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33 Works 126 Members 8 Reviews 1 Favorited

About the Author

Vilmos Csanyi is a professor and chair of the department of ethology at Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest
Image credit: Készítette: Gábor Hanák (Cassandro) - A feltöltő saját munkája, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10117057

Works by Vilmos Csányi

Kis etológia (1980) 5 copies
Az emberi viselkedés (2006) 4 copies
Etológia (1994) 2 copies
Ironikus etológia (2012) 2 copies
Kis etológia III. (1986) 2 copies

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Common Knowledge

Canonical name
Csányi, Vilmos
Birthdate
1935
Gender
male
Nationality
Hungary

Members

Reviews

Professor Csanyi's book, translated in 2000 by Richard E. Quandt, is a summary of the findings and insights gained from years of study into dog-human relationships at Eotvos Lorand university in Budapest.

The book begins by tracing the origins of dogs and their descent from wolves. It goes on to talk about the basic attributes of dogs, including their bond with humans, their emotions, the importance of rules to them, and their ability to co-operate and solve problems.

That is followed by excerpts from the observational records of the activities of Professor Csanyi's own two dogs.

Then comes a chapter on the scientific study of the animal mind, including a note on the importance of observation, theory and proof.

Finally, there is a chapter entitled "How to Be a Dog Owner" which considers the basic psychological make-up of dogs (friendly, protective, independent, etc) and also the basic human personality categories (extrovert/introvert, dominant/timid, trusting/distrustful, etc) and seeks to match the one to the other.

Professor Csayni's book is a pleasing mix of science and anecdote which will please both animal ethologists and dog-lovers. It is a nicely-balanced appreciation of the different aspects of the relationship between dog and owner.
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SunnyJim | Jan 3, 2016 |
This thin book's a collection of the essays (and interviews) of four hungarian scientists about different approaches evolution celebrating the 200th anniversary of the Origin of the species. Nothing shockingly new here but entertaining and sometimes thought-provoking....
 
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TheCrow2 | Dec 15, 2012 |
First of all, there's some misunderstanding in the previous review because 'If dogs could talk' is not Ádám Miklósi's book (he wrote an another great book about dogs called 'Dog Behaviour, Evolution, and Cognition') but Vilmos Csányi's...

The world-famous ethologist Vilmos Csányi in this book speaks about something the scientists didn't believe for a long time: the dog's mind. He believes that dogs are 'artificial' animals bred by men and they are much more closer to us than any other animal.

A must read for anyone who had, have or ever will have a dog.
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TheCrow2 | 1 other review | Jan 28, 2010 |
Eotvos University in Budapest, Hungary is the Mecca of canine ethological studies today. The work being done there is brilliant and ground-breaking. So, of course, this new book by Adam Miklosi, the head of the school’s Department of Ethology was a must read for me.

From the author:

"Until now, the study of dogs was hindered by the view that they represent an ‘artificial’ species, but by accepting that dogs are adapted to their niche, as are other ‘natural’ species, comparative investigations can be put into new light."

From a review in Current Biology:

"Whether one is a behavioral geneticist, a population biologist, a psychologist, an anthropologist or just a dog lover, one cannot help but wonder about the lives of dogs and our lives together with them. But even though Darwin began the Origin of Species with examples of dog domestication, and Pavlov’s dogs were the first to reveal to us classical conditioning, until now there has been no place to obtain answers to questions such as these that are based on rigorous scientific research."

"Adam Miklosi’s new book aims to fill this gap and will be a landmark contribution to the study of animal behavior, evolution and cognition. Over the past decade there has been an explosion of interest in dogs and it is this work that Miklosi uses to provide us with the first modern scholarly review of all there is to know about dogs — and the first review of scientific research on dogs since Scott and Fuller’s pioneering book Genetics and Social Behavior of Dogs published in 1974."

"Miklosi himself has been at the center of the surge in research interest on dogs over the past decade. So there is no one in a better position to write the first modern review of dog behavior, cognition and evolution. He has played a leading role in the work of the largest research laboratory working exclusively on dog behavior and cognition, at Eotvos University in Budapest, Hungary. In many ways this book is also a tribute to the hard work of his colleagues. Miklosi and his team have published scores of empirical papers on all aspects of dog behavior and cognition that test phylogenetic, ontogenetic, and even functional explanations of behavior. "

The book is organized into eleven chapters. The first two summarize the history of canine research and discuss conceptual and methodological issues related to the study of behavior. Each of the next eight chapters has a theme: dogs in human society; dogs in comparison to other canids; genetic versus archaeological evidence of domestication; the perceptual world of the dog; physical and environmental cognition in dogs; canine social cognition; behavioral development; and temperament and personality in dogs.

Also from Current Biology:

"This new book is a testament to the bright future of research on dogs. Miklosi has made the case for how important the dog is becoming in the study of animal psychology. The days of dogs being considered artificially created animals for use in conditioning studies have given way to the recognition of the dog’s rich social life requiring it to adapt to the most complex primate of all. With the increasing costs and ethical dilemma often created by keeping nonhuman primates in laboratories, dogs may provide a particularly attractive option in the future for psychologists interested in studying the cognitive processes in nonhuman animals (pet dogs are recruited for non-invasive research as in studies of humans). Miklosi’s new book will be a central fixture in all future work on dogs, as it will be the first place that students and experts alike will go to review unfamiliar topics or search for new research ideas. And it is not just researchers who will benefit. The book will be essential reading for all those using dogs as helpers for the handicapped, assistants to law enforcement, or just those who want to understand their best friend a little better."

If you are a dog lover or a student of animal behavior - you NEED this book.
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SmartDogs | 1 other review | Oct 25, 2008 |

Statistics

Works
33
Members
126
Popularity
#159,216
Rating
½ 4.3
Reviews
8
ISBNs
37
Languages
3
Favorited
1

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