I was clearing out the (way too many) photos on my laptop, and ran into this video from years ago. It pretty much sums up the relationship between dogs and cats: Highly variable, and always interesting. Some dogs are best friends with cats, some ignore them, and some either chase them, or try to herd them. Or are afraid of them, often for good reason. In the video, you'll see Maggie, on the left, protecting Nellie from Willie. Willie, like many Border Collies (including Skip) perceive cats as weird, mushy-hoofed livestock. Maggie, on the other hand, was protective of Nellie the moment they met. What I love most about the video is Maggie's facial expression. She is one of the most expressive dogs I've ever known, and usually has either a sweet, passive resting face (the real Resting Read More
Could We Ever Read Dogs as Well as They Read Us?
"Oh no, he's just fine! Go ahead and pet him." If I heard that once, I heard it a thousand times, from owners anxious for me to pet their dog, while their dog begged me not to. Of course, the dogs didn't say so, but their body language spoke volumes. Mouth closed, stiff bodied (even if the tail tip wagged), head down and averted--these dogs were the equivalent of an introvert about to be hugged by a drunken stranger at a noisy party. Except the dogs couldn't escape. So I didn't pet them; but I had to spend no small amount of energy convincing the owners that I was honoring the request of the dog, not because I was afraid or uncaring. These owners loved their dogs, deeply. If they didn't, they wouldn't have devoted the resources--time, energy, and money--to see an applied behaviorist. Read More
Purr: What Does It Take to Make Your Cat Happy?
Location. Location. Location. Or, perhaps, environment, environment, environment. That's one of the keys to making your cat(s) truly happy, as author Zazie Todd, PhD, told me in an interview we did last week about her excellent new book Purr: The Science of Making Your Cat Happy. In a way, it's simple: Understand cats, and act accordingly. Cats need some quiet, safe spaces--which could be cave-like or high up, access to "multiple and separated resources," and plenty of opportunities to use their bodies and their brains as they were intended. They also need to be at a healthy weight, and living with people who understand something about how cats communicate. And yet, cats are so often misunderstood. Stereotypes abound about cats being aloof, rude, devious, and on and on. Many cats can Read More
Camera Lenses, and Other Threats to a Dog’s Safety
This week's post is a repeat from four years ago. I thought of it recently when trying to take a photo of a friend's dog, who kept turning his head away from the camera lens. I love this example of how understanding ethology helps us understand the behavior of other animals. (Full disclosure: It also made me mushy seeing photos of Willie. Miss him.) I was just going to get some casual shots of the BCs lying in the sun, when I noticed a trend. Here’s the first photo: Followed by the next two: Can’t miss it, can you? No matter what I did, clicking or smooching or waving my fingers, Maggie would not look at the camera lens. And no wonder. Here I was, down on my knees at eye level, with this huge, round, black eye staring straight at her. She’s much softer than Read More
Autism in Dogs?
Not long ago I asked readers to tell me what they'd like to talk about, and got a plethora of great ideas. One of them that hit home was the question of whether dogs could "be autistic." (Best described as on ASD, or Autism Spectrum Disorder, which effects social communication, learning, and behavior.) I've met a few dogs that got me wondering myself, and it brings up so many issues that I thought it would be interesting for us to talk about. Let me start with a story, if you'll indulge me, not about ASD, but about ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), because ADHD and ASD are neurodevelopmental disorders that often co-occur. Early in my career a couple brought in an Old English Sheepdog who was driving them mad. Boris, I'll call him, couldn't seem to contain himself in his Read More
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