I read this book years ago and I was hoping that an improved description/explanation of why dogs scratch after they eliminate would be included... No such luck. It is still described as a visual signal to alert other dogs as to the location of the scent (included in the elimination). That may be true, but I'm thinking there must be more to it. And my recent observation of my rescued Greyhound seems to reinforce my view.

That is not to disparage this book. It should be a must read for all who wish to know more about their best friend. In it the author makes the case for dogs having a language. In doing so he explores language itself and how we humans define it. I am not sure that dogs have a language in the way that most people I know think about language, but they certainly have ways to communicate and this book goes over them. I often speak of dogfights as a discussion when one dog is trying to 'splain something to another dog. The author explains why dogs seek to avoid such discussions whenever possible. I am not at all sure that the reader will have "mastered" the art of communication with his/her pet pooch, but he/she will have a much better understanding of it after reading this book.

The author is careful not to make absolute statements, which suggests to me that he understands that there are no absolutes in dogdom. Dogs are individuals and even a dog can have a bad hair day.

The author also goes into cat language a bit (I wish I knew more about cats) in the chapter on how dogs and cats communicate and he delves into how some dogs may speak a different dialect that others.

This book is available in the Jefferson county Library, which is where I found it. I have pretty solid views on dogs which you can read about in this blog and which you can access by going to my webpage at www.pearsonspetservices.com but I find this book to be helpful and useful in trying to understand dogs.