The Other End of the Leash

Patricia McConnell, Ph.D., a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist, has made a lifelong commitment to improving the relationship between people and animals.

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Welcome to an ongoing inquiry about the behavior of people and dogs.
Blog Home >> 2009 >> Archives for August 2009

Archives for August 2009

Commuter Dogs, Brilliant Crows

August 14, 2009 >> Leave a Comment

An alert reader sent in a link to a story about 'village' dogs in Russia who have figured out how to forage for food in an urban setting. The dogs actually hop onto trains that take them into the city where there is a great deal of food. But they don't just forage in garbage pails, their strategies are far more sophisticated. There are reports of dogs sneaking up behind people eating and barking loud enough to startle the person into dropping their food. They schmooze up to children, rest their heads on the leg and look--well, you know--all soft and pleading and get fed snacks from the kids. Reportedly they have learned to use the traffic lights to cross the road safely and it is said they that know what stops to get off on and even to alert one another when the stop is coming up.I'm a Read More

Botswana 7: Forgotten, but Not Gone

August 14, 2009 >> Leave a Comment

Well, here we are, 7 of us anyway (Matt, Kelly, Meg, Beckett, Erin, Jim and me for any relatives trying to get news), in the Jo'berg airport, over a day past when we were due to arrive in Botswana. Due to a series of unfortunate events, we were stranded and alone in the Nairobi airport 2 nights ago. Caught in a legendary traffic snarl in Nairobi, we spent 2 and 1/4 hrs either motionless in traffic or driving hell bent for leather, going THE WRONG WAY on the other side of the highway. Nairobi Airways denied us boarding anyway, even though we there almost an hour before take off and their rules said we'd be okay.  Three hrs and $1,000 later, we booked for the next morning, but bad news.... next plane from Jo,berg to Maun delayed, but will get there tonight, ....we think.Most importantly, Read More

Dogs in Africa

August 11, 2009 >> 15 Comments

While we're in Africa I'm sure all of us will have our eyes out for dogs, whether owned or feral. Out of the cities, most of the dogs I've seen in Kenya and Tanzania have been "village dogs," although many of them are 'owned' by someone in the area. "Owned" just means something different there: When you ask "Is that your dog?" it's common for someone to say yes, but the dog will have no name, no identification and clearly is relatively independent of people. Usually what they mean is that the dog is allowed to sleep in their yard, but that there is not much of a relationship otherwise. Even in the cities, the people I've talked to have said that dog ownership is relatively common, but that, at least for most Africans, dogs are often not allowed in the house and are primarily kept as guard Read More

What Do Barks “Mean”

August 7, 2009 >> 21 Comments

One of our alert readers sent a link to a study done by Kathryn Lord of U. Massachusetts on the "meaning" of barks in a variety of species. The link is to a newspaper article written about the study, complete with comments (mostly irate) about the findings of the work. But the study (which I of course don't think is a waste of money, contrary to some of the negative comments) brings up some very interesting questions that researchers in animal behavior have been thinking about for decades. The over riding question is this: what, exactly, is the message of vocal communication? Take any species, and ask yourself: is the bark, the growl or the song of a particular animal an expression of the animal's internal state (expressing fear, or affiliation, or emotions that could lead to aggression) Read More

Lions chase off vultures

August 7, 2009 >> Leave a Comment

Watched adult female and two subadult cubs (3-4 yrs? still some spots on legs) chase vultures off a recent zebra kill. Elephants coming in out of the hills to feed in the amboseli swamps, we'll see more of them later today. Am meeting with camp naturalist to learn more... saw an animal that looked exactly like an African Wild Cat.... which is pretty much exactly like a tabby house cat.  How tell difference? At night the zebra and antelope come right up to the veranda. Have to watch out for vervets, who try to steal the sugar off your table and dash in your room. Yesterday we caught one on our luggage, just starting to unzip it. And yes, we've seen lots and lots of robin egg blue testicles (on the vervets, honest.  they even have a penile display that zoologists patriotically call the "Red Read More

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About the Author

Patricia B. McConnell, PhD, CAAB Emeritus is an applied animal behaviorist who has been working with, studying, and writing about dogs for over twenty-five years. She encourages your participation, believing that your voice adds greatly to its value. She enjoys reading every comment, and adds her own responses when she can.

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Patricia is known the world over for her clear and engaging books and DVDs on dog training and canine behavior problems. You can also “meet” Patricia in person on her seminar DVDs, from The Art & Science of Canine Behavior to Treating Dog-Dog Reactivity.

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