Infopet || Books: Dogs: Origins, Canine Evolution, and Wolves

Books on Animals Dogs: Origins, canine evolution and wolves If you want to buy a book, clicking on the book cover will take you directly to that book on the Amazon.co.uk web site. See also: Dogs: General Dogs: Health and Nutrition Dogs: Books on single breeds Dogs: Puppy and manners training Dogs: Skills training: Agility and training games Dogs: Skills training:Sheepdog, gundog and scent work Dogs: Behaviour and training philosophies Dogs: Breeding and kennel management Dogs: Fiction and biography relating to dogs Stamps featuring wild canids

Click on the cover above to go to this book at Amazon.co.uk	The Wolf Within Shaun Ellis Publisher: Harper (3 Feb 2011) ISBN-10: 000732717X ISBN-13: 978-0007327171 If you haven´t read any Shaun Ellis, this is the book to start with. If you have, you may already know this book under its original title, The Man Who Lives With Wolves, which has now been published again under this new title. So beware, this isn't a new book of his, just a new title! Shaun Ellis came from Norfolk, England, and travelled to the US, where he studied wolves. He decided to live a very spartan life among wolves back in England, and this is his story, with observations of what he has seen. He links wolf behaviour with that of dogs. While what he says is very interesting, it's worth remembering that dogs do differ from wolves in many ways, and some dogs are more wolf-like than others. This means that wolves don't provide all the keys to unlocking the mysteries of canine behaviour. However, it's a gripping tale which gives you many insights into wolves, and you can't help admiring Shaun Ellis´s grit and determination. Top of page
Click on the cover above to go to this book at Amazon.co.uk	The Wolf Talk Shaun Ellis Publisher: Rainbow Publishing; 1st ed (6 Mar 2003) Language English ISBN-10: 189905703X ISBN-13: 978-1899057030 Shaun Ellis spent two years living with a pack of wolves in the US, without being in touch with humans, and this experience gave him a very special understanding of wolves. He has two packs of wolves at a wildlife park in England, and spends his time with them. His life is a gripping adventure story for anyone fascinated by wild animals. His love of wolves, and dedication to the task of understanding them shine through in this book. This book came out after The Wolf Within, so continues the story - The Wolf Within was first published as The Man Who Lives With Wolves, so that is the one to start off with to see if you enjoy Shaun Ellis. Top of page
Click on the cover above to go to this book at Amazon.co.uk	World of Wolves: New Perspectives on Ecology, Behaviour, and Management (Energy, Ecology, and the Environment) Marco Musiani (Editor), Luigi Boitani (Editor) University of Calgary Press (28 Feb 2010) ISBN-10: 9781552382691 ISBN-13: 978-1552382691 ASIN: 1552382699 This is a collection of case studies from different parts of the world, which is especially valuable, because much of the literature on wolves comes from the US, and less has appeared on wolves elsewhere. The contexts in which wolves live affect their behaviour, and this becomes obvious when you start looking at wolves in environments where livestock management practices vary according to human culture. This is a serious study, rather than a light read. If you want something about wolves that is easier to read, try Shaun Ellis, but if you have a serious interest in wolves, how they coexist with humans, evolution, and ecosystems, this book will interest you. Top of page
Click on the cover above to go to this book at Amazon.co.uk	Dog behaviour, Evolution and Cognition Adam Miklosi OUP Oxford; 1 edition (4 Dec 2008) ISBN-10: 0199545669 ISBN-13: 978-0199545667 This is a very important book, first because the author is part of a pioneering team which has been studying dog-human social interactions, using an ethological approach, since 1994. The head of the research team, Vilmos Csanyi, argues that dogs need social understanding to succeed in the human social world, and that this understanding probably came about as dogs evolved. Click here to read the rest of this review Top of page
Click on the cover above to go to this book at Amazon.co.uk	Biology and Conservation of Wild Canids D.W Macdonald and C. Sillero-Zubiri Oxford University Press ISBN 0198515561 This book brings together research on a wide variety of wild canids, such as wolves, foxes and jackals, looking both at the dog family as a whole, and at single species. It is especially useful for readers interested in conservation, since many of the contributors are actively involved in efforts to conserve wild canid populations, such as wolf packs in the US. Readers will find a basic understanding of biology to be an advantage, but the writing is accessible to non-biologists wiho are interested in the dog family. The editors decided to omit domestic dogs from this volume, but even so there is plenty to interest dog owners who want to understand more about the ethology of dogs, especially in the chapter on canid societies. The dog family has much in common, for example, leg cocking, and canids as a whole are very communicative, using posture, smell and voice to get their messages across. Dog owners can understand much of the language of wild canids, because it is so familiar. There are similarities across the dog family, and there are also differences. Wolf-type canids (including domestic dogs), for example, may snarl and growl, while fox-type canids tend not to do this. It is also larger, wolf-type canids which tend to live in packs, though pack size can vary, for example, according to how much food is available. Canids are very adaptable, changing their behaviour according to circumstances. This adaptablity that the authors emphasise, helps to explain why some dog owners are adamant that certain behaviour is 'natural' to dogs, while others are of the opposite opinion! One question the authors ask is why some canid species tend to live in packs and others don't. They are also curious as to what influences pack size. The authors note that a key advantage of living in a pack seems to be that it is easier to catch large prey, and what is maybe more important, that it is easier defend the kill against other carnivores that might want to share the meal. Canids living in large packs may actually catch less food per pack member, so a large pack may not be more efficient in terms of maximising how much food is caught per canid. However, the amount of food available to a large pack may still be greater, simply because a large pack can more easily defend a large kill, so there is less waste lost to other carnivores. A lone wolf may not have to share a large kill with other pack members, but is far less able to defend a large kill, such as a moose. Small canids tend to eat small prey, like voles, and small prey can be eaten fast, so there are fewer advantages for smaller canids to live in packs. Large canids can also eat small prey immediately, but small prey is not usually enough to keep them going. Living in a pack also makes it easier for canids to defend a territory, and if the prey is able to run long distances, as happens with moose, the territory may be very large. The authors stress that food availability, and the type of prey that canids eat, have a lot to do with their social lives. Domestic dogs tend not to catch large prey, we feed them small amounts at a time, rather than large amounts of cow or deer. If dogs squabble at meals times, this may be 'natural', since larger canids tend not to share small prey, and their bowl of kibble may seem like small prey to them. Yet, from what we learn about wild canids, it is also 'natural' for dogs to be able to share, if the prey is big enough. The same dogs may also be willing to share large toys, though much less willing to share small chews! Domestic dogs tend to have far smaller home territories to defend than do the wild canids of similar size described in this book. Dog owners are familiar with fence barking, and other aspects of canine territoriality. One crucial difference between domestic dogs and wolves is perhaps that we walk our dogs over a wider territory outside the home, in parks and fields, or on city streets., sometimes taking our dogs into close proximity to strange dogs. Wolves, on the other hand, tend to avoid non-pack members. Are we trying to force dogs to behave 'unnaturally' when we expect them to behave well with strange dogs? This is an interesting issue, and the answer is perhaps 'sometimes'. We have changed the environment so much that what is 'natural' for domestic dogs is not the same as what is 'natural' for the wild wolves described in this book, living in very different environments. Domestic dogs tend to lead pampered lives, compared with these wolves. Our dogs don't have to defend a large territory in order to eat. This may help to explain why domestic dogs, if given a choice, are often friendly towards some strange dogs, while the authors tell us that wolves are likely to avoid non-pack members. We can't hope for our pets to like every strange dog they meet, but we can often teach our pets to learn to ignore strange dogs they meet away from home, especially if they have enough space, and are away from their home territories. Sometimes we are even able to introduce new, adult, members to domestic packs, in a way that is less common among wild canids. Curiously, the authors note, pack membership is often fluid among wild canids. Pack members may leave and then return. Wolf packs tend to accept returning family members on their territory, while being hostile to non-related packs they meet at the border. Packs may even adopt unrelated cubs. Does this mean that domestic dogs are more likely to get on if they are related? Not necessarily! We tend to confine dogs to small spaces, and choose who they live with. Wild canids have more chance of backing off and hiding if there is conflict, and of leaving the pack, if conflict becomes serious, Some dog owners do, indeed, report keeping two related dogs together in harmony, while others report serious conflict. What is 'unnatural' here may be trying to keep dogs together in a confined space when they don't get on. We have also accentuated the differences between different breeds of domestic dogs by selecting for particular character traits, or physical differences, such as size, or strength of jaw. Breed differences make it very difficult to generalise, for example, smaller dogs may be more easily accepted into domestic packs, because they appear 'puppyish', or they may be seen as prey, and attacked. Some breeds seem to be far more tolerant of strange dogs than others, and some dogs have had too little contact with other dogs to want their peace disturbed by any newcomer, however cute. The family life of wild canids has long fascinated biologists. The authors note that many larger canids have just one breeding pair in a pack. Other pack members help to raise the pups, both by guarding them when the parents are out hunting, and by feeding them. Subordinate females are less likely to have pups, and if they do give birth, their pups are much less likely to survive. Dominant males try to prevent subordinate males from mating. Dominant females may reject subordinate males, though in the case of Ethiopian wolves, they may accept subordinate males from other packs. Young males may leave the pack at sexual maturity, in order to have a chance to breed. Domestic dog owners have often noted conflict between breeding bitches, if they are allowed near each other, something that is 'unnatural' in wild canid society. Conflict in domestic packs is more likely to happen between dogs of the same sex. However dogs of the same sex can live together peacefully, even entire males, and this is just as 'natural' as conflict. So long as one male defers to the other, there is no reason for conflict between males. Some bitches can live peacefully together, though allowing two bitches with litters to have access to each other is taking a risk. This books perhaps raises more questions for dog owners than it answers. It is a useful reminder that 'natural' canid behaviour can vary a great deal according to the environment, and we, as owners, can control our dogs' environment. You may find that this book gives you few hard and fast answers, but it can provide enlightenment towards understanding the wolf at the hearth. Top of page
Click on the cover above to go to this book at Amazon.co.uk	Man Meets Dog Konrad Lorenz Routledge, an imprint of Taylor & Francis Books Ltd; ISBN: 0415267455 Konrad Lorenz was a Nobel prizewinner who has had a major influence on the study of animal behaviour, especially in Europe. "Man Meets Dog" is a charming account of his views of dog-human relationships, with anecdotes from his own experiences. It's a very entertaining and readable book, which talks about cats as well as dogs. The book first came out in 1954, but the questions Lorenz asked are questions that dog owners still ask today, such as how dogs see the world, how far their perceptions and behaviours are hard-wired, what influence breed and evolution have had on dogs, how they adapt to human society, how rewards and punishment affect their behaviour, and how owners can cope with the loss of their dogs. 'Man Meets Dog' is also interesting as social history, an account of how people lived with dogs at a time when they were allowed more freedom. This classic is a must read for anyone with an interest in dog behaviour. Top of page
Click on the cover above to go to this book at Amazon.co.uk	The Truth About Dogs: The Ancestry, Social Conventions, Mental Habits and Moral Fibre of Canis Familiaris Steven Budiansky Phoenix mass market p/bk ISBN: 075381322X Stephen Budiansky may annoy you, but he is unlikely to bore you! He does actually love dogs, though he says some pretty rude things about them! His theories are often controversial, and also thought-provoking. One question he asks is why we put up with dogs, and he goes back to the start of dog-human relations to explain this. He also examines behavioural problems in the light of canine ethology and evolution. This is a very funny book, despite being based on some serious research. Top of page
Click on the cover above to go to this book at Amazon.co.uk	Wolf Almanac [Illustrated] [Paperback] Robert H. Busch Publisher: The Lyons Press; Revised edition (28 Feb 2009) Language English ISBN-10: 159921069X ISBN-13: 978-1599210698 Robert Busch has written perhaps the best account of wolves world wide - many wolf books focus mainly on the US, only giving a cursory mention to wolves elsewhere. He looks at the natural history of wolves including wolf behaviour, their place in local ecologies as predators, and their relationships with humans. There is also an account of wolf conservation issues. The book is packed with data for anyone interested in 'wolf facts', and it is also very well illustrated. Top of page
Click on the cover above to go to this book at Amazon.co.uk	The Dingo: in Australia and Asia (Comstock Books) Laurie Corbett Cornell University Press ISBN: 080148264X The Dingo is sometimes described as a 'primitive dog', and its relationship with Australian aborigines is interesting because this can give many clues about the early relationship between humans and dogs. Australia now faces a conservation problem with the Dingo, which is of particular interest to Laurie Corbett, a researcher from the Tropica Ecosystems Research Centre, Darwin, Australia. This account of the Dingo will fascinate readers who are interested in canine ethology and evolution, as well as conservation issues, and aboriginal culture. Top of page
Click on the cover above to go to this book at Amazon.co.uk	Of Wolves and Men Barry Lopez Simon & Schuster ISBN: 0684163225 A classic book on wolves, mainly in the US, though there is also an account of wolves in Europe. There is a very interesting account of Native Americans and wolves, followed by a sad account of what came after North America was colonized by Europeans. This book is a gripping read both for people interested in wolves, and those who are interested in Native Americans. There is a lot on wolves in mythology, both Native American, and European. It's interesting on many levels, and well worth reading. Top of page
Click on the cover above to go to this book at Amazon.co.uk	The Wolf: the Ecology and Behaviour of an Endangered Species L.David Mech University of Minnesota Press ISBN: 0816610266 This edition of Mech's classic book on wolf ecology has an updated preface by the author. The book is based on a major research project carried out by Mech, and is of interest to ethologists and ecologists. It's also accessible enough for the general reader who just loves wolves. You can gain insights about wolf behaviour as well as ecology - though not all these insights are applicable to our pampered 'designer wolves'!. Top of page
Click on the cover above to go to this book at Amazon.co.uk	Wolves: Behavior, Ecology and Conservation L David Mech University of Chicago Press; New edition (2 Feb 2007) ISBN-10: 0226516970 ISBN-13: 978-0226516974 David Mech's work on wolves has had a major impact on how wolves are perceived, and in popularising wolf conservation. This book is his latest offering, which came out in Nov 2003. Mech and Luigi Boitani provide a comprehensive update of current knowledge on wolf biology. The book tends to focus more on the North American than the European experience, but is thorough enough to become a standard text for some decades. It is accessible to a general readership, as well as scientists working in this field. Top of page
Click on the cover above to go to this book at Amazon.co.uk	A History of Dogs in the Early Americas Marion Schwartz Yale University Press ISBN: 0300075197 Marion Schwartz is an academic researcher who has set out an account of canine history in the Americas which may put off many dog lovers, since it contains accounts of dogs being ritually sacrificed and eaten. Humans were also sacrificed and eaten, so these societies weren't especially anti-dog. You can skip the dog cuisine material if you find it too upsetting. Otherwise, the book is a fascinating read. It draws on a number of sources, and is thoroughly researched. The account of the role of dogs in the mythology of these societies is very interesting, both for dog lovers, and for people interested in mythology. The book is also very well illustrated. Top of page
Click on the cover above to go to this book at Amazon.co.uk	The Genetics of the Dog A. Ruvinksy, J. Sampson Cabi Publishing ISBN: 0851995209 This is a book for people with a particular interest in dog genetics, either as breeders, or because they are more generally interested genetic issues relating to dogs. It's quite technical and expensive and is very thorough - not a book for most pet owners! There are nineteen articles which examine different aspects of canine genetics, such as origins of dogs, the impact of domestication, and genetic issues relating to disease and behaviour. The book is as up to date as is possible in a fast changing field, since it came out in 2001. It's a key text for students of canine genetics. Top of page
Click on the cover above to go to this book at Amazon.co.uk	Dogs Raymond Coppinger and Lorna Coppinger Scribner Book Co ISBN 0684855305 This is a fascinating and controversial book, which presents a new view of the evolution of the dog as a species in its own right, as opposed to being an inferior type of wolf. The authors use both their extensive experience as trainers, and draw on biological science to develop their theories. They examine the development of different breed types, such as herding dogs, and guarding dogs, and their suitability as companion animals. They also examine the nature-nurture debate, and how the interaction between the two is important for understanding dog behaviour. It helps to have some understanding of zoology to be able to follow all the arguments in this book, but you can enjoy it without being a specialist. You may not agree with everything the authors say, but this book will certainly give you new insights to help you get the best out of your dog. Top of page
Click on the cover above to go to this book at Amazon.co.uk	The Domestic Dog James Serpell Cambridge University Press ISBN 0521425379 This is a collection of articles by different authors on a range of dog topics such as the evolution of dogs from wolves, and how dog breeds developed. There is a lot on the relationship between dogs and humans that can help you to understand your dog, and how what you do affects his behaviour. There are also discussions of the different breeds, and gender differences. There is interesting material on feral dogs in Italy which sheds light on pack behaviour. This book is for enthusiasts who want access to findings based on solid research, rather than anecdotes. It is essential reading for would-be dog trainers. It doesn't tell you how to train your dog, but it does give you a lot of information to help you to understand your dog, so be better able to train him or her. Top of page