Pets on the Couch

Neurotic Dogs, Compulsive Cats, Anxious Birds, and the New Science of Animal Psychiatry

By: Nicholas Dodman DVM

Narrated by: James Langton

The pioneering veterinarian and author of the New York Times best seller The Dog Who Loved Too Much recounts his uniquely entertaining - and poignant - stories of treating animals for all-too-human problems, as he reveals his amazing breakthroughs with the new science of One Medicine. The Oliver Sacks of animal brains, Dr. Nicholas Dodman is an internationally renowned veterinarian and research scientist who wrote one of the first popular books to recognize the complex emotional lives of dogs, and to reveal innovative ways to help them, including with Puppy Prozac. Now Dr. Dodman once again breaks new ground with the practice of One Medicine, the profound recognition that humans and other animals share the same neurochemistry, and that our minds and emotions work in similar ways.

Racehorses with Tourette's syndrome, spinning dogs with epilepsy, cats with obsessive-compulsive disorder, feather-plucking parrots with anxiety, and a diffident bull terrier with autism - these astonishing cases were all helped by One Medicine, which emphasizes the similarities, rather than differences, between animals and humans. Inspiring, sometimes heartbreaking, and utterly fascinating, Pets on the Couch demonstrates how what we share with our animals can only lead us to a greater appreciation for them - and for our mutual bonds.

©2016 Nicholas Dodman (P)2016 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

As a psychotherapist...

What did you love best about Pets on the Couch?

As a psychotherapist, I can't look at animal behavior the same way. This book is very though provoking.

A must read BEFORE adopting a new pet!

Not only immensely informative and heart-warming but James Langton, the narrator, made the story come alive holding my attention throughout the whole audiobook!

Fascinating look into Animal Behavior.

This book provides good insights into animal behavior, and worthwhile reading for all pet lovers.

Great book on pets

Nice insight into mental health of pets really enjoyed thanks to the author great job

The Oliver Sacks of Vets! Brilliant!

Beyond the realm of the unsound and deeply disturbed, "Pets on the Couch" provides fascinating and loving stories of the animals who share their lives with us. Their struggles and ultimately, their salvation.
Here are the dogs of war, home now and suffering PTSD as surely as any marine who worked alongside them; horses with Tourette syndrome, helped and now wonderful examples to children that differences shouldn't be scary; animals with OCD, explosive aggression, pathological fear, epilepsy, even autism. These are the things that would have been an animal's death sentence in the past.
Now they can be treated. The science that's always used them as test subjects can now be used to ease their suffering, treat their seizures, provide that window of stabilization where behavior modification can then be used to show them that life can be safe, good, filled with love and fun.
This isn't just a series of anecdotes, though there are many examples to go along with each illness. Dodman is a dedicated man who uses PET/CT scans, advanced MRIs, plunges into genetic testing to find that autism in humans, and the similar in animals can be traced back to a faulty piece of X chromosome.
But while he values research and science, he preaches common sense and empathy overall. Your dog is not barking ALL day long to drive you nuts; perhaps she was deprived of socialization in her early months, was mistreated, has fears that would drive the normal person to bark all day long were they in her paws.
The narration is wonderful, reflects the warmth and humor in the text, makes the research riveting. I laughed and smiled a lot through the whole audiobook and listened to it in a single day.
I suppose I was looking for my cat, Thoreau's, problem to be described, diagnosed, and fixed. He has it in for my brother, gets majorly aggressive, and I was hoping there'd be an easy fix. Alas! In this case, there is no magic pill, no easy way out.
I guess I'll just have to get another brother...

Animals have feelings too

Having been raised on a farm my earliest experiences were with all sorts of animals. I recognized in all creatures fear love pain need for approval and reward. A need to feel safe and nurtured. There was communication going both ways continually. So it is refreshing to listen to a research professional verify what was obvious to me from a very early age that we are more alike to other vertebrates than we are different.

Fascinating

If you love animals you will appreciate this book. I have read numerous books on animal behavior many are redundant. This book is refreshing.

Fascinating!

This is a fascinating book for all animal lovers. Dr. Dodman has dedicated his career to demystifying animal behavior and translating it for human animals. Compelling information presented in an engaging style. Highly recommended!

Love It

I loved this book because it not only talked about animals (one of my favorite topics) but it also touched on topics I was ignorant on when it came to an animal’s wellbeing. Nicholas Dodman opened my eyes to how similar animals can be to humans when it comes to their mental health. Just because they are furry and four-legged, doesn’t mean that animals shouldn’t be treated with the same mental healthcare that we treat humans with. I’m not a doctor, veterinarian, nor scientist, but the message that animals feel basic emotions like humans really resonated with me. I loved all the anecdotes that Dodman had throughout this book, as well as his easy to understand explanations on how and why animals behave the way they do.

Narration: James Langton does a wonderful job narrating this book. His voice smooth and easy to listen to. I enjoyed it.

Overall Rating: 5 Stars. This was an easy to listen to book that was extremely informative and extremely interesting. I highly recommend it to anyone.

Great stories from the vet world

I read other reviews saying that this book was too anecdote heavy. I have to agree, but I still really liked it. And I'm not sure how the doc would have done it differently without making it dry and boring. The stories were great and it was interesting hearing about dogs with OCD and horses with Tourette Syndrome, for example. At one point, Dr. Dodman mentions Olive Sacks and I can make an argument for this being a veterinary version of a Sacks book, though Sacks was an incomparable talent. Beyond the anecdotes, Dodman does discuss the neurology and psychology of why the animals act the way they do. The narrator was good, I just felt sometimes like he had marbles in his mouth. In the end, I would absolutely recommend this to anyone who is interested in pets, neurology, and/or psychology.