The Domestic Dog: Its Evolution, Behaviour and Interactions with People

James Serpell

Cambridge University Press, 1995 - Nature - 268 pages

This unique book provides a comprehensive, state-of-the-art account of the domestic dog's natural history and behaviour based on scientific and scholarly evidence rather than hearsay. Anyone with a serious interest in Canis familiaris, its evolution, behaviour, and its place in our society will find The Domestic Dog an indispensable and fascinating resource.

Contents

• Introduction: 1
• Origins of the dog domestication and early history: 7
• Evolution of working dogs: 21
• Genetic aspects of dog behaviour with particular reference to working ability: 51
• Analysing breed and gender differences in behaviour: 65
• Early experience and the development of behaviour: 79
• Feeding behaviour of domestic dogs and the role of experience: 103
• Social and communication behaviour of companion dogs: 115
• The ethology and epidemiology of canine aggression: 131
• Canine behavioural therapy: 139
• Effects of owner personality and attitudes on dog behaviour: 153
• Dogs as human companions a review of the relationship: 161
• The welfare of dogs in human care: 179
• Variation in dog society between resource dispersion and social flux: 199
• Population biology and ecology of feral dogs in central Italy: 217
• From paragon to pariah some reflections on human attitudes to dogs: 245
• The hair of the dog: 257
• Index: 263

About the author

James Serpell is the Marie A. Moore Professor of Humane Ethics and Animal Welfare at the School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, where he also directs the Center for the Interaction of Animals & Society. He received his bachelor's degree in Zoology from University College London (UK) in 1974, and his PhD in Animal Behavior from the University of Liverpool (UK) in 1980. He moved to his current position at the University of Pennsylvania in 1993. Dr. Serpell is the current President of the International Society for Anthrozoology (ISAZ). He serves on the editorial boards of most of the major journals on animal welfare, applied animal behavior, and human-animal interactions. His research focuses on the behavior and welfare of companion animals, the development of human attitudes to animals, and the history of human-animal relationships. In addition to publishing more than 70 journal articles and book chapters on these and related topics, he is the author, editor, or co-editor of several books including Animals & Human Society: Changing Perspectives (1994), The Domestic Dog: Its Evolution, Behavior & Interactions with People (1995), In the Company of Animals (1996), and Companion Animals & Us (2000).

Bibliographic information

• Title: The Domestic Dog: Its Evolution, Behaviour and Interactions with People; The Domestic Dog: Its Evolution, Behaviour, and Interactions with People, James Serpell
• Editor: James Serpell
• Illustrated by: James Serpell
• Edition: illustrated, reprint
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press, 1995
• ISBN: 0521425379, 9780521425377
• Length: 268 pages
• Subjects: Nature / Animals / General; Pets / Dogs / General; Pets / General; Psychology / Cognitive Psychology & Cognition; Science / Life Sciences / Zoology / General