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| Why We Love the Dogs We Do | 
 enlarge | Author: Stanley Coren
Publisher: Pocket Books
Category: Book
List Price: $14.45
Buy New: $8.75
You Save: $5.70 (39%)
New (1) Used (6) from $0.41
Avg. Customer Rating:  31 reviews
Media: Paperback
Pages: 288
ISBN: 0671037447
Dewey Decimal Number: 636
EAN: 9780671037444
ASIN: 0671037447
Publication Date: March 1, 2000
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: Prof. Stanley Coren brings together his expertise in the fields of human psychology and animal behavior to help guide our understanding for which dog will best suit our personality. Rich in anecdotes, and grounded in scientific study he offers us the tools needed to find happiness in our pet relationships - so that we wont be one of the "1 in 4" whose puppies do not last a year.
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| Customer Reviews:
 interesting November 8, 2007
i found the book mildly entertaining for a rainy afternoon but i would highly caution anyone who doesn't know that much about dogs not to take his advice without more info from another source. i grew up with a variety of different breeds and i have to strongly disagree with a lot of his "experience". i took the personality test just for fun and discovered that i am reccommended an airedale and a whippet. any dog expert would know that those are two high energy dogs that need lots of exercize. i do well with my great dane (by the way which wasn't even an option for my personality according to his book) i like low energy, low maintentence dogs for my lifestyle. his personality test was lacking in these areas.
if you take this test and do find the "perfect" dog for your personality i think that you're a very lucky and uncommmon individual. for the rest of us i think we should use a more scientific approach and get a good dog breed book that is actually informative and helpful.
 Useful and Amusing July 18, 2006
I found this book to be a lighthearted yet informative read amongst the many different books I perused when trying to decide what breed of dog to share my life with. As a previous dog owner and trainer, I found his "groupings" interesting and pretty accurate, dog-personality-wise, and while the human personality test is perhaps a bit simplified, it nonetheless gets you to a useful conclusion about yourself that you can use to choose your breed. My husband and I were surprised at the breed category we ended up best fit for, and after having the dog we chose from that group for a year, we have found that the author's recommendations were pretty accurate for our likes and dislikes.
I will say, however, that this should not be the only source you read to choose what breed you want to adopt. Do read a more "scientific" book that goes further in-depth on what to expect from specific breeds, and probably also read a book written specifically on your final choice BEFORE adopting. Lastly, keep in mind that dogs are still animals, not humans, and to some extent have their own personalities regardless of what breed they belong to. As long as you have a sense of humor, living with a dog (whatever you choose) will be an enjoyable adventure.
Match Maker .... Match Maker April 10, 2006
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
There are one million dogs in the US who have been named as beneficiaries in their owners wills. What does this observation suggest? Since Americans don't typically bequeath their hard earned fortunes to any but family members, perhaps it means that often we REALLY treat our dogs as family. Since they obviously weren't born to us, perhaps it resembles a good marriage.
Contrast this love-filled fact with the less sanguine observation that nearly half of all puppy adoptions never make it through their first year. What makes the difference?
Coren's contention is that when the puppy's personality is compatible with that of their human "parents" the relationship works; when incompatible, the odds of early divorce is much higher.
So how can we improve the odds? Coren's answer is the same one that has made dating services successful. Both of you take a personality test and will do the matching for you. Many believe dating services work, I have no opinion, but Coren's approach assumes that it will work when applied to owners and dogs. So, how does it work?
It's as elegant as it is simple. Coren has already done all the hard work. He's conducted a large scale study of dog personalities organized by AKC breed types with an eye toward matching them with the results of commonly-used human personality tests. Then to complete the job he provides a brief and simple personality test that you can take and score in about fifteen minutes.
So, with your personality type in your left hand and the dog type listing in your right hand, lay one over the other, so to speak, identify the groupings that are most compatible with your personality profile, and start calling vets and breeders. Okay, there's a little more to the matching process than this, but really, not much more.
If this was all there was to the book, I'd have been glad to read it. I've had a long term interest in dog testing in general and dog personality testing in particular. But there's much more. To help convince us that the approach works, I lost count at some point but there are literally dozens and dozens of vignettes about the famous and not-so famous people and their dogs. In each case we are treated to an often thoroughly researched personality analysis which he then compares to the dog personality type and ties it all together with an assessment of whether the match was made in heaven or somewhere else.
Actors, actresses, historical figures, presidents - lots of presidents - poets, authors, and on and on. Not to the point of boredom, mind you. Never that. In fact, while reading the final vignette, I seriously hoped for an epilog with at least one more of these little stories. I got hooked.
"Why We Love the Dogs We Do" is a good read, a very good read. It's worth a read... read it.
EPILOG
Both my wife and I took the personality test and were surprised to learn that Newfies, which we have long had and loved were not on our recommended list. The matchmaking test was spot on for typifying the personality of our breed but, we believe, missed the target on capturing who are. Sadly this fact lost a star on the rating.
 Great Book March 14, 2006
Bought this book several years ago and thought it was great. Considering the dogs I have had in the past, it was dead on in why I thought they were great or why I couldn't wait to get rid of them as fast as possible. Unless it's a rescue dog as I have now, which is a terrior mix, I will definitely go back to this book time and time again as a reminider for the breed that is appropriate for me.
 biased instead of insightful, many inaccuracies February 17, 2006
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
The classification of dog "types" didn't resemble anything I've learned in other books on dog breeds. I'm not aware that dogs are either clever or friendly, but not both at the same time.
How would one choose a pet? Let's see, do I want a stupid friendly dog, or a dog who is very clever but aloof and indifferent to me?
A big disappointment was the section where the author shared his intense dislike of cats and their owners. What does this have to do with the title and theme of his book and why should any of us care?
Dr Coren, for unknown reasons, finds it necessary to express his admiration and love of dogs by bashing cats with the same old tiresome comparisons that are always unfavorable to cats.
If this was necessary, then why not include a chapter listing all the ways that guinea pigs, gerbils, parakeets, and tropical fish fall short when compared with dogs?
Better yet, let's have an expert on rabbit breeding write a book about taking care of rabbits, and then include a chapter describing the faults and inadequacies of dogs?
After reading much of this book,I find it hard to believe that Coren really likes any animals. I wonder whether he needed additional ncome and thought he had a new angle for a dog book.
As a lover of both dogs and cats, I have no trouble realizing that they are two different species that require no comparisons.
The author's decision to share the story of the woman who seemed indifferent when her cat went missing is supposed to prove that even people who choose cats for pets, don't really love them the way the author loves dogs. Is Coren really unaware that there's a surplus of uncaring PET owners who neglect dogs as well as cats?
I don't know what Coren's grudge against the cat owning woman in his book is all about, but it tells us nothing about what cats are like as pets!
Coren thinks cats are seldom seen during the day. He would enjoy meeting my cat, who along with our dog, greets people at the door, follows us from room to room and cuddles with us on the couch at all times of the day or evening.
Mr Coren, let the real dog and cat experts write the books.Your time would be better spent developing some insight into your own anger and resentments.
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