There are about 75 million dogs in the United States. We love
them, feed them, walk them, groom them. But cognitive
psychologist Alexandra Horowitz is not so sure we understand
them. They’re not simple humans. They’re not friendly wolves.
Dogs are highly evolved for compatibility with homo sapiens. But
the way they sense the world is vastly different from our own.
These “creature of the nose,” she says, can actually smell time.
And when they do see, they see more of the world in every
second. Think about that. This hour, On Point: The mind of a
dog. Alexandra Horowitz, professor of psychology at Barnard
College, Columbia University, and author of the new book,
“Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell, and Know.” You can read
excerpts from three chapters of the book at her website.