Abrantes was in town to promote his book, first published in Denmark in 1985. An updated, English-language version was published last fall. Many owners of dogs don't understand the dog as an animal. They tend to humanize the dog. Abrantes maintains that different species attach differing meanings to sounds, gestures and postures.
Problems can crop up during the translation.
In scientific studies conducted at the Institute of Ethology in Denmark, where Abrantes is the director, the only thing that helped ease the problem of a dog left home alone was not bones, not toys, not other animals, but more attention from humans. But if two dogs grew up together, it might work, Abrantes said. Dogs need to establish rank, and that could cause conflicts if two animals unfamiliar with each other are suddenly brought together. If the dogs are acquainted as pups, they can get this issue resolved early. Readers will find theories on why dogs exhibit predatory behavior, why they bite and why they roll around in foul-smelling substances.