`What Do Dogs Know?': This Book Tells All

Stanley Coren is a 55-year-old professor of psychology at the University of British Columbia with an unusual pedigree of writing credits - a bestseller "The Intelligence of Dogs" and two other big sellers, "The Left-Hander Syndrome" and "Sleep Thieves."

"It's quite a mix, isn't it," he said during a phone interview last week from his Vancouver home. You can add another, "What Do Dogs Know?" (The Free Press, $14.95), a swirling, captivating blend that examines what dogs think, sense and smell, along with how they speak, what tales they tell, how they learn and their interaction with people. Illustrations are by Janet Walker of Issaquah.

Coren, who owns a 10-year-old Cavalier King Charles spaniel and a 16-month-old flat-coated retriever, captures the spirit, social underpinnings and internal benchmarks of the species in this charismatic yet serious profile.

"I've tried to give readers a picture of the dog's psychological landscape, keeping in mind that most (dogs) have the mind of a 2-year-old, although they might vary slightly by breed and training," says Coren.

The refreshing dogscape offers a fix on what might be going on in a dog's mind. "So many owners look at dogs as little people in fur coats or little robotic creatures. That's a mistake. Each breed has its own unique set of characteristics and personality traits that make it special."

The general public, Coren believes, is beginning to recognize breeds are different psychologically as well as physically. "There's a saying," he adds, "God created man and man created dog. I'm not certain we've done a very good job on our end."

Coren cites numerous anecdotes detailing canines' incredible propensity to scent and sense. Their versatility extends to sensing earthquakes, tornadoes, epileptic seizures, at times detecting potentially cancerous growths (yes, that's right) and psychological compasses that enable them to find their way to former homes hundreds of miles away.

He refers to a case where a Shetland sheepdog continued to sniff and nuzzle his owner's lower back to a point where it became annoying. The woman's husband looked and noticed a small mole in the area.

Since it caused no discomfort, the woman ignored it. Weeks later, when she was lying face down on her balcony in a bathing suit, the dog began biting the mole and trying to remove it.

Out of curiosity, the owner opted to have it checked by her physician. Before the day was out, she found herself at the Cornell University Medical Center where it was diagnosed as a potentially fatal form of melanoma.

According to Richard Simmons, a research associate working on a project supported in part by the National Institutes of Health, "It may well be that someday in the future, inspection by a dog may become a routine part of cancer screening."

As dogs grow older, adds Coren in the book, their behavior shows they have learned from their experiences. "They become shrewder, more perceptive and perhaps even a bit cunning. They develop the capacity to evaluate certain situations more accurately.

"Whether they know it or not, dogs tend to rely more upon instinct than knowledge or education.

"Science may never fully comprehend the full extent of what dogs know about language, problem solving, the past, the future, God, time or philosophy," Coren concludes. "In the end, we must content ourselves with the fact that dogs know enough to be dogs - which is all that is really required of them."

Other recently published books worthy of holiday gift consideration:

"Good Dogs" by Andrews and McMeel. $12.95.

A delightful little volume of photos and illustrations, accented with quotes about the dog.

This form of presentation isn't new but it's a perfect gift idea to that person with a special dog in his/her life.

Here are a couple examples:

"All knowledge, the totality of all questions and all answers, is contained in the dog." - Franz Kafka.

"We are alone, absolutely alone on this chance planet; and amid all the forms of life that surround us, not one, excepting the dog, has made an alliance with us." - Maurice Maeterlinck.

"Histories are more full of examples of fidelity of dogs than of friends." - Alexander Pope.

"A Search For the Perfect Dog" by Gary Shiebler. Broadway Books. $15.

Shiebler is known for his singing and song writing but this collection of stories establishes him as a fine writer, too.

These are the dogs in his life, from childhood to adult. Each has played a special role and maintains a special meaning, beginning with Rusty a stray shepherd-collie his parents adopted when Gary was a boy

It had all the ingredients of a perfect dog for its time - a protector and good-mannered companion, establishing a standard by which his future dogs were measured.

The beauty of his writing is established in the introduction, when describing the role of the dog in his life and potentially for others: "Often disguised by their simplicity and grace, these living things are all around us, all too willing to help us on our journeys. And in a time when so many of us have lost faith in our fellow man, perhaps it will be these living things that will create a bridge, a safe crossing to a place of compassion, tolerance and understanding of our own kind.

"For me and countless others, dogs will always be a sanctuary, a safe harbor. A place to go when the world seems too big, the demands too great and the rewards too small."

"Found Dogs" by Elise Lufkin. Photographs by Diana Walker. Howell Book House. $17.95.

Most of us have found or rescued a beleaguered stray dog in our lifetime. It might be alongside a freeway, on a neighborhood street or even our doorstep.

Found dogs come in all sizes, shapes and colors. And their lineage ranges from aristocratic purebreds to shaggy mutts. The outgrowth is a fierce loyalty and deep-rooted desire to fit into the household and never leave the owner an ounce of regret for inviting it into his/her life.

This is a beautiful compendium of vignettes about how rescued dogs enriched the lives of a dog trainer, construction worker, housewife, truck driver, student, actor, costume designer, carpenter, speech therapist and many others, including Vice President Al Gore.

The author, who promotes a humane-education program for elementary schools in a central Idaho community, concludes the volume with excellent tips for adopting a dog.

"Yellowdog" by Debra Marlin. Little Brown and Co. $29.95.

This coffee-table book is a moving account of the author's love affair with Sonny, her golden (retriever) guy who died suddenly while exercising in a field. Although this story transcends all breeds, owners of goldens will especially relate.

The first half is a narrative of her life with Sonny and Lake, a young golden she purchased later for Sonny's companionship, and her two other goldens, Tucker and Breaker. The latter half is a photo album of golden memories.

Characterizing Sonny, Marlin says, "He was a spirit who had come to open wide the chambers of my heart, allowing me to experience love." This golden treasure trove captures the essence of that love affair.

"The Whole Dog Catalog" by John Avalon Reed. Three Rivers Press. $19.95.

Reed, host of "Hollywood Pets" national radio show, has come up with a cornucopia of products ranging from toys, clothing and accessories for your pooch to clothing and jewelry for you. Included with each is the product name, a brief description, price and manufacturer's name, address and phone number.

Here's an example of what you'll find: mint-flavored tennis balls, a nylon barking bone (the dog grabs it, the bone starts barking, and probably the dog will drop it and mull things over), a slingshot tennis ball launcher (manufactured by a Seattle firm), a ball that glows in the dark for night exercise, a hand-painted, solid-resin 5-inch-high statue of St. Francis of Assisi (the patron saint of animals and pets), personalized dog scarf, Little Mary sunshine hat with a yellow brim and sunflower on each side (that's for your dog, not you).

"Caninestein: Unleashing the Genius in Your Dog" by Betty Fisher and Suzanne Delzio. HarperPerennial. $8.95.

Is your dog bored? If so, this might provide you some ideas for getting him/her out of a funk.

The activities are divided into four categories that test the following:

-- Learning ability: How quickly can your dog retain and then retrieve new information?

-- Problem-solving ability: When faced with an obstacle, how adept is he/she at surmounting the problem to win a reward?

-- Memory: How long do objects he/she has seen or tricks he/she has learned stay in his/her mind?

-- Language comprehension: How easily does he/she comprehend what you say?

The activities described are designed to nourish your dog's mind, get you involved with other dog people and open up new doors for both of you.

If it manages to accomplish these objectives, wow, what a bargain you'll have at $8.95.

"The Lost History of the Canine Race" by Mary Elizabeth Thurston. Avon Books. $14.

An anthropologist, Thurston tracks the history of man's best friend, focusing on artifacts, engravings, archival documents and historical photographs.

The paperback will give you a better grasp of how the canine has captured the hearts of millions worldwide by its working capabilities, sheer companionship and incredible ability to save lives, whether it be on a mountainside, lake or city block.

Helpful guide

The Humane Society of the United States has released a guide for women who have pets and are seeking help in domestic-violence situations.

"Protecting Your Pet From Domestic Violence" answers many questions women often ask that arise from abusive and violent situations in the home, including: How can women protect the family pet or pets? How can they establish ownership of the animals living in the household? What should they take when they move the pet to safety?

In a national survey of 1,000 households conducted in December 1996 for HSUS, 15 percent of the respondents said they or a family member had been the victim of family violence. In cases where a pet was part of the household, 23 percent reported that the animal(s) had been threatened, injured or killed.

For a free brochure, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to the Humane Society of the United States, 2100 L St. N.W., Washington, D.C. 20037.

Pet-food drive

The Seattle-King County Humane Society kicked off its annual holiday pet-food drive yesterday at numerous sites throughout the area.

Donations of dog and cat food can be placed in specially marked barrels in QFC, Safeway and Fred Meyer food stores throughout King County. Donations can also be dropped off at Bow Wow Meow Treatoria in Wallingford or at the humane society headquarters, 13212 S.E. Eastgate Way, Bellevue.

The project will continue through Dec. 27.

As many as 1,200 low-income pet owners in the county can't afford to feed their animals and depend upon the food bank for supplies. Included in the 1,200 requests are 500 pet owners with HIV/AIDS.

Next week: The best recently published cat books. And in two weeks, a mixed bag of pets volumes worthy of gift consideration.