Description
Dogs in Translation – A Unique Journey of Observation and Interpretation
There have been a number of fine books that have attempted to penetrate and unravel the complex manner in which dogs communicate with dogs, humans and other species. But Dogs In Translation, the work of two of Europe’s leading behaviourists, Gabi Maue and Katja Krauss, takes this journey of exploration to a new level.
The authors have taken every opportunity to witness situations and interactions to build their knowledge, and spent over a decade collating a library of photographs which demonstrate the myriad ways in which dogs indicate their mood and intentions. The result is this extraordinary pictorial journey through the emotional world of the dog, with more than 1300 photographs, all expertly analysed.
Making use of split-second photography, we can see the most subtle of signs that tells us what a dog is experiencing, moment by moment, and how he is processing that experience. Not only does this provide a fascinating study of canine behaviour, it also gives us the tools to predict outcomes. Armed with this knowledge, we can step in, where necessary, and prevent our dogs suffering discomfort, stress or trauma.
Part One focuses on the head, and the parts of the body, showing how dogs use their physicality to expresses their emotions, and as a means of communicating with other dogs and with their guardians and caregivers.
Communication signals come under the microscope in Part Two, detailing the repertoire of behaviours that are used in daily interactions, and how these are perceived by other dogs.
The final part of the book looks at each of the emotions – fear, sadness, annoyance, anger rage, revulsion/disgust and joy – and provides evidence of how dogs experience these feelings.
Dogs In Translation is a landmark publication that fully acknowledges dogs as sentient beings. The remarkable range of photographs, coupled with sensitive and perceptive commentary, gives us the means to understand, and help, our dogs as never before.
468 PAGES
About the authors-
Gabi Maue is a Level 3 Tellington TTouch practitioner for dogs and small animals. She hosts seminars and lectures on the Tellington TTouch method, on communication, learning behavior and behavioral problems as well as on the neuropsychology of dogs.
Katja Krauß is a state-approved dog expert, TopTrainer, and runs the dog school GREH in Berlin. She is also a Tellington TTouch Instructor, of which there are only around twenty in the world, for dogs and small animals. She has already written three dog books for various publishers and has released a DVD. Her best-known client is the sheikh of Dubai, to whom she has been flying for years to train the trainers there.
What the experts are saying…
“Dogs in Translation changes the game from the traditional human-to-dog monologue to human-with-dog dialogue style of communication that marks the modern, compassionate trainer. With due consideration to breed and circumstances, this book is a stunningly comprehensive pictorial and narrative reference of what dog behavior can mean to those caregivers who are ready to listen.”
Susan G. Friedman, Ph. D., Behavior Works
“Rarely does a book come along that sets a new paradigm in the dog world. This is such a book. The spectacular format, 1300 large photos and descriptive explanations will give readers new possibilities for understanding dogs.”
Linda Tellington-Jones Ph.D (Hon)
“I wish the average dog owner could accurately predict near-future behavior from a dog’s postural behaviors. Dogs in Translation would fit the bill quite well and would be a useful read for those working toward becoming a professional in the dog training/care business as well.”
Dr. James O’Heare
Behaviorologist. Owner, Companion Animal Sciences Institute
Author, The Sciences and Technology of Dog Training
“An astonishingly rich compendium of every possible movement a dog might make: from the biggest yawn to the smallest twitch of an eyebrow. Sure to delight every close observer of dogs in action.”
Clive D. L. Wynne, PhD, FLS,
Professor, Department of Psychology, Director, Canine Science Collaboratory, Arizona State University,
“We have the opinion and the dogs have the facts.” So says one of the authors of this amazing book, acknowledging that we are always guessing about how a dog is feeling. But that important caveat introduces us to an astounding array of excellent photographs, detailing every possible visual signal a dog could give us that might signal its internal state. This book is an accomplishment to celebrate, refining as it will our abilities to observe subtle but important visual signals from our dogs. If you’re serious about canine behavior, put this on your “must have” list!
Patricia B. McConnell, Ph.D., Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist
This book is the most detailed, well laid out and thoughtful book I’ve seen on the topic of dog body language. Taking a “head to tail” look at the dog, missing nothing, you will be captivated by the sheer nuance that our furry companions offer to both us and each other via body language. The photographs are extremely well done with close ups to help you refine your skills of observation. I strongly recommend this book to both pet owners and professionals alike if you’d like to expand your knowledge in this area.
Denise Fenzi , Writer, Dog Trainer and owner of Fenzi Sports Academy
I cannot imagine how much work went into producing this beautifully photographed comprehensive guide to canine body language. Going far beyond most books on the subject, Dogs in Translation not only breaks body language down into its separate parts (ears, nose tail, etc.), but features many photos of dogs displaying the signaling around other dogs. As a trainer, I believe the dog-dog interaction photos will be especially helpful for owners. Here too the minutiae of body language can be seen, with descriptions such as “slightly annoyed but still relaxed”. Useful too are photos of the same dog but with different expressions. The authors also cover stress signals and warning signals, which are crucial for owners to recognize. Kudos to the authors for this beautiful, thoughtful, well laid out guide.
Nicole Wilde, Internationally recognized, award-winning author and lecturer, as well as a professional canine behavior specialist and Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT-KA).
padmin –
It is not often that I come across a dog related publication that is genuinely different. Even in fiction the number of ‘plots’ is very limited as Kurt Vonnegut set out in a lecture back in the 1960s. Recent analysis using artificial intelligence on almost 2,000 stories found there are six ‘core trajecto-ries’ which form the building blocks of complex narratives. These are: “rags to riches” (a story that follows a rise in happiness), “tragedy”, (riches to rags that follows a fall in happiness), “man in a hole” (falls in –gets out), “Icarus” (rises–falls out), “Cinderella” (rises–falls–rises), and “Oedipus” (falls–rises–falls). The same is true of non-fiction and this is demonstrated clearly in books about dogs where there are similar groupings: breed books (most of which follow the same pattern), general dog care books (ditto), coffee table encyclopaedias (ditto), dog training and psychology and what I term “sideways looks” (dog stories, how to books and information and explanation books).
This book is about dog training. There are hundreds of books on this subject: some patently ri-diculous but those which are not, will be based on the ideas in the following titles which are to my mind the important foundation texts. All dog trainers should be familiar with: Man Meets Dog and On Aggression by Karl Lorenz; Dog Language by Roger Abrantes; The Culture Clash by Jean Don-aldson; Don’t Shoot the Dog by Karen Prior and Think Dog by John Fisher. They all emphasise the importance of understanding the psychology of the dog as a way to encourage good behaviour as well as suggesting good practice. There are several other titles which delve deeply into canine psychology, but these cover more than just the basics and are for the enthusiast and professional rather than those hundreds which have recently been published to teach new owners about training their new puppy.
There are also hundreds of dog trainers: some patently ridiculous (remember that like anything else: if it sounds too good to be true it probably is!), but the best will have their own methods and phi-losophy which they have developed through many years’ experience.
That said, all dog training is based on four approaches: Positive Reinforcement; Negative Re-inforcement; Positive Punishment and Negative Punishment. Many trainers and canine behaviourists may suggest that there are a number of ‘alternative’ methods’ (clicker training, relationship training, model/rival training etc – they are never ending) but all are based on these four principles beginning with Pavlov, who demonstrated classical conditioning, to Steven Lindsay whose three volumes on Applied Dog Behaviour and Training will set you back almost £300.
Of course, theory is all very well and there is little substitute for experience and practice but nevertheless, setting out the principles of any activity is vital as it provides an opportunity for those wanting to master any skill a foundation on which to build.
Dogs in Translation
So may I bring to your attention another candidate which might be included in foundation texts for dog trainers and behaviourists – and, incidentally, for judges too? It is a quality, hardback publication titled Dogs in Translation by Katja Krauss and Gabi Maue. It is subtitled ‘a unique jour-ney of observation and interpretation’ and it is this approach which intrigued me. Rather than provid-ing a routine to train dogs, it is a manual which takes its readers, whether they be teachers, students, or practitioners of obedience, agility or any other related canine activity, on a journey of discovery. Readers are seen not as pupils learning the mechanics by rote but as students of communications, sig-nals, emotions and body language. But as it does so, it investigates many concepts which are useful to judges too. It is the technique used by myself when writing the Judging Diploma Course and also used by John Fisher when he wrote the first courses on canine psychology for the Animal Care Col-lege back in the 1980. This book takes the technique to a new level.
It is a book for the serious student rather than for a new owner wanting to quickly train their Cocker Spaniel puppy to walk to heel, using quick fixes and special collars and control harnesses. It asks fundamental questions about every aspect of canine behaviours but without the faux psychology which has become such a feature of dog training and sometime unnecessary behavioural complexity we have seen in the past twenty years.
It is heavy in every sense It runs to 468 pages and is packed with superb photographs from all over the world which are used to demonstrate the points being made.
It is divided into three sections: ‘what does the body tell us’, ‘communication signals’ and ‘the emotions’. Each section provides examples of expression and movement in various different environ-ments over a range of circumstances. For instance, how do behaviours differ between dogs which want to remain neutral, those which are feeling tension and want to avoid conflict, those which are undecided in any encounter and those which want to protect themselves or their owner.
There is a fascinating series of comments and photographs exploring ‘tension’ which can be generated through heat, colour, exertion, excitement, pain, fear and various other stressors, the conse-quences of each being carefully defined, discussed and illustrated along with the techniques used by the dog to reduce it . At the same time, it helps us understand the triggers and stressors which can help us to react more efficiently and effectively.
Not just a simple ‘read’
One interesting feature of this publication is that it comes with a 50 page ‘workbook’ which provides a series of exercises, encouraging the reader to take time and work through the ideas set out in the main text and photographs. They provide a wide range of examples of behaviour, highlighting various reactions of the dog so that the student is made to focus on and understand the important sig-nals being given out.
The book, particularly the section on ‘body’ and ‘movement’, also provides some insights for judges and exhibitors and the illustration of the various ‘gaits’ is very useful too. It is, naturally, fo-cused on identifying the psychological aspects of behaviour but as you will be aware, in my opinion judges benefit from seeing the biggest pictures. Just as it is to the advantage of the specialist to have knowledge and experience of breeds other than their own, an understanding of canine behaviour and some exposure to other canine activities can only be a very good thing.
DAVID CAVILL OUR DOGS