Summary of Alexandra Horowitz's Inside of a Dog

By IRB Media

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book.

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#1 Forget everything you think you know about dogs, and start to see them objectively. They are not as you think they are. Dogs do not dream. They do not love. They do not get bored. They do not get jealous, and they do not get depressed. Sure, they live in the moment and enjoy the pleasures of the palate and physical touch. But these are not reflective experiences, the kind that allow a dog to contemplate his existence, ponder the meaning of things, or even reflect on the possibilities of changing his mind. These are experiences of sensory activation and momentary euphoria—the same kind of experiences that make us feel good and that can lead us to feel a sense of well-being. The capacity for dogs to feel and understand such emotions is rudimentary at best. When I was a kid, my grandfather had a Saint Bernard, who was always happy to see me when I visited him at his apartment in Brooklyn. Saint Bernards are legendary for their gentle nature, and my grandfather assured me many times that the dog loved me very much. It was obvious, he said, when the dog looked at me with those big brown eyes: he loved me very much, because he wanted to protect me.

#2 Dogs do not dream, love, get bored, or get jealous. They do not get depressed or anxious. They are not as you think they are.

#3 Don’t anthropomorphize.

#4 Don't anthropomorphize. Dogs do not dream, love, get bored, or get jealous. They do not get depressed or anxious. They are not as you think they are.

• Language: English
• Publisher: IRB Media
• Release date: Sep 28, 2022
• ISBN: 9798350031539

IRB Media

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Insights on Alexandra Horowitz's Inside of a Dog

Contents

Insights from Chapter 1

Insights from Chapter 2

Insights from Chapter 3

Insights from Chapter 4

Insights from Chapter 5

Insights from Chapter 6

Insights from Chapter 7

Insights from Chapter 8

Insights from Chapter 9

Insights from Chapter 10

Insights from Chapter 11

Insights from Chapter 12

Insights from Chapter 1

#1

We anthropomorphize dogs’ behavior, assuming they love, dream, and think like humans. But what we consider natural explanations for their actions are actually just our biases applied to animals.

#2

The human tendency to anthropomorphize is not inherently bad. It is born out of our attempt to understand the world, not to subvert it. However, we must be careful not to project our human emotions onto animals, as such projections are often inaccurate.

#3

The fact that chickens flock does not mean that they like being smushed together. It is inhumane to cage chickens so tightly that they cannot move, but it is not surprising that they would prefer to be close to other chickens rather than free space.

#4

The assumption that dogs dislike the rain is false. They actually prefer it, and will get excited when you get them a raincoat. They will not, however, show any signs of liking the coat.

#5

The same thing can be said about humans. When we are unable to control a situation, we often become resigned and accept our lack of control.

#6

To understand the life of an animal, we must first consider what their umwelt is: their subjective or self-world. Umwelt captures what life is like for the animal, and it is different from ours in unimaginable ways.

#7

All animals have their own umwelten, or subjective realities. We humans are no exception. We are extremely attentive to where other people are and what they are doing or saying. We see in the visual range of light, hear audible noises, and smell strong odors placed in front of our noses.

#8

We can understand another animal’s perspective by acting into their umwelt, trying to embody the animal and mindful of the constraints our sensory system places on our ability to truly do so.

#9

The way an object is used is what defines its tone. For example, a dog does not care about chairs, but if trained to jump on one, he learns that the chair has a sitting tone: it can be sat upon. Other objects