--- title: Want to ‘Think Like a Dog?’ Try This UMD Prof’s New Book. date: 2026-09-01T05:30:00-04:00 author: University of Maryland canonical_url: "https://today.umd.edu/want-to-think-like-a-dog-try-this-umd-profs-new-book" section: Articles --- # Want to ‘Think Like a Dog?’ Try This UMD Prof’s New Book. *September 1, 2026* — by [Karen Shih ’09](/author/karen-shih) > Golden retriever rescuer delves into the inner lives of man’s best friend *Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026, in Sugarloaf Key. ( — College of Information Professor Jennifer Golbeck's six rescue retrievers are featured in her new book, "Think Like a Dog," which delves into how to better understand our canine companions through positive psychology. (Photo courtesy of Jen Golbeck)* Racing down the Florida Keys highway in the middle of the night with a puppy who’s just chomped on an inhaler and consumed all of its medicine might make many people pump the brakes on dog ownership. Not so for the University of Maryland’s Jennifer Golbeck. The College of Information professor is a nationally known expert on social media, digital privacy and artificial intelligence, but at home, she’s mom to a half-dozen internet-famous rescue golden retrievers. And the 3 a.m. antics of Mozzarella (who turned out to be fine after the vet examined her) just fueled Golbeck’s determination to better understand why our best friends in the animal kingdom do the things they do. *The cover of "Think Like a Dog" with a photo of a golden retriever* *Jennifer Golbeck headshot — Jen Golbeck* **Sidebar note:** **Meet the Squad** This week, Golbeck is celebrating the launch of the book with her six goldens in tow, traveling via RV from Key West, Fla., up to Washington, D.C., where she’ll offer photos with the dogs at [Politics and Prose](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/meet-and-greet-with-dr-jen-golbeck-think-like-a-dog-at-conn-ave-tickets-1994237859120) on Sept. 4. **Topics:** [People](https://today.umd.edu/tags/people) **Units:** [College of Information](https://today.umd.edu/topic/college-information-studies)