Being a Dog

August 1, 2016
Horowitz, a dog cognition researcher at Barnard College and author of Inside of a Dog, explores the way dogs experience the world in this rich and absorbing examination of noses and scents. By studying the process of “seeing” the world by the scents that flood a dog’s nose, Horowitz hoped to increase her own sense of smell while increasing her understanding of dogs. By performing sensory experiments on herself, she explores the structural differences between canine and human noses and the ways in which dogs are better designed to detect scents. Sniffing, the key to capturing smells, is hilariously practiced by Horowitz as she walks her dogs, Finnegan and Upton. Horowitz’s experiences with dog trainers, perfumers, and truffle hunters will leave readers sniffing to find the rich aromas in their colognes, wines, and backyards. Both dog lovers and pop science readers will want to stick their noses in this book, and they may find themselves using their noses, like Horowitz and dogs everywhere, to experience the world more vividly. Agent: Kristine Dahl, ICM.

If the olfactory ability of dogs seems like a dull topic, be prepared for a surprise. This engrossing book takes on not just canine noses, but what we can do with our own--with a little experience and a good guide.Dog enthusiast and researcher Horowitz (Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell, and Know, 2009, etc.), who teaches at Barnard College and runs the Dog Cognition Lab there, is a keen observer of both dogs and people. She reveals how dogs take in the world and what humans can learn from them about the world we are missing. For the scientifically minded, there is a brief exploration of the anatomy of a dog's snout, but that's just for background information. For general readers, the author chronicles her illuminating field trips to the Working Dog Center at the University of Pennsylvania, where the skills and the limitations of detection dogs are revealed (think explosives, cadavers, and drugs); to the Northwest for a day with trained truffle-hunting dogs; and to an obedience training club on Long Island, where one of her own pet dogs got to play some "nosework" games. The author's nose received a workout, too, when she spent time with expert perfumers and with a winemaker, as well as when she embarked on a guided walking smell tour of New York City. While she certainly could not detect all the scents a dog would, she learned to pay attention and to become acutely aware of the city's odors, both rich and subtle. Like a Mary Roach but with a solid scientific background to her credit, Horowitz is a skilled investigative reporter who takes readers into unfamiliar worlds, shares her experiences there, asks probing questions, and makes those worlds come alive. Dog owners curious about the lives of their pets will savor this book, but it deserves a wider audience than just animal lovers. COPYRIGHT(1) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Starred review from October 15, 2016

Horowitz (psychology, Barnard Coll.; On Looking: A Walker's Guide to the Art of Observation) explores the sense of smell in both dogs and humans in her follow-up to Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell, and Know. She explains how dogs "see" their environment through smell in the way that people depend upon their vision to take in their surroundings. Readers accompany Horowitz on a quest to learn how dogs train in order to track scents, and she recounts her adventures following dogs on their expeditions in wildlife conservation tracking and truffle mushroom hunting. The author also examines her own limitations and capabilities of smell, participating in research studies and interviewing experts. She investigates wine tasting, how perfumes are created, and the "smellscapes" of various cities. This engaging book will awaken in readers a new appreciation for the olfactory sense and the motivation to make better use of this often overlooked function. VERDICT General readers, and dog lovers in particular, will be delighted by this book's insight into the canine aptitude for scent detection and how people who purposefully take advantage of their sense of smell gain an enhanced ability to perceive the world. [See author Q&A on p. 106.]--Laurie Neuerburg, Victoria Coll.-Univ. of Houston Lib.

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