Book Description
As a professional animal psychic, Amelia Kinkade helps clients locate lost pets, diagnose baffling behavior, and further explore the indelible bond that exists between people and their animal companions. But her real mission is to convince people that, with the proper dedication, training, and understanding, everyone can do what she does . Here, she explains the subtle cues that form the foundation of animal communication, and provides guided exercises that allow readers to explore these cues for themselves. With gentle encouragement, she shows how to look for communications typically drowned out in the noise and chaos of modern life, whether they take the form of clairaudience or clairvoyance. Filled with amazing stories, The Language of Miracles inspires readers to sit down with the animals in their lives and explore the unspoken world between them.
Customer Reviews:
talking to animals.......2007-07-19
I'm already applying the concepts and feel a deeper connection with my 4 rescue dogs. I haven't heard them talk back yet but i'm remaining open. I kept in contact with them while we were out of town for 3 days and the babysitter said they were all very calm and good.
Amelia out does herself!.......2007-04-19
This is the high-tech version of her earlier book "Straight From the Horse's Mouth." If you are truly interested in inter-species communication, this is must-read.In it, she lays out all the latest scientific understanding of how commuication works, and gives a steady instuctional how-to. Really excellent.
Miracles Underfoot.......2007-04-07
This is an engaging book by a professional animal communicator. The anecdotes she shares are truly amazing and lots of fun. Additionally, she provides techniques by which the reader can also learn to talk with the animals.
I do have a few quibbles, however. The first is that the author is determined to provide a recognized scientific basis to explain the communication. As the traditional sciences have never been particuarly flexible even when they have been totally wrong (the world is flat, the earth is the center of the universe, etc)they are unlikely to be convinced by the latest theories in quantum physics. The people who buy this book already know and believe. I found the constant insertion of scientific thoery and the author's dumbing it down for the rest of us annoying, unneccesary and patronizing. Additionally, I found her names for her processes clumsy. Just say bridge of light instead of lumenstilta!
The author warns prospective communicators that they risk actual physical and possibly emotional pain by engaging in her healing techniques. As a reiki master and qi gong practitioner,I respectfully disagree. Healers, while frequently empathic, do not have to take on the ailments of their patients. I was surprised that the author was so insistent on acceptance of the pain--as animals are capable of communicating in pictures, a request to do so would suffice without the pain.
The author's occasional coyness was irritating, particuarly when describing a session without revealing the animals she was treating. Their species was neighter shocking nor appalling. It also appeared that she was, at times, anthromorphizing the creatures, with her insistence that they have "boyfriends". Her chapter on her housefly was truly unneccesary.
However, all in all, it was a fun read that encourages dancing down the avenues of communication with you furry, feathered or scaled friends.
Amelia is Amazing.......2007-01-10
I cant speak highly enough of this book as a reference for animal communicators. Amelia is amazing!
The Language of miracles.......2006-08-06
Fantastic, Inspiring. Privilege to learn from Amelia and all the animals. Interspecies communication should be OFCOURSE in everyones normal daily life. Great job Amelia of getting word and training around the world. Love and light for your journey ;-) .
Me and my cats and neighbourg dogs all loved this book.
Amazon.com
When an animal is truly a family member, you want to communicate with it as completely as you do with human members, but how? Amelia Kinkade is here to show you, with plenty of tools for direct and serious conversation with your four-legged friends. Foes of anthropomorphism, beware: if you don't assume that animals have similar emotional responses to ours, you're liable to find this book a bunch of hooey. Kinkade's techniques involve various methods of telepathy, from sending specific questions like "what's your favorite food?" to receiving emotions like sadness or joy. Her years of experience working with pet owners and rescue services give Kinkade a wealth of fascinating stories. Conversations relayed between unhappy animals and their humans can be instructive to an amazing point--one horse knew he needed an iron supplement, while a cancer-ridden dog apologized to his owner for being "such a burden." Simple ideas seem relatively easy to trade. When leaving for a weekend trip, it's easy to observe an agitated dog or kitty. Calmly relaying facts about how long you'll be gone and what she should expect while you're gone can go a long way toward solving everything from tummy upsets to malicious shredding of furniture. More advanced students of Kinkade's methods can visually find specific causes of pain in animals and listen to what they need from their humans to heal. As with other books on telepathy, you won't find research or studies here. But if you have an open mind and willingness to experiment, Straight from the Horse's Mouth can open up satisfying new dimensions in your relationships with all animals. --Jill Lightner
Book Description
Drawing on years of experience working with pet owners and rescue services, Amelia Kinkade shares the program she developed to foster interspecies communication. She offers guided meditations and other accessible exercises designed to increase intuition, teaching readers that they really can "talk with the animals," share memories and make plans, negotiate the house rules, diagnose illness, accept one another's differences, and find each other again. The book is peppered with heartwarming and often fascinating stories from her own practice, making it a sure bet for animal lovers of all types interested in enriching the bond with their pet.
Customer Reviews:
Book review.......2007-01-13
This was a very informative book - Amelia Kinkade did a very good job at explaining how to talk with animals. A lot of what she said I could relate to, and with her style of writing, easy to put in focus. Her chapter on "crossing over" was especially well written and informative. This is one of the only books on this subject I've read from cover to cover, and I would recommend this book to anyone interested in understanding and trying to "talk" with your pet. I have not been able to "talk" with my animals, but that's my problem - I have difficulty finding "quite" time in my life. After reading this book, I would be very interested in attending one of her training sessions, if she comes to a town nearby.
animal communication at its easiest.......2007-01-05
This book is well written, concise, easy to follow, a good guide for anyone who wants a better understanding of how animals and people can and do communicate.
EXCELLENT "How To" Book!.......2006-12-13
I loved this book and have read a lot of them on animal communication. Amelia Kinkade explains thoroughly how she communicates and then gives specific instructions and meditations on how you can do it, too. I admit I love her methods and have tried them myself and they work!!!
Animals are great to talk to.......2006-06-24
this book is a wonderful and quick read. going through the exercises has helped me get closer to my own animal companions and truly hear for the first time "their communication voice." My two cats once had a great laugh when I was trying to shush them to get them to answer a different question. They were laughing saying "she doesn't think we already talk to each other." It was almost like they were belly-laughing at me. Go figure. Highly recommend this book.
Unique and Imaginative.......2006-04-17
I've read a slew of animal communication books and find this is the best on the topic. Kinkade's perspective is fresh and enlivening, different from others, despite the seeming similarity.
What is similar in all of these books, Kinkade's as well, is the need to practice certain exercises. I've tried so many, yet Kinkade's have a twist that others don't have. She has a vivid imagination that she's able to express in print simply, yet with a great deal of detail.
In her exercises, she is able to guide the readers into their own space, giving just enough detail to allow the reader to feel his hand held, but not to take over the person's own emerging "movie."In one of her exercises, she is guiding the reader to a similar place that many, many guided mediations take a person. The "gold light" filling or enveloping the body is almost rote, but Kinkade adds her own slant and makes the exercise feel tangible, gives it new life.
"But on this," Kinkade writes, "the final cleansing breath, see a golden glowing light filling your lungs and permeating out into your body like the sun coming out from behind a cloud...and feel it warming every inch of you."
The simile using the sun emerging from behind the cloud is typical in much of her writing and in every one of her exercises. Her imagery is vivid, yet uncomplicated, and that's most likely why she succeeds so well getting her message out.
I did, however, dislike her Hollywood name-dropping and found her dramatics a bit trying, yet I figure these "starlet" types have their strengths. I suspect she's transferred the imagination required to perform well to this topic, and lucky me! I can ignore the theatrics and name-dropping for the depth of knowledge she's worked to acquire and refine and share with me, the reader.
Book Description
Go to any unpopulated or abandoned urban area, and you'll find them. Countless thousands of wild dogs-abandoned to disease, starvation, and inevitable death-are leading brutal lives in the no-man's-land between domestication and wildness. A lucky few are saved by dedicated rescuers, and Randy Grim, founder of Stray Rescue of St. Louis, has become one of the country's lead-ing dog saviors. In this book, journalist Melinda Roth narrates Grim's dramatic efforts and describes the horrific and heart-warm-ing cases he encounters, showing how this growing national health problem-controlled by no federal or local laws-can no longer be ignored. This edition includes a new afterword about Grim's rehabil-itation of Quentin, the dog who recently made national head-lines by miraculously surviving a gas chamber.
Customer Reviews:
Amazing Story.......2007-04-17
Randy Grim is one of the most incredible people I have ever read about. His sacrifice of time, money and love during his attempt to save the most unwanted of the unwanted, America's abandoned street dogs, is totally amazing.
The stories are incredible and moving. You face the real drama of dogs living in fear of man yet, Randy Grim goes out on the lonely city streets and into abandoned buildings to reach every dog he can. He saved them from injury, starvation and death, not only during the day but at night as well.
This is a book everyone should read, everyone. Whether you love dogs or not, this book will make an impact on your life. You will do some real soul searching about the need for each one of us to help with this mission.
This is one amazing book!.......2006-07-17
Never has a book had such an impact on me. I am an avowed dog-lover, but with all the dog books I have read, I have never been so moved as I was by the story of Randy Grim and his fight to save stray dogs. I could not recommend this book strongly enough to anyone who cares about animals. Randy is an EXTRAORDINARY human being, and even though he does not want it, he is finally getting the recognition he deserves. And this recognition can only help the cause of his fight for stray animals. You go, Randy! I love you!
Should Serve as an Inspiration to Anyone who Loves Dogs.......2005-11-18
Wonderful book. A real eye opener as to the conditions of some urban areas. Only goes to show that you don't have to be volunteering at Ground Zero to be a hero.
The Dog Rescuer.......2005-08-21
Poignant and disturbing if a bit disjointed. More than talking to dogs, Randy Grim understands their needs and has at times puts himself in harm's way to rescue abandoned, feral dogs from warehouses, abandoned apartments and houses, and fields. He has turned his difficulty communicating with humans into a useful, compassionate, even obsessive need to save these dogs. The stories don't link together very well and I'd like more insight and history into Randy himself, but overall, the book leaves you feeling that you want to help, too.
good on more than one level.......2005-05-18
A good read because I had no clue what the stray/feral dog situation was like, other than the occassional statistic thrown out. I learned a lot about that situation, as well as what often goes on in the dog breeding industry and the pet stores. Worse than I could have imagined. I almost didn't read this book because I was afraid of becoming too sad about the whole stray dog situation, but I read it anyway because I have six dogs and various behavioral broblems. I wanted some insight. I figured that if this guy rescues and rehabilitates those with the worst behavioral and emotional problems, then I could definitely get some insight into my own dogs, all of which were unwanted. But I didn't want to start with the typical sterile information you find in dog training books. I feel that "The Man Who Talks to Dogs" gave me the insight I needed into understanding the behaviors I'm seeing in my own dogs. I have made a few changes in how I relate to them and things are becoming more harmonious. There is also good information on Randy's web site strayrescue.com.
Customer Reviews:
Education and Enjoyment.......1999-06-21
I bought this book, because I desire a through knowledge of bears, their life, their existance. Reading this book has opened my my eyes to more than I ever thought there was to learn. I even bought a map so that I could see the areas he describes. If all books about grizzles and bears are this enjoyable, I have alot of reading to do. I now have a new found respect and admiration for the grizzly.
Talking bear is easy to learn!.......1998-07-08
"Learning to Talk Bear", by Roland Cheek is a must read for anyone interested in the current state of affair of the American Grizzly. Cheek combines his vast outdoor experience as an outfitter in Montana with solid research to provide a thorougly readable and enjoyable book. His main focus in the book is for the reader to walk away with a thorough understanding of grizzly behavior and the complex issues that threaten their existence This is not a book about grizzly attacks, although Cheek does examine several in attempts to understand possible causes of those incidents. It is an exciting book that combines research, suspense and good story-telling to help the reader understand Grizzly behavior. It reminded me of two other books, John McPhee's "Coming into the Country" about Alaska, and Sebastian Junger's "The Perfect Storm." I read "Learning to Talk Bear" while vacationing in Yellowstone and felt much more in tune while in the backyard of "Ursus arctos horribilis"!
Learn bear body language.......1997-11-23
Bear fear is a given with most people . . so they do what they can to avoid bears and thereby cheat themselves out of wilderness experiences of the kind that may not be able to be had in the next century. Roland Cheek's book goes a long way in the explanation of the necessary dance people will have to learn to do with animals in order for the animals to survive. His book is entertaining, wise and up to date. It is a book that any person who is going to venture into bear country would be wise to digest. There are good stories and illustrations of bear encounters that turned out fine . . . after all the author is still here.
Average customer rating:
- Book a danger to children who follow its recommendations
- Great book
- Great Book
- THE CAT'S MEOW! GREAT ADVICE AND HOWLING FUN ILLUSTRATIONS
- More Harm Then Education
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How to Talk to Your Dog
Jean Craighead George
Manufacturer: HarperTrophy
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Similar Items:
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How to Talk to Your Cat
-
Everything Dog: What Kids Really Want to Know About Dogs (Kids' FAQs)
-
Three Stories You Can Read to Your Dog
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Totally Fun Things to Do with Your Dog (Play with Your Pet)
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Bedtime Stories For Dogs
ASIN: 0060006234
Release Date: 2003-02-04 |
Amazon.com
Dog talk is not merely whimpers, growls, sniffs, barks, and howls. According to award-winning author Jean Craighead George, it's in the tail ("the flag of feelings") and ear twists, too. In this irresistible picture book, you'll learn how to speak to your dog in his or her own language. Sniff his nose to say hello, for example. (You don't have to lick back, even though it would please him.) While you'll never be a match for your dog in the sniffing department, you can look deeply into his eyes or you can whimper to show you care. Don't growl or bark, however. ("Although it's fun, it is not very rewarding to bark at your dog. He doesn't understand your bad accent and may twist his head and look at you in confusion.")
Sue Truesdell's splendidly doggish illustrations interact with photos of Jean Craighead George herself--a woman who has been around dogs her whole life. Dog lovers of all ages will run in circles for this loving, funny celebration of the human-canine relationship. For those who prefer cats, investigate the companion title, How to Talk to Your Cat. (Ages 7 to 107)
Book Description
Find out what your dog is really saying -- and talk back!
Jean Craighead George, Newbery Medal -- winning author of over 80 books about nature and animals, demonstrates in words and photos how to communicate with your best friend.
Customer Reviews:
Book a danger to children who follow its recommendations.......2006-11-17
Do not put your children in danger! They will be if they follow many of the authors recommendations. Please see the review written by Julie Shaw it is right on the money. Ms. Jean Craighead George makes suggestions that if used on the wrong dog could result in a person being bitten. For canine behavior stick with books by Jean Donaldson, Karen Pryor, Ian Dunbar...not Jean Craighead George.
Great book.......2006-07-19
For such a small, easy to read book - LOTS of great, accurate information! Very helpful!
Great Book.......2004-06-24
Although this book is short it is great for younger children and is an over-all guide to "Dog talk". You should buy this book, I truly recommend it!
THE CAT'S MEOW! GREAT ADVICE AND HOWLING FUN ILLUSTRATIONS.......2003-02-13
Let's start simply and honestly, the same way these tomes approach their subject matter, and say these are the cat's meow! Jean Craighead George has penned two ultra-thin volumes on communicating with our best friends and felines, and each is a howling success. The Newberry Medal-winning author does what someone like Elizabeth Marshall Thomas has tried to do in books tens of thousands words and pages longer and could not. Jean, by George, had found the winning ways to teach pet lovers how to chat with their four-footed pals. Her writing is sparse: "A lick is not a kiss. It is a statement that says you're a wonderful leader." Her advice is refreshing: "Growling is aggressive
talk. Don't growl back. Dogs don't like that." As special as her words is the whimiscal use of arkwork: actual color photos of the animated author interacting with illustrations (by Sue Truesdell) of equally animated cartoon cats and dogs. (We just love the one of George on all fours, rubbing heads with a cat!) Four paws up!
More Harm Then Education.......2001-12-28
When I was given this book by a client I was thrilled. The book's a brilliant red front cover is beautifully illustrated with a cartoon dog. The inside pages are illustrated with more canine cartoons interacting with photos. At first glance it seems to be an intriguing children's book. Unfortunately the cover of this book is where all positive comments end.
I believe the author's intention in this book is to teach canine communication skills. If I am correct in this assumption, she not only failed miserably but may have caused more harm then education.
She advises "To say hello to your dog, sniff toward his nose. That's dog talk. He will answer by pulling his ears back and close to his head. What he is saying is 'Hello, Leader". Ms. Craighead-George is describing a dog who is telling their nose-sniffing-human "This is a bit uncomfortable, please stop". A dog's ears going back can be a conflict behavior.
She goes onto say "'Good night' in dog talk is physical. Rub your dog's head, ears and neck. Lower your lids and sigh into his fur. You are the mother dog licking her pup off to sleep." Although I often enjoy a nice snuggle with my dog I am relatively certain he knows I am not his mother or a dog. I was relieved that she did not suggest I lick my dog, we all have to draw the line somewhere.
Ms. Craighead-George advises "'Good-bye' is a whisk of the tail, then turning and walking off. Since you don't have a tail, swish your hand downward and show your back. If your dog does not choose to hear this unwelcome message and races after you, tell him, `I am the boss,' in dog talk, then repeat the dog `good-bye'." I will admit to frequently suffering from serious bouts of tail-envy but I'm afraid my hand waving behind my rear end is a bit of a stretch in wishful thinking.
Ms. Craighead -George crosses the line from embarrassingly silly to potentially dangerous in her section titled "How do you say `I am the boss'?" She advises, "The most effective way is to put your mouth on his muzzle. That means in dog talk that you are the leader. His ears will go back and against his head, and his tail will lower. This is his way of saying, `Yes, you are my leader'." I suspect many people who attempt this will have time to contemplate what their dog was really saying ("You have totally lost your mind and you are frightening the heck out of me") while they wait patiently in the emergency room to have their dog bite treated.
She suggests if your dog becomes anxious or confused you should "Sniff his nose to tell him not to be angry or confused. Nose sniffs are peace talk." I have a sincere concern that for a dog that is in an anxiety situation, a human sticking their face in his to sniff his nose may increase the stress level to a point where the dog may feel he has no other option but to bite the face that sniffs him.
It is cautioned in "How to Talk to Your Dog" that children should not roll onto their backs while playing with their dog or they will be saying in dog language "I am your humble servant". My own dogs must be the most misinformed canines on the planet. They have three young humble servants in their household and they don't even realize it!
I would recommend that the author stay with ridiculous but harmless comments suggest as "You can pass other messages with your eyes. Think, `I love you. I love you,' and your lower lid will involuntarily come up and soften your expression. Your dog will read that and return this message by softening his eyes."
I am still uncertain to what population this book is directed. I can only hope it was not written for innocent children and will only fall into the hands of adults who will quickly realize this book for the nonsensical hogwash that it is.
Book Description
Jan Pienkowski's monstrously popular books are available in a new midi size box set! Bright images, fun mechanics and hilarious text combine to create three engaging books that are sure to bring a smile to the face of everyone who reads them. Includes three favorite Pienkowski pop-ups in one wacky box set!
Customer Reviews:
Great for youg children.......2005-10-12
My 2 year old grandson thinks these books are the cat's meow. He loves the cut outs that pop at him.
Great to engage kids--even boys!.......2003-11-01
I first read these books to children when I was babysitting, many moons ago. Children absolutely love them! The colors and pop ups are visually stimulating. The stories are easy for children to follow, and anticipate! Little boys in particular like the stories, and in my experience they are the first books they choose.
Book Description
The guys share some of their favorite calls about the world where cars and animals meet. Luckily, it’s not dog-eat-dog, but sometimes it’s horse-eat-steering-wheel. Tom and Ray Magliozzi are America’s foremost auto mechanics. So usually people phone in to their radio show with questions about cars—buying them, driving them, keeping them running. But every so often, out of the blue, Click and Clack are also called on to be amateur veterinary psychologists. They’re asked to figure out why a horse has eaten a steering wheel, or why a 100-pound dog insists on riding on the roof of a pickup truck, or how a white rat the size of a two-liter Coke bottle got into a poor young woman’s Chevy. And while they might not know the answer, they always come up with something. This is a collection of calls about cars, animals, and the mysterious, often hilarious times when they meet. It leads Tom and Ray down a familiar path—of wild speculation, occasional brilliant suggestions, and lots of laughs. This is a must-have for anyone who loves animals or those two peculiar beasts who host Car Talk.
Customer Reviews:
Too short---but very funny---more like 4.5 stars.......2007-07-11
Brothers Tommy and Ray Magliozzi have a call-in show on National Public Radio called "Car Talk." The calls range from the serious to hilarious--but rely on the "Tappett Brothers" to make even the mundane call funny.
Check your local listings to see when "Car Talk" comes on. Tommy and Ray are the only people that'd get me up and cheerful at 9 AM.
Their radio show has provided both my husband and I hours of laughter. Their website is also helpful for finding mechanics, buying cars, etc.
It's good to have them around if you need a laugh at other times. My only complaint is they could have packed a little more into this CD. Then again, "Car Talk" is never long enough for me, either!
Really funny........2007-02-06
We enjoy Car Talk so much and we really had fun with this! These guys are hilarious! The only problem is that it's too short!
Animals?.......2007-01-01
I guess you either love these guys or you hate them. My wife finds them incredibly annoying when she hears them on the radio.
Myself, I love them. Their accents are not off-putting to me, and I love how they laugh together.
What I've learned over time, though, is that the 'straight' answers they provide are actually pretty authoritative. They actually know what they're talking about, based not only on their extensive formal education but also based on their hands-on work with many, many cars.
But they don't know anything about animals - maybe that's why this collection is not as good as their best efforts.
If I personally found anything annoying, it's only their constant self-referencing which gets old. However, it's a part of their "shtick" which we would not want to do without...
I LOVE CAR TALK.......2006-06-15
On Saturdays when I take a break for listening to CDs, I usually
tune into Car Talk on my local NPR Radio station. I have a
fancy for the crazy antics of Click and Clack, the Tappet
Brothers.
In their show, they dispense humor and car repair information. I end up laughing at their crazy banter more than I get car repair tips. Plus when my car messes up, I take it to the shop-I don't want to be their next call!
In their current audio collection, Car Talk: Doesn't Anyone Screen These Calls? (One hour, one cd, radio selections, Highbridge), the Tappets take calls regarding animal and cars. It is funny with out trying. A few of these REAL people seem like they came out of crazy central casting (especially about the horse who ate the stering wheel)
If anyone hasn't heard these boys before on the radio or on their cds, you are in for a laughable treat for your ears. I am still laughing at this one. ENJOY!
Bennet Pomerantz, AUDIOWORLD
Book Description
The only dog-training book that really gets through to the canine brain beneath all that fur.Incorporating the revolutionary teaching of John Ross's prominent dog-training school, this is the first and only dog-training book that truly takes owners inside the canine mind. Central to Ross's technique is the notion that a dog responds to its owner as the pack leader, and that this leader must take the dominant role in the relationship between human and dog. By encouraging owners to act in a canine manner, Ross emphasizes sure-fire techniques to help dogs through the behaviors they need to learn. Among the hundreds of useful training tips included in Dog Talk are:* Always use your dog's name prior to the command: "Bentley, heel!"* When training a puppy, try moving a desired object like a dog biscuit over and behind your dog's head to induce him to "sit."* Do not use your dog's name-- which he associates with being called toward you-- when commanding him to "stay."* Don't yell "Come!" in a threatening manner while chasing after a disobedient puppy or you may well have just trained him to run away on command.* Giving a "No" command while your dog is thinking about a bad behavior is even more effective than giving it during the behavior.
Customer Reviews:
Not the best book out there..........2007-10-05
I've been reading book after book on dog behavior, trainging, etc. in preparation for my new puppy. Of all the books I've read this is my least favorite. I feel like the tone of the book is a over-simplified while other great books like "The Other End of the Leash" and "Good Owners, Great Dogs" respect the intelligence of their reader. I also think that using the book recommended "NHAA" over a simple "No" is silly. Anyway, this book is alright, but there are MUCH better out there. Try the two listed above as well as "Positive Perspectives; Love your dog, Train your dog" by Pat Miller and "The Art of Raising a Puppy" by the Monks of New Skete.
My Dog Ate The Book!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.......2004-08-24
Tried to Train my dog but the mutt ate the book. Help!!!!
This dog trainer uses it religiously.......2004-05-26
I've read a LOT of dog training books over the years, from the earliest Koehler (traditional trainer) to the latest "fad" titles like "Positive Puppy Training Works" by Joel Walton. John Ross's book really boils down the basics to brass tacks, and makes it easier for the layperson to understand. I don't use a text for my classes, but if I did, this would be it.
The thing I like best about this book is John's balanced approach. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to learn that dogs, since they can't learn our language, need for us to communicate in ways that are meaningful to them. Balanced training is just better communication, period. Dogs understand it, so they learn faster. The "positive only" folks out there want you to think all corrections are going to ruin your relationship with your dog, but that is simply not so. Humane, effective corrections are a part of teaching dogs, and if you train the right way, you don't need them very often. Ross explains how to train the right way, with praise, rewards, and yes, corrections if needed. He's not afraid to tell it like it is. I find this refreshing, and I know--it works.
I do agree that there is no substitute for a good training class, including this book. Use them together (you do have to do your homework) and you will end up with a really well-behaved dog. Since training never ends, the book will give you something to refer back to to keep Fido in excellent form long after the class is over.
You owe it to your dog to communicate with him in a language he understands. "Dog Talk" will show you how.
Best book on the market.......2004-01-04
I bought this book (amongst others) 8 years ago when I got my first dog. After reading all of the dog books I could lay my hands on, I decided to try this one. I followed it religiously and it worked like a dream. As a result, both my dogs are amazingly well trained and behaved. By the time they were six months old they both responded to spoken commands as well as hand signals. I can leave food out on the table without fear they will eat it when I'm not in the room, leave them in a down stay for as long as I need and take them for walks without being dragged. They even go pee on command! Neither one of them took or needed obedience training.
Fair warning though, it does require time and effort. It isn't enough to try it once and give up if it doesn't work right away. If that is your approach then you should probably look for professional help.
Also, while the book gives you excellent ideas and methods, it is not a cookbook. You can't simply follow the instructions exactly and expect it to work perfectly for every dog.
Dogs all have their own personality and likes and dislikes. While one of my dogs will do rolls until the cows come home, the other hates doing even one. The book requires creativity and sensitivity on the part of the owner. If you don't have those qualities, it's probably best to find a pro who does.
I've loaned this book to a dozen people since I got it. Just about every one of them loved it and used it to either train their dog or rid their dog of a bad habit. If you are the type of person who likes working with your dog and wants to teach him to do more than just 'sit', this is the book for you!
A Great Resource for Training.......2002-12-16
I purchased this book back in 1993 when I and my dog participated in a class with the author. The book has everything that was covered in class and more. By practicing with the methods outlined in the book, it transformed my dog from a pain-in-the-neck to an excellent companion. We recently got a new puppy, and we are going to be using "Dog Talk" again.
Customer Reviews:
Alex and Friends.......2007-10-10
This is also a great read about animals and how they think and about their behavior. It also talks about the famous african grey parrot, Alex who is owned by Dr Irene Pepperberg. I highly reccomend reading this book.
A Pleasure.......2007-01-20
The product was quality and arrived quickly. Seller is a pleasure to do business with!
Average customer rating:
- Very much worthwhile, but contentious
- its a book, not a bible
- In Search of the Animal Mind
- Heavy in straw, but light in substance
- Intellectually Dishonest
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If a Lion Could Talk: Animal Intelligence and the Evolution of Consciousness
Stephen Budiansky
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ASIN: 0684837102 |
Amazon.com
What is your cat thinking when she scratches at the door? What goes through Koko the gorilla's mind when she signs? For that matter, what goes through our minds when we think about animals and intelligence? Science writer Stephen Budiansky explores the difficulties of comparing intelligence between species in If a Lion Could Talk and takes a strong stance against measuring other animals using human standards. (The title is part of a Wittgenstein quote that ends "...we would not understand him.")
The book shows how the most basic principle of evolution--that all living things are related--has been misconstrued by well-meaning scientists to imply that all animals possess intelligence that differs from ours only in quantity. This leads to comparisons of near-equivalence between such intuitively likely pairs as adult gorillas and human children, comparisons that Budiansky suggests are misleading and more descriptive of our own minds than those of our distant cousins. What evolution should be telling us, he says, is that each species is equally well suited to its niche and should be examined for what it is, not how similar or different it is from us. How is it that chimpanzees can perform such remarkable problem-solving without language?
If a Lion Could Talk will not make anyone lose interest in animal minds, for that is not its intention. If anything, it inspires a real sense of admiration for the billions of living things that make it through each day despite the seemingly terrible handicap of not being human. Budiansky tells us that if we want to learn about our planet-mates, we have a lot of unlearning to do. Luckily for us he is gracious enough to provide an introductory unlesson. --Rob Lightner
Book Description
How many of us have caught ourselves gazing into the eyes of a pet, wondering what thoughts lie behind those eyes? Or fallen into an argument over which is smarter, the dog or the cat? Scientists have conducted elaborate experiments trying to ascertain whether animals from chimps to pigeons can communicate, count, reason, or even lie. So does science tell us what we assume -- that animals are pretty much like us, only not as smart? Simply, no. Now, in this superb book, Stephen Budiansky poses the fundamental question: "What is intelligence?" His answer takes us on the ultimate wildlife adventure to animal consciousness.
Budiansky begins by exposing our tendency to see ourselves in animals. Our anthropomorphism allows us to perceive intelligence only in behavior that mimics our own. This prejudice, he argues, betrays a lack of imagination. Each species is so specialized that most of their abilities are simply not comparable. At the mercy of our anthropomorphic tendencies, we continue to puzzle over pointless issues like whether a wing or an arm is better, or whether night vision is better than day vision, rather than discovering the real world of a winged nighthawk, a thoroughbred horse, or an African lion. Budiansky investigates the sometimes bizarre research behind animal intelligence experiments: from horses who can count or ace history quizzes, and primates who seem fluent in sign language, to rats who seem to have become self-aware, he reveals that often these animals are responding to our tiny unconscious cues. And, while critically discussing scientists' interpretations of animal intelligence, he is able to lay out their discoveries in terms of what we know about ourselves. For instance, by putting you in the minds of dogs or bees who travel by dead reckoning, he demonstrates that this is also how you find your way down a familiar street with almost no conscious awareness of your navigation system.
Modern cognitive science and the new science of evolutionary ecology are beginning to show that thinking in animals is tremendously complex and wonderful in its variety. A pigeon's ability to find its way home from almost anywhere has little to do with comparative intelligence; rather it is due to the pigeon's very different perception of the world. That's why, as Wittgenstein said, "If a lion could talk, we would not understand him." In this fascinating book, Budiansky frees us from the shackles of our ideas about the natural world, and opens a window to the astounding worlds of the animals that surround us.
Customer Reviews:
Very much worthwhile, but contentious.......2007-06-17
This is a very slippery book on a very slippery subject. What Stephen Budiansky is trying to do is demonstrate from his reading of the literature, including experiments published in peer-reviewed journals, that there is a distinction to be made between the minds of humans and all other animals. Budiansky seems not to believe that intelligence and consciousness are matters of degree, but matters of threshold. Following philosopher Daniel Dennett he attributes this nearly absolute difference between us and them to our ability to use symbolic language.
The reason the subject is so slippery is that an adequate definition of both intelligence and consciousness is lacking. The reason the book is contentious naturally follows from this, but additionally Budiansky seems to have an agenda or, call it a thesis. He writes: "Consciousness is a wonderful gift and a wonderful curse that, all the evidence suggests, is not in the realm of the sentient experiences of other creatures." (p. 194)
How true or not his statement may be really depends on the definition of consciousness. Unfortunately Budiansky does not give one, and so all his conclusions about the differences in consciousness between humans and other creatures are murky at best. The closest he comes to a definition is on page 193 where he asserts that "...language is so intimately tied to consciousness that the two seem inseparable." Using this "definition" it is only a matter of demonstrating that animals do not have language in order to demonstrate that they don't have consciousness.
However even in this I don't think Budiansky is successful. Much of the book is given over to showing how so many experiments using chimps and monkeys, pigeons and dogs, etc., that seem to demonstrate that language use by animals is just signaling. This position is well known. The argument is that humans are the only animals with grammatical, syntactical and symbolic ability built into their brains. Other animals cannot construct sentences because they have no syntax. They have no "theory of mind" because they cannot think symbolically.
But this is not proven, as Budiansky acknowledges. What is obvious is that whatever language ability other animals have is rudimentary compared to that of humans. And almost everyone would agree that the consciousness demonstrated by animals varies considerably. By the way, here's a quick definition of consciousness: awareness, identify, and self-awareness. A lot of confusion results because when people talk about consciousness, one person may have in mind "awareness," while another may be talking about "self-awareness" only, or about "self-identity." Awareness includes past, present and future events, and places here and elsewhere. We are very good at all of this, whereas other creatures are apparently not so good at anything other than the here and now. Because of our extended awareness, people like Budiansky are persuaded that we are on a consciousness level above other animals that should be recognized as different in kind.
Notice, by the way, that the idea that consciousness depends on language is by this definition obviously false. Sentient beings can be aware of many things without using language. Also there are different kinds of languages. Budiansky is talking about the kind of language that linguists study, the kind of language that Norm Chomsky analyzed to come up with his discovery that syntax is innate. But mathematics is a language, and when mathematicians are thinking about equations, they are conscious to the same extent that I am when I am thinking about how to put an idea into a sentence. Ditto for chess players and musicians. The languages that humans use are of one kind. We do not yet understand the languages the whales and dolphins speak.
What I don't like about Budiansky's insistence on a difference in kind is that when you stop to think about it, such a difference would be surprising since all life forms on this planet as far as we know evolved from a single ancient ancestor--unless of course you believe in a divine and separate creation.
Some other points at issue:
Budiansky wants to debunk the idea that animals are "worthy of special consideration" because their "behavior resembles" that of humans (see, e.g., p. xiii). I agree. We should appreciate other living things for what they are and not for how much they resemble us.
Consider the example of a chimpanzee holding out her hand to another in an appeasement gesture only to attack the other when he got near. Budiansky writes that a "theory of mind" interpretation would be that the tricky female knew the male would be misled in approaching and took advantage. But the "behaviorist spoilsport" interpretation is that the female had done this in the past and it worked and so did it again without recourse to reading the other's mind. (p. 182) This example illustrates just how difficult it is to say what is going on in another's mind. Personally I think the notion of a "theory of mind" should stay in the philosophy department.
One of the things that Budiansky makes clear is why some animals cry out when a predator appears. (See Chapter 6, "Speak!") Such calls seem altruistic to the point of being impossible from an evolutionary perspective; however Budiansky shows that such cries actually help the crier because their pitch either fools the attacking hawk so that it looks in the wrong direction, or the calls bring out other victims who go running about, thereby confusing the attacker or giving the attacker targets other than the crier.
Another nice thing that Budiansky does is show in sharp detail that the language accomplishments of chimpanzees and gorillas in some famous studies reveal not so much a human-like ability, but demonstrate the great gulf that exists between our use of language and theirs, which is not the kind of truth some people want to read.
its a book, not a bible.......2006-03-16
I'm a bit shocked by the seeming backlash to this work. So much so I'm going to read it again. I read it about 6 months ago and thought it was a fine piece of work.
I don't agree with all the authors conclusions, or even some of his definitions. But the book does one thing and it does it well.
It points out clearly just how careful we have to be in trying to infer conclusions from experiments. We are all subject to little soundbites on the news about this new fact or other coming from science, and yet we get no background on the methodolgies employed to arrive at these pronouncements of truth, the personal biases of the researchers or who has funded the research in the first place.
We are just encouraged to accept the new 'fact' and integrate it into our reptoire of knowledge. But as this book eloquently illustrates, if we shift perspective and rigourously subject the experimental methodology to the same degree of scientific scrutiny which we subject the phenomenon under the microscope we can often find that the results are less than definitive.
In the Behavioural Sciences, this is of supreme importance if the discipline is to provide society with valuable contributions to the knowledge base. For example, to train an animal to provide a response and to include stimuli which we recognise as numbers in that process does not mean the animal has any conception of the concept of number whatsoever. It just means the training has been effective. Replace the numbers with pictures of random objects and repeat the experiment, are the results the same? If the animal can be trained to replicate the same behaviour in the absence of numerical stimuli, the 'evidence' that a rabbit can count evaporates.
When I read his book, I sensed no 'agenda' which other reviewers are so vehemently convinced are the driving points of his motivation. Indeed I am forced to question if such emotionally driven responses to a simple book on general science are not the result of people being offended by his conclusions as opposed to being objective in their evaluation of the intent behind his work.
If you work in the behavioural sciences I strongly recommend that before you design your next experiment, you read this book and ask yourself if the behavioural test you are intending to conduct is going to provide you with insight into the animals behaviour, on its terms, not ours.
For the rest of us, if you have an objective interest in the application of the scientific method, then you'll find this book a damn good read.
You may not agree with SB, but you will appreciate the efforts he has made and enjoy the insights which are contained. Take these and develop your own conclusions and avoid the trap of soapboxing just because someone elses views are not aligned with your own.
In Search of the Animal Mind.......2006-01-23
Stephen Budiansky begins this fascinating and mind-altering book by debunking a classic story of animal intelligence and near-human understanding. It's the 1996 account of the female gorilla in Chicago's Brookfield Zoo who picked up a little boy and protected him from other gorillas when he fell into their enclosure. As reported in the newspapers and shown on TV, the story made everyone believe that the gorilla had shown concern for the boy and, in a sense, made an inter-species contact, but it turns out that previously, prior to giving birth, she had been trained by her keepers in maternal care with a baby doll. As for the other gorillas, they were kept away from the scene of the accident by fire hoses shooting water at their feet. Budiansky's demolition of an appealing myth rudely challenges our consoling assumptions about animal behavior, intelligence and consciousness, and prepares us for a rigorous and unsentimental investigation of those very attributes.
The title of the book comes from the philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein: "If a lion could talk, we would not understand him." And Budiansky, in a careful survey of a wide range of research, shows how far we are from understanding the thinking of other animals--how anthropomorphic assumptions infect our testing of them in the lab, how human logic influences our observations of them in the field, how sentimental emotions govern our treatment of them in the home. Parsing out the differences, he advances the provocative hypothesis that all animals have basically the same intelligence working to satisfy their needs, only working through different anatomies and modalities, and so appearing unequal to us. The horse, the pigeon and the fish do equally well with what they've got---hoof, wing and fin; they eat, mate and get around with equal skill. We tend to rate their intelligence not by their performance in their own domain, but by how well they respond to us, or how human their actions appear. We set up IQ tests for them that favor human attributes: visual acuity, manual dexterity and problem solving with geometrical shapes. Or we teach them varieties of sign language, which feed back our own symbols to us and may mean nothing to them.
Ultimately, no matter how refined the experiment, it seems impossible to get beyond the wall separating animals and man, chiefly because they do not speak and every experiment devised by man inserts the human element. A sort of biological uncertainty principle emerges in which the experimenter foils the experiment. Budiansky is left imagining that we are most like other species when we are performing but not talking to ourselves, enjoying the zen-state so desperately sought by hyper-conscious man. Animals, he concludes, have their own ways, their own dignity and beauty. (I saw no bashing of animal rights claimed by other reviewers.) He moves perhaps into a realm of philosophy, leaving the reader bereft of easy assumptions. You will see the world of nature in a new way after reading this scintillating work.
Post scriptum. Although Budiansky does not explore the issue, his study has devastating implications for both scientists and Trekkies hoping to make contact with aliens. If ever we were to discover extraterrestrials, our approach to them inevitably would embody the same human preconceptions. Even if they were close to us anatomically, the prospect of finding common ground for communication is scant. The DNA of a chimpanzee differs from that of a man by only a couple of percentage points, yet the main thing we have been able to learn from our closest kin is that they want another banana.
Heavy in straw, but light in substance.......2005-01-11
A new class of science writer has emerged in recent years. Where science journalism was once an effort to bring often arcane material to a wider reading public, there is a new approach - debunk science whenever possible. Budiansky, in his opening to this book, is quite open about his agenda. Science, particularly the studies of animal behaviour, is actually driven by New Age animal protection schemes. This must come as a shock to those who have spent years of field and laboratory work trying to understand why various animals, including humans, act as they do.
Budiansky takes us through numerous animal studies, particularly that of primates. His theme is begun with the story of a zoo gorilla who purported(ly?) "saved" a child. That the media hype over this story is based on the fallacious assumption that these huge animals are a threat to humans never seems to have occurred to him. He is only concerned over whether it is "natural" for gorillas to "save" children. Are scientists, as Budiansky charges, over enthusiastically applying human values to our animal relatives?
From a false starting point, he continues with copious accounts of behaviour studies. Each is presented as if the research teams had claimed far more than they actually have done. This is precisely the kind of selective quotations technique others have used in attempting to refute evolution by natural selection. It's the use of whole paddocks of straw creatures that clearly lack substance or value. It also demonstrates that Budiansky is devoid of understanding how science works. Research builds up snippets of information from a great deal of work. In cognition, we're still learning to ask the proper questions, never mind the completeness of the answers.
The book goes on to address the issues of animal "self-awareness", deception, forms of communication and, of course, pain. Since he's keen to refute those seeking greater protection for animals other than ourselves, it's important to Budiansky to limit any meaning to any of these concepts. The irony in all this is that he attributes other animals with talents such as mapping, distance assessment, deception, survival strategies and other attributes without granting these traits any real value. The book is filled with self-contradictions which neither Budiansky nor his editor appear to have noticed. It's as if the manuscript was typed, then rushed into print to meet a deadline.
Budiansky's "references" make abundantly clear that he's failed to consult the more prominent animal behaviourists. John Alcock, Thomas Eisner or Bernd Heinrich are noticeably absent from the list. He gives Seyforth and Cheney ["How Monkeys See the World"] lengthy coverage, only to lambaste them for misrepresenting their findings. He cites Daniel Dennett frequently, but in doing so simply adopts a limited definition of consciousness from what he's used elsewhere in the book. While he claims to have a handle on the evolutionary roots of behaviour, it's clear he has no real grasp of the development of cognition. When he arrives at language, of course, he soars with flowery rhetoric. There's no doubt that language gives humans a special cognitive ability. Does that thus relegate the rest of the animal kingdom to a subordinate role in life? Budiansky thinks so, and wants his readers to follow his lead. It's a false trail. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]
Intellectually Dishonest.......2004-09-07
Let me be clear about something at the outset. I am not an animal rights activist, but I am a pet owner. I am not a scientist, and I eat meat. All biases fully disclosed at the outset of this review.
The fundamental problem with Mr. Budiansky's argument is that it is phony.
He is trying to prove that animals are not our equals -- that their consciousness is not equal to ours. This is like me trying to prove that Einstein knew more about physics than I do. You don't need a book for that.
But what's worse about this book, is that Budiansky botches such a simple argument. You could easily argue that humans have a higher consciousness than animals, but it seems reasonable that you would also argue that animals feel...something. To me, these do not appear to be inconsistent positions.
Yet Budiansky won't, or can't, allow this. His sham argument is absolute.
He states that what an animal perceives is unknowable, but then confidently asserts that animals perceive nothing. Their "pain is not pain". Did I miss something, or did logic go on a permanent holiday?
I may not be able to perceive the pain of an animal, or even know that it exists, but I hear the squeal of my dog when I accidentally step on her paw. I don't need to pay Budiansky to have him tell me that what she felt wasn't techically "pain" in the human sense nor do I need him to explain that my dog and I aren't going to have any deep philosophical conversations any time soon.
But he does have a decent command of syntax.
Books:
- The Overloaded Ark
- The Safari Companion: A Guide to Watching African Mammals Including Hoofed Mammals, Carnivores, and Primates
- The Venomous Reptiles of the Western Hemisphere, 2 Vol. Set (Comstock Books in Herpetology)
- The Water Hole
- Tomorrow Will Be Too Late: The Life of Saint Peter Julian Eymard, Apostle of the Eucharist
- Tops & Bottoms (Caldecott Honor Book)
- Warriors #1: Into the Wild (summer reading) (Warriors)
- Water for Elephants: A Novel
- What is a California Sea Otter?
- Wild About the Lowveld (Duncan Burchart's Wild About Series)
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