It is Memorial Day in the United States; a day for remembering those who have lost their lives in war. It is only fitting that National Geographic just came out with an article on "The Dogs of War." I read with it the same mixed feelings I always have on the topic of young, healthy lives lost because of our inability to solve conflicts without violence--admiration and respect for those in the military, and deep sadness for all the loss that war creates. It seems only right then to take a moment to thank all of the dogs that have been enlisted into our battles; for their commitment to a job, to their moments of bravery, and to the comfort that they give to the men and women caught in conflicts, far away from home. I admit to feeling a great sense of sadness that they are there at all, Read More
How to Talk to Other Dog Owners
When I was seeing a lot of clients I could always tell when I was tired because I started working with the dog, rather than training the owners. Perhaps that's the irony of language: It makes communication easier in one sense, and harder in another. Things were so simple and clear when I was working with someone else's dog. Trying to influence the behavior of the people felt much more complicated. It is not that I didn't enjoy it--I love people, they are one of my two favorite species. It's just that it was harder to work with them than the dogs. It's no surprise then that talking to someone you've never met about their dog's behavior is especially fraught. Whether it's at the dog park, in the neighborhood, or at a dog class, we've all struggled with what to say to the person whose dog is Read More
The Beauty of the “Ready” Cue
Ah, spring is finally coming. Along with the mud. I don't know about you, but here in Southern Wisconsin the winter has been so severe that the ground is frozen as far as six feet down. Six vertical feet, just in case you've never had to dig fence post holes, is a long, long way. That means it will take a long time for the ground to soften, and a longer stretch than usual of dealing with mud. There is no where for the melted snow or rain to go when the ground beneath is frozen solid, so "mud season" means wiping dog off paws every time you go back inside after being outdoors. Yesterday, while wiping off Willie's paws for the first time in months, I was reminded of how much I love the cue "Ready." I wrote about it in 2010, but thought it was worth a reprint, given how many of us will be Read More
Favorite African Photographs
This week I'm grading 150 term papers. Yup, a 150 of them. My Teaching Assistant, Peggy B, will also be grading aspects of these same papers, so you can imagine that the two of us will be, uh, a tad busy for awhile. That's why this week's blog is a compilation of some of my favorite photographs from trips to Africa. It has been great fun looking through my "albums" and remembering the highlights of these trips, and I'm reminded that I want to get enlargements to put on the walls at the farm house. Been meaning to do that for how many years? Here are some of my favorites: Did I really get up close and personal with a pack of African Wild Dogs in Botswana? Did a Lilac Breasted Roller really hover just feet from us while trying to extract a beetle from the windshield of Read More
Assessing “Assess-a-Hands”
When I began working as an animal behaviorist I evaluated dogs in a number of ways, one being to give them a prized resource and watch to see how they responded when I reached for it. I remember working on a stage with a dog who was said to bite if you tried to take away his toy. After playing around with him to get him comfortable, I gave him his treasured toy and let him settle down with it. Then I squatted down beside him and began to reach toward the object with my hand. I explained to the audience that I wanted to see not so much whether he would growl or try to bite, but the expression on his face as he reacted to my outreached arm. Was his commissure forward in an offensive threat? Or backward in a fearful grimace? Over a hundred people held their breath as I reached closer and Read More
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