What the Dog Knows: Scent, Science, and the Amazing Ways Dogs Perceive the World

by Cat Warren (Author) Patricia J Wynne (Illustrator)

What the Dog Knows: Scent, Science, and the Amazing Ways Dogs Perceive the World
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Reading Level: 4th − 5th Grade
cms Common Sense Media Review
In this young readers edition of the New York Times bestseller, Cat Warren and her canine companion, Solo, teach readers that the nose knows no bounds when it comes to working together, being persistent, and helping others. Solo has a fine nose and knows how to use it, but he's only one of many thousands of scent-detection dogs all over the United States. That's a group that includes cadaver dogs, tracking, trailing, and apprehension dogs; dogs that can locate unmarked graves of Civil War soldiers; and even dogs that can find drowning victims more than two hundred feet below the surface of a lake. All these dogs love to use their noses. They think their job is simply the best, most interesting game they've ever played! What good working dogs can do may seem magical or mysterious, but What the Dog Knows shows the science, the rigorous training, and the skilled handling that underlie these amazing abilities.
cms Common Sense Media Review
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School Library Journal

Gr 3-7-Warren revises and reorganizes material from her adult title, describing how she and her German Shepherd Solo become a cadaver search team. Though Warren and her husband hoped for a companion animal when they adopted their dog, the author sought a way to harness Solo's high-energy personality. She chronicles their development as a working team and Warren's growing awareness of the intricacies of canine-human relationship. She also integrates details about types of working dogs, the science of a dog's sense of smell, and search dog history. This edition sets some science-related information apart in bordered text boxes. The many people and dogs who helped Warren and Solo in their training can become overwhelming, and the book's hefty page count may put off some readers. The smooth writing turns choppy in later ones. VERDICT Despite some drawbacks, this is a fast, fascinating read that captures the strong bond between dog and owner. -Lynn Vanca, Freelance Librarian, Akron, OH

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

"Learn about the fascinating world of training working dogs to identify scents, rescue people, find explosives, and assist law enforcement."—Temple Grandin, NYT bestselling author of ANIMALS IN TRANSLATION and ANIMALS MAKE US HUMAN
Cat Warren
Cat Warren is a professor at North Carolina State University, where she teaches science journalism, editing, and creative nonfiction courses. Before starting her academic career, Warren worked for newspapers across the United States, reporting on crime, poverty, and politics, from California to Wyoming to Connecticut. Warren started training her young German shepherd, Solo, as a cadaver dog in 2004. She and Solo were called to search for the missing across North Carolina for a number of years. She lives in downtown Durham, North Carolina, with her husband, David Auerbach, a retired professor of philosophy at North Carolina State University, and their two German shepherds. Visit CatWarren.com.

Patricia J. Wynne is an artist, printmaker, and freelance scientific illustrator based in New York City. She works as a contract artist for scientists at research organizations around the world. Wynne has illustrated over 200 books for both adults and children, and her work has appeared in numerous publications, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Cricket, and Scientific American. Her books have received multiple awards, including a Theodore Seuss Geisel Honor for Hello, Bumblebee Bat (by Darrin Lunde). She studied printmaking at the University of Iowa and works at Robert Blackburn Printmaking Workshop in midtown New York City. Find out more at PatriciaWynne.com.
Classification
Non-fiction
ISBN-13
9781534428140
Lexile Measure
860
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Publication date
October 08, 2019
Series
-
BISAC categories
JNF051150 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Science & Nature | Zoology
JNF003060 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Animals | Dogs
JNF051030 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Science & Nature | Anatomy & Physiology
Library of Congress categories
Working dogs
Search dogs
Tracking and trailing
Warren, Cat

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