| Title | : | The Year of the Puppy: How Dogs Become Themselves |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0593298004 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780593298008 |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 320 |
| Publication | : | Published September 20, 2022 |
What is it like to be a puppy? Author of the classic Inside of a Dog, Alexandra Horowitz tries to find out, spending a year scrutinizing her puppy's daily existence and poring over the science of early dog development
Few of us meet our dogs at Day One. The dog who will, eventually, become an integral part of our family, our constant companion and best friend, is born without us into a family of her own. A puppy's critical early development into the dog we come to know is usually missed entirely. Dog researcher Alexandra Horowitz aimed to change that with her family's new pup, Quiddity (Quid). In this scientific memoir, she charts Quid's growth from wee grub to boisterous sprite, from her birth to her first birthday.
Horowitz follows Quid's first weeks with her mother and ten roly-poly littermates, and then each week after the puppy joins her household of three humans, two large dogs, and a wary cat. She documents the social and cognitive milestones that so many of us miss in our puppies' lives, when caught up in the housetraining and behavioral training that easily overwhelms the first months of a dog's life with a new family. In focusing on training a dog to behave, we mostly miss the radical development of a puppy into themselves--through the equivalent of infancy, childhood, young adolescence, and teenager-hood.
By slowing down to observe Quid from week to week, The Year of the Puppy makes new sense of a dog's behavior in a way that is missed when the focus is only on training. Horowitz keeps a lens on the puppy's point of view--how they (begin to) see and smell the world, make meaning of it, and become an individual personality. She's there when the puppies first open their eyes, first start to recognize one another and learn about cats, sheep, and people; she sees them from their first play bows to puberty. Horowitz also draws from the ample research in the fields of dog and human development to draw analogies between a dog's first year and the growing child--and to note where they diverge. The Year of the Puppy is indispensable for anyone navigating their way through the frustrating, amusing, and ultimately delightful first year of a puppy's life.
The Year of the Puppy: How Dogs Become Themselves Reviews
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An absolutely delightful book. Informative and entertaining. Some great insights about puppy life and the life of dogs in general.
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In this illuminating new memoir/science report, renowned canine researcher Alexandra Horowitz shares the trials and tribulations, joys and surprises of raising a puppy. Her pup, Quid, was one of a large litter, whose birth she attended. Horowitz observed the litter as they developed, and about two months in, she chose one of the wee pups to become her newest "subject". She brought her "baby" home to her family--husband, son, two dogs, a cat, a large house, and nearby forest--spent the entire year discovering, recording, and analyzing the milestones a puppy must experience to become an adult (or at least adolescent) dog.
I chose this book at a crucial time in my own life--the adoption of my new puppy. As any dog owner can attest, raising a puppy is a full-time job, replete with delight, frustration, messes, conundrums, laughter, sleepless nights, vet visits, and lots of little bite marks from those razor-sharp puppy teeth. Just as I was feeling overwhelmed and wondering whether I'd made a serious error, I dove into this book.
BRAVISSIMI, Dr. Horowitz, for helping me see the broader picture of puppy development, and enabling me to meet my pup where SHE is, not where I wish she might be. Any dog owner will recognize most of the habits young Quid performs--for better or worse. But Horowitz explains WHY and HOW pups must discover the world in their own ways before they can bend to the wishes of their humans.
This book is so freshy and honestly written that even cat lovers (there's a cat in the family) can understand, appreciate, and marvel at how much Horowitz reveals about dog development, behavior, and the eventual creation of the canine/human bond. I highly recommend it. WOOF! -
Entertaining, and informative.
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So interesting!
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Not surprisingly, Horowitz has done a lovely job here. This is not your conventional sentimental puppy memoir, and worth reading for that reason alone. Horowitz is candid about the realities of living with a puppy, and as always does a fine job of incorporating and explaining the relevant canine science.
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Alexandra Horowitz is the well known researcher and observer of dogs. In her latest book The Year of the Puppy she traces a dog's learning from birth until the dog is a year old. What are these creatures like? How do they become themselves? How does each dog in a litter develop and have their own personality? How do these little blobs grow and begin to interact with their surroundings.
Along with her own observations, Horowitz also looks at the plentiful research on dogs. There is an excellent bibliography and notes section that would be very helpful to the researcher.
If you own a dog and or breed dogs this book will be a great help in understanding these wonderful creatures. -
Lot's of adorableness, not a lot of science. This book made me smile on every chapter. The only negative: the author likes long complicated sentences, which sometimes don't make easy sense. The Postscript took my by surprise and made me cry. Recommend for chill evening reading, if you're considering adopting a new pet or if you miss one.
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Probably an excellent idea to hand this anybody who is thinking of getting a puppy before they make the commitment.
I was literally exhausted after reading this.
I may understand puppies and dogs better. But even more, I understand that getting another puppy in this lifetime would be a bad choice. I’m just managing to keep up with the grandkids. And they develop so much more slowly!
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Horowitz writes engagingly of her puppy's first year, but the book is more than a memoir. As someone who studies dog behaviors for a living, she writes that she has little personal experience of puppy parenting. Fascinating chapters reveal what most of us never see or know, the birth and beginnings of that puppy that one selects and takes home. In Quid's case, she is one of a litter of 11 puppies. Possibly the most illuminating section of the book, nevertheless readers will appreciate Horowitz's professional insights and the inclusion of her own observations from her own household. Her willingness to appreciate dogs as dogs, as individuals with complex personalities and her statement of the idea that nothing will be as you expect it to be, ever, and that is part of the joy of dog companionship, is almost a relief, a wonderful thing after all of the books and advice on raising the "perfect" dog. The only aspect of the book I found puzzling was her use of first initials for her family members, when later in the afterword she names them. A weird distraction from an otherwise elegant book. Adult.
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Much more congenial than her previous
Our Dogs, Ourselves: How we live with dogs now. A product of pandemic times, this one focuses tightly on a rescued litter of eleven, week by week, till one of them is selected to join Horowitz's household, and then the spotlight is on her, the winsome Quiddity. Along the way, Horowitz observes, records, and explains the pup's development from birth to the one-year mark - sensory, physical, emotional and social. Scientific studies are lightly peppered throughout, and there is ongoing comparison between what a puppy can do at what stages and what a human baby can do. She also compares the upbringing and teaching (she pleasantly prefers the term "teaching" to "training") of this litter of mixed-breed pups who will become family companions to that of a Labrador litter carefully bred to become search and rescue dogs. It's lovely to see that both goals are approached with a whole lot of treats, toys, high-pitched happy voices, games and wagging tails.
After her harsh criticism of the spay/neuter movement in her previous book, Horowitz now addresses this issue in a far more measured way - she neuters her dogs, while timing the procedure to allow for full physiological benefits of natural hormone levels. The best thing about this book is its closely-observed understanding of a dog's natural development, desires, and talents, and how we humans can best accommodate or allow for those things to keep our dogs healthy, happy, comfortable, and cheerful members of the human society we make them live in.
There may be a limit to how long one can listen to / read someone who goes on for pages about every single movement, facial expression, tail wag, vocalization, possible thought process, etc. of their dog, even with a serious intention of analysis and education. Even I found myself skimming sometimes. Still, this is an enjoyable, illuminating, friendly exploration of puppies, and is recommended for anyone who finds themselves in that "uh-oh, what I have done?!" place with one! And now, if someone out there has written a book with this level of detail and corroborating evidence about cats, I for one really want to read it. -
I listened to the audiobook which was narrated by the author, Alexandra Horowitz. It is listed here as the Hardcover version here because Goodreads did not offer the audio version as an option in its listing. I have listened to several books on dog cognition by Horowitz, who teaches courses at Barnard College in New York on psychology and animal behavior. Years ago I read her "Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell, and Know" early in my puppy fostering days for the MWD Breeding Program at DoD in San Antonio, TX. It was revelatory and provided great depth of understanding for us in raising 13 puppies and in living with the six Belgian Malinois and one large "normal" dog we adopted and live with presently.
Horowitz is especially perceptive with canines, observing them as a scientist as well as a devoted dog owner/guardian. She is able to be objective as well as respectful in her descriptions of another species. She explains their "mind-set" as it is possible for humans to understand a totally different animal. To her, dogs are not people in furry coats; they are unique from us in their senses, brains, and behaviors. Her books are uniquely helpful in giving us a window into reality as comprehended by these wonderful beings.
I found this book especially enlightening and am grateful for the glimpse it has given me into the world of our dogs. With such understanding can come useful tools for our daily interactions with these very special and beloved creatures.
If you live with dogs, or are considering adding one or more to your life, I strongly recommend exploring the books of Alexandra Horowitz, especially the two I have referred to in this review. -
I read this kind of nonfiction and wonder why I decided not to pursue biology in college, besides the fact that I was a little too distracted by the social side of college to be successful in challenging coursework. I loved genetics and the behavior side of research, oh well, maybe in a different life.
With two puppies in the house, Sam and Ferg are now 13 weeks old, I am exhausted. Puppies have not been a large part of my life, most of the dogs I’ve had were adults when we met with their personalities and behaviors set. To have to babies growing and changing, wanting to be good, but also to entertain their very short attention spans, is to put it simply overwhelming. I’ve read a few training books and always came away unimpressed. I am more of a why than a how person, if I know the why I can figure out the how.
The Year of the Puppy is a good fit for me, as it is all the why. Written by a dog behaviorist who follows a puppy from her birth to the researcher adopting her, to her 1 year birthday we see the growth and changes of Quid. Horowitz weaves in her personal feelings, experiences and supporting research throughout the book. She also follows a litter of working dog pups. Comparing the expectations and abilities of puppies to what we as their human owners expect from them and what they are capable of.
Horowitz is a solid narrative writer, making the read enjoyable. You get to know not only Quid, but her son, husband and the other dogs and cats that enter Quid’s life. This is the book I was looking for. -
More memoir than scientific (certainly as compared to her previous books) but still an educational, insightful, and enjoyable read.
Reading how a dog behaviorist observes the development of her own puppy - after normally adopting older dogs - in the middle of a pandemic when so many other people are adopting pets seems almost too perfect a concept for a book. But this one still delivers.
The book bounces back and forth from times where Horowitz takes off her science hat and simply observes the changes in her pup (and her family) and those where she puts it back on and offers insights into why the pup is doing what it does. Why must puppies approach everything with their mouths? How much do they recognize and know the people around them? What developments are happening week by week and month by month?
One word of warning: this is not a "how to train your puppy" book. And she makes that point many times. Instead, it's more "how to embrace and enjoy and understand your puppy."As as someone who lost their dog back in 2021 and had adopted a new dog just a few weeks before I started reading this, it was exactly what I wanted and needed.
Plus, for an added bonus, I managed to get through it and return it to the library before my pup had a chance to mouth it to pieces. -
We got a puppy last year, a lively and adorable three months old lab. It was both sudden and long-dreamed of dog. I grew up with dogs in the family, and always thought of myself as a dog person, except the circumstances were not allowing me to have a dog for years and years, until it happened. It was both wonderful and terrifying, and I supported myself with memories of our old family dog, and the books about dogs. One of those authors discovered last year was Alexandra Horowitz. I loved her previous books and her unique – comparing to other dog books recommended – view at the dogs. And I loved this book, comparing my puppy experience with her experience with Quid. The experience strikingly similar in dealing with all the sudden puppyness at home. The upheaval of the familiar, the questioning of all the choices, the new appreciation, the joy of discoveries the world anew. Our dog has turned one the last week, and in the nine months he’d been with us we witnessed him becoming very much our dog, and yet very much himself. It was an amazing journey, and I was glad to read a reflection on a similar journey in this book.
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This highly interesting book is a combination of research into dog development from birth through the first year and a memoir of Horowitz's first year with her own pup, Quinn. Horowitz makes an arrangement with a friend to attend the birth of a litter of mixed breed puppies. Then she comes every day to note the pups' development. She watches to see which one is first to nurse and whether it involves pushing another out of the way. They as their eyes open (after about 2 weeks) which pup begins exploring, and which prefer to stay in the puppy pile. She takes copious notes as they develop in the first 8 weeks, then she takes one of them home to be her own dog. She continues to monitor development, but also notes what she and her family and other pets do to get along with the newcomer.
It was fun to see how many things are similar to my own recent puppy experience. I would recommend the book as informative to anyone planning to get a puppy and as enjoyable reading for dog lovers. -
I read a lot of YA narrative nonfiction, but this is the first adult narrative nonfiction I can remember reading in quite some time. And I really liked this one! It’s about a puppy’s first year. I loved the most reading about the first 8 weeks of life, when the pups are with their mama and are slowly quickly learning about the world. We adopted Rocket at 8 weeks and I always felt bad about taking her from her mama and litter mates at such a young age, but I learned from this book that the mama starts weaning and rejecting the pups around 8 weeks and that, in the wild, they would soon start wandering off on their own until they find a pack. I loved her observations about Quid’s body and movements and habits because Rocket is all of that too. I love my dog! That’s something I never thought I would say. And now I read about loving dogs!
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It took a long time to read this, because I have a puppy (6 months old, Ella) and reading with a puppy is not like reading with an older dog (8.5 years, Lulu).
The books is informative and easy to relate to as someone with a current (and former) puppy. It was validating to read that another person had not immediately bonded with their puppy. Huge relief, because I had loved my older dog almost instantly.
The developmental stuff was great, especially the first eight weeks covered by the book. The last third or so was less cohesive and spoke more to a particular experience than more generally. The impact of the pandemic will be fascinating to read years down the line.
Overall, a good book, but not great. -
3.5 This was a well written book that gave me quite a bit of insight into dogs. Even though I have read a lot of books previously about dog behavior and dog training, this was one of the most insightful and the one that helped me understand my dog the most.
It was an exhaustive look so it could drag for me at times, but I think I was in the mood for something different, and that caused my impatience. I had to listen to it now as it came up in the library, but I think I might have loved it even more had it landed at the right time.
As it is, the author ‘s knowledge about, and love for, our four-legged-furry companions is obvious. If you love dogs, this book will only make you love and appreciate them even more. -
We picked up our little corgi puppy, Lucy in mid February and just before we picked her up my husband’s aunt gave us a copy of this book. While my husband has lived with dogs most of his life Lucy is the first puppy/dog I’ve lived with. She is amazing and adorable but dealing with a puppy has been much more challenging than expected. This book, the year of the puppy, put me more at ease with what I am experiencing and what Lucy is experiencing in this transition to her new home. I really enjoyed reading this book, it’s thoughtful and comforting. It made me think about a puppies life in a different way. An enjoyable read.
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Science of puppyhood; enjoyed learning about science of puppy development along with cannot-help-but-cute description of puppies at different stage of their development.
While reading, found my eye lingering on my dog- wondering what she is thinking or wanting to tell me. How she has been shaped in our home to live among humans, and how she has shaped me seeing non-human world through her.
"The excitement of bringing a puppy home is streaked through with the realization of the responsibility for another life I am taking on." -
Another great book from Horowitz - an antidote to all those books and gurus telling you how to raise a perfect dog, this is just a person observing what happens in the first year of puppy life, with the dog and the human family. Of course, that person is a dog behavior scientist, but she keeps the science on a par with the humble reality. Horowitz admits she hates her puppy at one point, when the dog wakes her up in the night and chews the wrong things. But you know there's going to be a Hollywood ending even so... Highly recommended for people who are doubting that they made the right decision when their puppy is "misbehaving" - read, being a puppy.
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Great book! I’m sure it meant even more to me than to its reviewers at the NYTimes because I purchased it in the last month of our elderly dachshund’s life and began reading it the day before she died. We also put our name on a new puppy waitlist that day. This book is full of information about puppies, dog behavior, and wisdom. It helped with my grief, and it’s a resource for first-time dog owners, and lifetime dog families like me. It’s fun and filled with fact-based knowledge. Very enjoyable!
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Great book for anyone but especially for a new puppy owner
I really enjoyed reading this book as I just got a new puppy a few months ago. It was fun to relate to the experiences of the author with my own puppy. It helped me keep a clear head when my puppy has "misbehaved" because the book helped me realize it was about her age and development more than her personality. I also enjoyed learning about various training methods and animal behavior studies throughout the book. This is a great book for any dog lover. -
Horowitz has written several books - dogs are her specialty. I think this is the kind of book that was once called Popular Science. Quid, the puppy, was watched since day one. She was one of 11 puppies. The ups and downs (falling off stuff) is fascinating. I used to read the Jon Katz books (my life with Lenore, Iggy, etc) and loved them, but Year of the Puppy is specifically about that first year.
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An interesting read, but with less cognitive science than I was hoping for. Horowitz often centered personal essays/descriptions of life with her growing puppy and imagined how the puppy saw the world, but it was more sentimental and less poetic than I wanted it to be if she was going to do that. (As opposed to, say, Maxine Hong Kingston's nonfiction, which I would describe as highly poetic but far less sentimental) Would be two stars, but I did tend to lose track of time while reading.
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As a recent puppy parent who has BTDT, I was looking forward to learning more about the science behind why puppies do what they do etc. This was just not what I expected at all. More like an editorial of this owners particular emotional journey with her specific puppy. Not a bad read but it took me forever to finish because I wasn't kept interested. The VERY brief references to the working dogs were the highlight.
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This book was quite interesting! Although, it was a non-fiction story it was still very fun learning what your pup’s life may have been like before you came along.
Year of the Puppy was well written and the characters were much better that what you might expect mainly because they all were so cute (no antagonist).
My puppy is 6 years old and I still found this to be very interesting. Yes I would recommend it to a new owner but hearing the research on puppyhood has been very uplifting. -
For anyone who's had a puppy, is thinking about welcoming a puppy, or wonders what their older rescued dog may have been like as a wee tot, Alexandra Horowitz offers a splendid, beautifully written analysis of this stage of a dog's life. Pure reading pleasure.
