Explore the science behind the dog in your bed
As we enter the final weekend of summer, maybe you and your dog are going to spend the weekend gallivanting in nature. That’s what I’ll be doing at Camp Unleashed in the Berkshire Mountains in Massachusetts, where I’m giving a talk on Saturday night.
I judge dogs when I meet them, but not in the way you might expect. You see, every dog and owner I meet gets filtered through a lens called “Potential Canine Science Study Participants.” The growing field of canine behavior and cognition research is not built on the backs of lab beagles.
IF YOU LIVE WITH A DOG, then you are familiar with this sound. Unlike barks, growls and howls — dog sounds that easily take center stage — a dog lapping up water is background, white noise.
AS YOU PROBABLY KNOW, your dog’s voice is not like a Bret Michaels concert, pumping out a shower of meaningless noise. Although your dog’s vocalizations might be unwelcome at times, those sounds carry way more information and meaning than any of the former frontman’s power ballads can ever hope to do.
AFTER A LONG DAY of being a dog, no dog in existence has ever curled up on a comfy couch to settle in with a good book. Dogs just don’t roll like that.
Boulder, CO better count its chickens and get its ducks in a row because the Animal Behavior Society is on its way! That’s right. This weekend, I’m off to the 50th Annual Conference of the Animal Behavior Society in Boulder, CO (Twitter/Facebook).
Boulder, CO better count its chickens and get its ducks in a row because the Animal Behavior Society is on its way!That’s right. This weekend, I’m off to the 50th Annual Conference of the Animal Behavior Society in Boulder, CO (Twitter/Facebook).
Never seen the word “Anthrozoology” before? That’s okay. If you looked at the word and focused on the “ant” part, then try again. Instead, “Anthro” and “Zoology” are the interesting bits, and broadly speaking anthrozoology is the study of human-animal interactions and relationships.
For many, the Fourth of July is about food, food, alcohol and more food (maybe with a side of baseball). But as late afternoon rolls around and people prepare for fireworks displays, you might remember, “Hey… didn’t Banjo freak out about the fireworks last year?” If you live in NYC, R&B star Usher is “curating” the 2013 Macy’s Fourth of July Fireworks, which means that while Usher himself is not upsetting any dogs today (hopefully), Usher is indirectly ruining many dogs’ day.
When I tell someone that I study dog behavior and cognition, the usual response is a cocked head and a smile ranging from incredibly wide and excited to incredibly confused and unsure.
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