killed by another of her dogs. Bad enough that she failed to anticipate the danger and protect the newborn. But instead of burying him, she left his poor baby body under a bush, to be more "natural". So natural that some nearby wild animal snatched him. What kind of animal lover is this?
Very good read.