Cat Warren

Warren, Cat

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

Illustrated by Patricia J. Wynne. 2019. 304pp. $17.99 hc. Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing. 9781534428140. Grades 4-7

Author Cat Warren tells her story as the owner and handler of Solo, a cadaver dog, in this Young Readers edition of What the Dog Knows (Touchstone 2015).  The text is easy to follow with manageable chapter lengths.  Each chapter includes a variety of photos, charts, and sidebars.  Many chapters have clear breaking points, making this a nice choice for students to read in small or large chunks.  Lighthearted at times, but also chock-full of information, readers wishing to learn more can utilize the bibliography for additional resources.  The importance of basing the relationship between dog and handler on trust in order that the pair will succeed as a cohesive unit is strongly emphasized.   Special training of both the handler and the canine throughout their career together is underscored, as is the importance of being a member of a strong training team.  Technological replacements as well as their failures verify the importance of the working dog and balance out the narrative.  Various breeds and types of pup roles are discussed, such as cadaver (recent and historical), search and rescue, as well as police/military duties.  Both positive and negative real-life experiences will inspire some readers into handling or training careers.  These wonderful examples provide young readers with a solid grasp on necessary skills and job duties.  Middle-grade dog enthusiasts will love this fun and engaging title. Karen Gedeon, Middle School Media Specialist, Cuyahoga Falls (Ohio) City Schools

Recommended

Cat Warren’s New York Times bestseller, What the Dog Knows:  Scent, Science, and the Amazing Ways Dogs Perceive the World, was the Companion Animal Psychology Book Club choice for April. I interviewed Warren about her wonderful book, training scent detection dogs, and caring for working dogs’ welfare.

The Young Reader’s Edition of What the Dog Knows will be published in October.

Zazie: What inspired you to write this book?

Cat: You know, this goes back a little because the book first came out in 2013. I really conceived of it in 2009 and it was quite literally, Solo and I had done a very hard search that day and it had taken all day and I was just exhausted. And he had worked long and hard and honestly. My legs were covered with seed ticks, and I was on the couch with my husband and I looked at David and said, “You know what, I think I want to write about this so I don’t forget.” So that was the beginning of it. And then it turned into a reporting project and a research project, which I love, but it also turned into a thing where you watch somehow more carefully and you pay more attention, just like when you video when you’re doing dog training and then you look at the video afterwards. You see so much more. And so in a way it sort of did double duty. I think that it made me more aware, as I was training and handling Solo, and simultaneously there was that kind of joy in reaching out to really good handlers and trainers and scientists, and finding out things I didn’t know. So that was a two-fer!

Caren Cooper’s picks
Associate professor of public science and author of  ‘Citizen Science: How Ordinary People Are Changing the Face of Discovery’

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

This book is about a woman (the author) and her dog, Solo, that she trains to find cadavers. Woven around their journey is the fascinating science of scent, forensics, dog training, and animal behavior amidst the drama of detective work. If you enjoy it, your kids will too and the Young Readers Edition will be released this fall!

Cat Warren, in her first single-authored book, explores just that in the lovingly-written What the Dog Knows, shining a light on their capacities, while offering context and history.

The book is written around the author’s experience of training her German shepherd, Solo, to become a volunteer cadaver dog, detailing that journey while exploring the capabilities of other breeds.

It is written in the style of an American long read with an academic edge — little surprise given Warren is a university professor and former journalist — and maintains a good flow.

The research is as impressive as the writing in a book that highlights just how special these animals are.