MAKING SENSE OF DOG SENSES

A ramble around the doggy sensorium, from “heat-seeking” nose to sniff-worthy butt.

Doggedly milking her topic’s potential for puns, Gibeault tallies the “woof-tastic senses” of our “best friends fur-ever.” She points to our pooches’ prehistoric wolf ancestors to explain both how and why, for instance, canine eyes are more sensitive to movement than to colors, why their noses are sensitive to not only scents but also sources of nearby heat, and how the shape of a dog’s ear can help it focus and locate sounds. Not to mention how those noses can read “pee-mail” from a hydrant and pheromones from the posteriors of other dogs or why, strangely, dogs often defecate while lined up along the north-south axis. Along with cartoon views of multiple breeds both on their own or (occasionally) with racially diverse young owners in tow, Latif offers clearly drawn, labeled cutaway views of doggy anatomy. The author tucks in several very simple but ingeniously designed ways for hands-on readers to get a feeling for how dog and human senses differ: For example, compare your visual acuity to a dog’s by trying to read notes printed in different fonts, or see how your olfactory sense measures up to a dog’s by diluting scents in water. She closes with “Fetching Further Facts,” a generous set of audience-appropriate books.

A tail-wagger—pun-ishing, but chock-full of doggy treats.