‘The definitive dog book of our time by the researcher who started a revolution.’
The Genius of Dogs
Discovering the Unique Intelligence of Man's Best Friend
Brian Hare Vanessa WoodsThe international bestseller that reveals the amazing mind of your favourite friend
Is your dog purposefully disobeying you? Probably, and usually behind your back. Should you act like ‘top dog’ to maintain control? No, you’re better off displaying your friendliness – and not just to your dog. Which breed is the cleverest? That’s the wrong question to ask.
These are just some of the extraordinary insights to be found in The Genius of Dogs – the seminal book on how dogs evolved their unique intelligence by award-winning scientist Dr Brian Hare. He shares more than two decades of startling discoveries about the mysteries of the dog mind and how you can use his groundbreaking work to build a better relationship with your own dog.
Reviews
Daniel Levitin - James McGill Professor of Psychology, McGill University
'Anyone who has ever owned a dog will testify to the intelligence that shines from them and this book provides all the proof needed that owners are right and sceptical scoffers are wrong… You'll love your pet even more, if that’s possible, once you've read this.'
Daily Mail
‘Thoroughly researched and written in the likeable voice of a brainy scientist sitting at your kitchen table, The Genius of Dogs is a fascinating look at what goes on between the ears of the animals we share our lives with. I found it entertaining, fast-moving, and filled with insights that gave me a new appreciation for the complex social intelligence of man’s best friend.’
John Grogan - author of Marley & Me
‘A masterful account of the way science is revealing just how smart dogs can be. Fascinating and highly readable.’
John Bradshaw - Foundation Director of the Anthrozoology Institute, University of Bristol, and autho
‘Deliciously enlightening.’
BBC Wildlife Magazine
‘With the help of some wolves, Russian foxes, New Guinea singing dogs and a Labrador retriever named Oreo, Brian Hare tells us about his fascinating search for an understanding of how dogs think and communicate. This is a book that is well worth reading.’
Stanley Coren - Professor of Psychology, University of British Columbia, and author of How to Speak
'Excellent.'
BBC Focus
‘Based on Brian Hare’s game-changing research, The Genius of Dogs brilliantly explains the canine mind and in doing so illuminates the natural history of all intelligence. This book will captivate anyone interested in dog, ape or human mentality.’
Richard Wrangham - Professor of Biological Anthropology, Harvard University, and author of Catching
‘You would be hard-pressed to find a more cheerful, optimistic and warm-hearted read. Difficult, too, to find another book about dogs touching not only on Darwin and Skinner, but also on Stalin. Even Justin Bieber gets a mention…’
Spectator
‘This is the best book in existence, by far, for learning about the recent revolution in our understanding of the minds of dogs. And it’s fun, too.’
Mike Tomasello - Co-Director, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
‘Every dog-lover will enjoy this book; and those who, strangely, do not love dogs might come to see them in a new and more favourable light.’
Mail on Sunday
‘The Genius of Dogs is fantastic. It makes it very clear that there are different kinds of intelligence. All dog lovers should read this book.’
Temple Grandin - author of Animals in Translation
Brian Hare
Brian Hare is Associate Professor of Evolutionary Anthropology at Duke University, where he founded the Duke Canine Cognition Center. His research on ‘dognition’ has been published in the leading journals. With his wife Vanessa Woods, he cofounded the new dog intelligence testing and training company Canines Inc. To find out more, visit the Dognition website.
Author page
