Mark Feinstein – författare

How well do we really know dogs? People may enjoy thinking about them as "man's best friend," but what actually drives the things they do? What is going on in their fur-covered heads as they look at us with their big, expressive eyes? Raymond Coppinger and Mark Feinstein know something about these questions, and with How Dogs Work, they're ready to share; this is their guide to understanding your dog and its behavior. Approaching dogs as a biological species rather than just as pets, Coppinger and Feinstein accessibly synthesize decades of research and field experiments to explain the evolutionary foundations behind dog behaviors. They examine the central importance of the shape of dogs: how their physical body (including the genes and the brain) affects behavior, how shape interacts with the environment as animals grow, and how all of this has developed over time. Shape, they tell us, is what makes a champion sled dog or a Border collie that can successfully herd sheep.Other chapters in How Dogs Work explore such mysteries as: why dogs play; whether dogs have minds, and if so what kinds of things they might know; why dogs bark; how dogs feed and forage; and the influence of the early relationship between mother and pup. Going far beyond the cozy lap dog, Coppinger and Feinstein are equally fascinated by what we can learn from the adaptations of dogs, wolves, coyotes, jackals, dingoes, and even pumas in the wild, as well as the behavior of working animals like guarding and herding dogs. We cherish dogs as family members and deeply value our lengthy companionship with them. But, isn't it time we knew more about who Fido and Trixie really are? How Dogs Work will provide some keys to unlocking the origins of many of our dogs' most common, most puzzling, and most endearing behaviors.

How well do we really know dogs? People may enjoy thinking about them as "man's best friend," but what actually drives the things they do? What is going on in their fur-covered heads as they look at us with their big, expressive eyes? Raymond Coppinger and Mark Feinstein know something about these questions, and with How Dogs Work, they're ready to share; this is their guide to understanding your dog and its behavior. Approaching dogs as a biological species rather than just as pets, Coppinger and Feinstein accessibly synthesize decades of research and field experiments to explain the evolutionary foundations underlying dog behaviors. They examine the central importance of the shape of dogs: how their physical body (including the genes and the brain) affects behavior, how shape interacts with the environment as animals grow, and how all of this has developed over time. Shape, they tell us, is what makes a champion sled dog or a Border collie that can successfully herd sheep. Other chapters in How Dogs Work explore such mysteries as why dogs play; whether dogs have minds, and if so what kinds of things they might know; why dogs bark; how dogs feed and forage; and the influence of the early relationship between mother and pup. Going far beyond the cozy lap dog, Coppinger and Feinstein are equally fascinated by what we can learn from the adaptations of dogs, wolves, coyotes, jackals, dingoes, and even pumas in the wild, as well as the behavior of working animals like guarding and herding dogs. We cherish dogs as family members and deeply value our lengthy companionship with them. But, isn't it time we knew more about who Fido and Trixie really are? How Dogs Work will provide some keys to unlocking the origins of many of our dogs' most common, most puzzling, and most endearing behaviors.

Coppinger und Feinstein betrachten Hunde in diesem Grundlagenwerk mit dem unbestechlichen und unsentimentalen Blick der Wissenschaft und arbeiten anhand vieler Beispiele aus ihrer jahrzehntelangen Feldforschung und aus verschiedenen Perspektiven klar heraus, dass Verhalten genau wie körperliche Form evolutionäre Grundlagen besitzt und von den gleichen Mechanismengeprägt wird.Weit davon entfernt, Hunde als unintelligente und gefühllose Wesen abzutun, legen sie den Fokus ganz einfach auf wissenschaftliche Tatsachen, die vor lauter verständlicher Begeisterung über den "besten Freund des Menschen" oft zu kurz kommen. Am Ende wird klar: Wer zumindest ansatzweise die Mechanismen versteht, warum Hunde sich so verhalten müssen, wie sie es tun und was siesprichwörtlich "ticken" lässt, wird sie ab sofort nicht mit geringerer, sondern mit noch höherer Wertschätzung und größerem Verständnis betrachten – denn nichts ist so unendlich komplex und wunderbar wie das Leben selbst."Coppinger und Feinstein decken auf, wie das Hundeverhalten biologische Grundlagen und Grenzen hat und wie es von Genetik, Umwelt und den Folgen des Verhaltens selbst beeinflusst wird. WennSie wirklich mehr über das Verhalten von Tieren und insbesondere Hunden wissen möchten, dann ist dies das richtige Buch für Sie. Seien Sie darauf vorbereitet, sich auf eine Herausforderung einzulassen, aber eine Menge zu lernen."(Robert Bailey, Tiertrainer)"Wenn Sie nur Zeit für ein Buch über Hundeverhalten haben, dann empfehle ich dieses."(Dr. Udo Gansloßer)