For the Love of a Dog (55 page)

Both individuals have their mouths open in this photo and are in a relaxed, comfortable state. Romy the Pit Bull is also hot, which is why her commissure is stretched back so far. (“Open mouth” doesn’t always equal “relaxed”— sometimes it means the dog is hot or emotionally aroused.)

Tulip, with her head down on her paws, lay beside Harriet’s body for several hours, until I finally led her away.

My first Great Pyrenees, Bo Peep. You can see she’s tucked the stump of her left leg under her hip.

If there is such a thing as an “amused” look on the face of a dog, this must be it. Although you see the whites of the dog’s eyes as in “whale eye,” the dog’s mouth is open and his body and face are relaxed. Personally, I think Luke is laughing at my hair.

Cool Hand Luke

For the Love of a Dog
is a work of nonfiction.
Some names and identifying details have been changed.

Copyright © 2005, 2006 by Patricia B. McConnell, Ph.D.

All rights reserved.

Published in the United States by Ballantine Books, an imprint of The Random House Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., New York.

B
ALLANTINE
and colophon are registered trademarks of Random House, Inc.

Originally published in hardcover in the United States by Ballantine Books, an imprint of The Random House Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., in 2006.

A portion of Chapter 7 initially appeared in the
November 2005 issue of
The Bark
magazine.

eISBN: 978-0-307-42057-2

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
McConnell, Patricia B.
For the love of a dog: understanding emotion in you and your best friend /
by Patricia B. McConnell.
p. cm.
1. Dogs—Behavior. 2. Dogs—Psychology. 3. Dog owners—Psychology.
4. Emotions in animals. 5. Human-animal relationships. I. Title.
SF433.M34 2006
636.7—dc22 2006045200

www.ballantinebooks.com

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