Commentaries

If you consider yourself an avid animal-lover and your animals part of your family, at this time of year you probably receive catalogs devoted to all kinds of toys for pets. Either that or you automatically zero in on the pet section of catalogues or on-line sites that offer more general selection. And if you’re like me and have gone through this ritual for years as well as have heard tales about doing so from others, you know that toys that look like the perfect pet gift to us may may not impress the intended recipient. Sometimes expensive toys

Some people prefer to read only specific kinds of books related to certain kinds of human and animal interactions. Perhaps only heady academic tomes. Or fiction, or only those involving dogs or cats and humans interacting with each other in specific ways.  My tastes tend to be more eclectic. If I come across something that has an animal and a human in it, I’ll at least make an attempt to read it regardless of the genre. Because of this, when I first heard of Elisabeth Tova Bailey’s The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating I knew I had to read it. Admittedly

In mid-August I was part of a group of journalists and bloggers invited to visit the Hills Pet Food facilities in Topeka and Emporia, Kansas. Unless some of the other members of the group have access to a wondrously effective Fountain of Youth, I was most likely the oldest person in the group as well as one of the two veterinarians in it. This plus my background in animal behavior and the bond comprise the lens through which I viewed and continue to view the experience. Get any group of ardent dog- and cat-lovers together and the subject of

When late summer in the northern hemisphere rolls around, do you find you feel restless and even out of sorts for no reason? Does your cat seem edgier and your dog more watchful and whiney? In the old days, if you mentioned this to a human medical or behavioral professional, he or she probably would have recommended that you spend some time at the seaside. Several weeks later you would return refreshed and all was well. Ah, those were the days!  Today, some professionals will dismiss your comments as the result of an overactive imagination, while others will subject you

In a very small nutshell, back-engineering is the process of taking an object apart in order to learn how it was designed to do what it does. Increasingly scientists are taking this approach to substances and processes that occur in nature with the idea that the thousands of years of evolutionary tweaking that created them might yield better results than the human-engineered substitutes developed to accomplish the same or similar tasks. There’s a certain irony in this process because it often seems to occur after human attempts to reinvent nature’s various wheels sans this awareness fail for one reason

There’s an old saying in New England (and many other parts of the country and the world) that if you don’t like the weather, just wait a minute. In some ways, the same is true of behavior. If the behavior of another doesn’t appeal to us, chances are it will change shortly. Equally interesting is that if one sticks around long enough, chances are that what experts once touted will fall from grace and what they disparaged will gain a following. I was thinking about this one morning last month after I came across an excerpt from Anna Quinlan’s

YouTube has become a goldmine of data for those who study animal and human behavior. Even someone like me whose access to it is highly limited because of a dial-up connection can explore its offerings on occasion. Such was the case when I babysat one of my grandkids and could take advantage of her parents’ fiber-optic connection. Armed with that, I then could access a video clip my son had sent me about an incident involving a captive wild animal, a child, and the child’s parents. Because I’d noticed variations on this same theme when I visited the Boston

The title of this commentary serves as a good reminder that when speaking of behavior, context is everything. For example, this title on a commentary about mouse communication would carry a far different connotation than if it appeared on one about human-companion animal communication. If you think mice joyfully squeaking to other mice communicates the same message as humans joyfully squeaking to dogs and cats, this commentary is for you. I’m a big fan of animal communication and probably took more joy than most in the discovery that several animal species laugh and that mice sing. These behaviors fascinate

Over the years a lot has been written about how to integrate animals into a new household. But as our lifestyles and relationships with our companion animals become more complex, new elements keep getting added to the mix. As that occurs, the likelihood of there being some one-size-fits-all recipe for handling such situations gets smaller—and it wasn’t that great to begin with. It doesn’t surprise me that some animals have more problems making these transitions any more than it surprises me that some people do. Regardless of age or species, establishing and protecting the physical and mental territory remains

Wow! How’s that for a morose title for a dead-of-winter commentary? I could blame it on a fascinating article by Paul Tullis in the November-December 2011 Scientific American Mind entitled “The Death of Pre-School.” But all that article did was cause me to organize my thoughts regarding similar changes in young animal education/training that I’ve been pondering for years. Ironically as the amount of research into the positive physical, mental, and emotional benefits of play for young children and animals of all species has increased, there’s been increased pressure to impose structured training on kids and domestic animals at a younger

There are many sayings and phenomena in human behavior that remind us that connections between fact and fiction, art and life, and perception exist even if we don’t notice them. Sometimes we may go for years and never notice them. Then one day something happens that suddenly catapults the connection into our awareness. At such times I, at least, feel torn between berating myself for missing it for so long and fascinated by the existence of such a process. For decades, I’ve explored the role that the presence of a stable physical or mental space plays in animal health

Would it surprise you to learn that I was once an angel? For those considering renouncing your faith if the likes of me can achieve such status, permit to add that this occurred when I was in the second grade. And I’m sure it only happened because I happened to have access to a kick-butt angel costume. It happened like this. My grandmother and Aunt Hilda were seamstresses of haute couture quality who lived in the same house and often collaborated on projects. Skirts, dresses, suits (male or female), gowns: nothing daunted them. I don’t remember who the angel costume

Consider it a(nother) sign of advancing years that  I can remember how we kids used to share secretive sly looks when the minister or Sunday School teacher talked about some Biblical hero girding his loins for battle. We had no idea what it meant, but felt convinced that anything dealing with loins had to be something our parents wouldn’t want us to know. When we later learned that it referred to hitching up one’s robes with a belt so one didn’t trip over them, all the fun went out of those stories. Sad to say, our awareness of any Greater

I don’t recall that anyone ever taught me that some places possess a spirit, a genius loci. If someone did, it must have been when I was very young because I don’t remember ever not noticing how a place felt, its spirit, as well as how it looks. Over the years I’ve encountered some picture-perfect locations that struck me as sterile and others the conventional wisdom would slap a condemned notice on that possessed more spirit than the greatest cathedral. When I first visited New Hampshire as a child, I intuitively recognized that I was as close to being home as

Right after the September commentary went up, I read two short pieces about one of my favorite mammals: ground squirrels. The first article was primarily about using ground squirrels, or rather their vacated burrows, to help struggling pygmy owls survive. It pointed me to the second article that further described how female ground squirrels chew on shed rattlesnake skin and then lick themselves and their pups. Because snakes hunt by scent, it’s assumed that this protects them and their young from predators. To me, the ground squirrel’s behavior seemed like a perfect variation on the crested rat theme. Or

I’m one of those people—and I dearly hope I’m not the only one—who sometimes thinks in headlines. Especially when I do stupid things.  Whereas others might think, “Oh, s__t!” or other profane thoughts as such times, the headline “Bureau pins local resident at bottom of stairs” occurred to me when I foolishly thought I could prevent a very heavy piece of furniture from descending a steep staircase much faster that I could prevent it from doing so by holding it from below. Or how about “Local woman picking berries in nightgown gets surprised by bear”? In retrospect, I think this

While I visited my son in Colorado last month, I began reading a book by neurophysiologist Dale Purves entitled Brains: How they seem to work. I did this because the studies of brain function are now so numerous and diversified that I knew I needed to upgrade my knowledge. Luckily for me, Purves is one of those rare and wonderful scientists whose background includes a solid grounding in some other discipline that enables them to think outside the scientific box and view problems with a fresh perspective. By the time I realized that Purves was interested in how the

Taking animals personally. That sounds like a really good thing, doesn’t it?  It raises all kinds of images of us really paying attention to animals and what they do and what it means to then as well as us. Sad to say, that’s not the kind of personally that sometimes shows up when our animals develop problems. That kind of personally is quite different and can throw a humongous monkey wrench into the works as we seek to resolve these issues. The kind of personally I’m talking about is the kind that causes us to believe that they deliberately display

I came up with the title of this commentary after an unsuccessful attempt to describe the concept of companion animals and their owners engaging in mutually rewarding exercise together. This was to differentiate such a relationship from those skewed in one direction or another. You know, the owner who takes the dog for the obligatory excursions whose expression suggests this ranks right up there with watching glaciers move on the list of exciting things to do. Or the dog who’s so stressed that the walks are about as relaxing as a twice daily circuit through a war zone. But

An ethological approach to normal and problem animal behavior This commentary is a based on material I’ll be presenting at a seminar on June 5th that focuses on canine behavior and aggression in particular. In addition to cordially inviting all interested parties to attend (see contact information at the end of the commentary), I’d like to use this opportunity to once again point out the advantages of adding ethology to the behavioral mix. Given all the different animal training programs available, why bother? The main reason is because sometimes the approaches we normally use to teach stable animals basic obedience,

Back in the seventies, anyone who cared anything about animals and enjoyed reading was reading a series of books written by British veterinarian James Herriot, a.k.a. Alf Wight. Later, the BBC made the books into a television series that introduced even more people to the life of a trio of veterinarians plying their trade in the 1930s and 40s in the Yorkshire Dales. For a period of several weeks during this past long winter of record-breakers, I’d recover from shoveling snow, chipping ice, hauling wood and other chores by making myself a cup of herbal tea and watching episodes

Reports of two studies involving kids and one involving dogs so reminded me of what I see clinically that it caused me to ponder yet again the role teaching methods may play in problem behavior. And because at least some kids get dogs when they grow up, do they wind up creating pets with behavioral issues, too?  In the case of these particular human studies and their results, I suspect that this is a possibility. The First Study Years ago, a teaching method that championed the companion animal version of all-positive training had parents and teachers gushing effusively over their

When the time came to write this month’s commentary, I found myself in a somewhat lackluster state sitting at the kitchen table drinking Teeccino and eating dark chocolate with bits of ginger without a relevant thought in my head. My thoughts, such as they were, mostly drifted to what else I could do besides write a commentary. As I did this, I absent-mindedly leafed through a magazine that had arrived that morning. And there it was. Condemnation and inspiration all rolled up into one. An article about procrastination. Surely if there were a road to hell reserved for those

I began 2011 the same way I ended 2010, pondering a notice about a lost cat that showed up in my mailbox about two weeks before Christmas.  It was nothing fancy.  A single sheet of white copy paper with text written in black capital letters, except for those words the author thought warranted special emphasis with colored type. Evidently it had been put it put in my box before the mail arrived because I found it mashed at the bottom of a pile of holiday ads and cards. In spite of the fact that the main text was very short, only

For many people the watch-words of the holiday season are “eat,” “drink,” and “be merry.” This holiday season, I suggest replacing them with “love,” “hate,” and “eat,” specifically Some We Love, Some We Hate, Some We Eat: Why It’s So Hard to Think Straight About Animals by Hal Herzog (Harper-Collins, 2010). This book is a perfect gift for those who work with animals in any capacity as well as any animal-lovers on your list. And don’t forget to put it on your own wish-lift or purchase it as a gift for yourself if you enjoy learning about human-animal interactions as much as

Rita informs me that Dilly actually points with his paw, not his nose, which I maintain proves my point even regarding dogs as skilled teachers even more. Not only do dogs who use this strategy point, they point using a part of their bodies that makes the most sense to us even though it may not be the easiest way for them to accomplish this task.

As I was flying home after two days at the Association of Pet Dog Trainers annual conference last month, I found myself thinking some paradoxical, possibly off the deep end thoughts. I could defend such thoughts by noting that I’d been averaging about 3 hours of sleep per night for the previous 5 days. Or I could mention that I’d gotten up at 3 that morning to catch an early flight. But truth be told and thanks to my knowledge of animal behavior and probably normally confused mind, I often find myself evaluating what I hear from more than

Several people have asked me what I mean when I refer to behavior that is out of context for the animal. Often, but not always, this is in response to my observation that any time an animal accepts a reward for displaying such a behavior, that reward may be a punishment for the animal. “How can accepting a reward be punishment?” they ask. This is a legitimate question for those trained in behaviorism which maintains that animals learn in response to reward or punishment. As I’ve discussed previously, for the most part behaviorism is an anthropocentric system. People define

I have a magnate on my refrigerator that says, “Change your shoes…Change your life.” The relationship between planting a garden and quality animal interactions may seem equally unconnected, but it’s not as far-fetched as you might think. Gardening teaches basic skills that carry over into all areas of life and I’d heartily recommend it for anyone who works with animals and/or wants a quality relationship with them. Consider the following and judge for yourself. Knowing Your Limits. One of the first things that gardening teaches is to select plants or seeds that are compatible with your soil, climate, and degree

In all the year I’ve been writing commentaries, I’ve never received as many emails as I did for the July commentary on the service animal dilemma. These were sufficiently numerous and thought-provoking that I pondered them while enjoying the sites in Colorado and mastering a new computer and its software. I’m back in New Hampshire and stuck with my dial-up connection, but pleased to report that a Toshiba Satellite with an external modem and Windows 7 so far works very well. Whew! But getting back to those responses. These came response came from those who use service animals and/or those

Have you ever noticed that when we humans think about combining two different components we automatically assume that the result will be the best of each? There are multiple examples of this concept in the animal-related world, with the natural or artificial breeding of animals from two different breeds or species being the most familiar. We cross a Siamese and a Persian or a dog and wolf and assume any offspring will possess only the best qualities from each of their parents. But this month I’d like to discuss a different kind of hybrid: working dogs who also are expected to

Last month I attended a seminar on the human-equine bond held at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University. The attraction for me was two speakers from the United Kingdom. Because a sub-theme of the meeting was equine rescue, I knew it was possible that their view of the relationship, while equally intense, could be more comprehensive than is sometimes the case in this country. I was not disappointed. Derek Knottenbelt, OBE, BVMS,DVMS, DipECEIM, MRCVS, is an equine specialist with enough initials after to his name to give anyone the vapors. I mention this because in spite

The nice thing about being an independent scholar is that I’m not bound by the culture and limits of a particular discipline. Because of this I’m free to think about a lot of subjects that would be unthinkable to others. Add that I’m blessed with friends and colleagues with whom I can freely share and further explore such thoughts and sometimes the results can be shocking and even blasphemous. This is what happened when I read a news item about the release of a remake of the film Free Willy, a warm, fuzzy story about a cute little kid’s efforts

For reasons known only to them, a flock of young turkeys has decided to troop through my front yard to reach the woods above the house instead of gaining access to the woods from one of the many places further away. It could be because that the snow in that area melted sooner than the rest of the slope and the dead leaves offered more camouflage. It’s also possible there’s more food in this area. Judging from the way my dogs carry on as they watch the birds make the trek, they apparently think the turkeys have chosen this

In spite of my vow to limit my exposure to what now passes as news reporting for my mental health, it’s impossible to escape the rescue culture that is deeply entrenched in our society. The devastating earthquake in Haiti has yet again brought this to the forefront, both in its best and worst forms. Even so, come March 1st when this commentary will be published, it’s possible that our interest in the subject will have waned. By then stories of animal-rescuing efforts may grab the attention of what little media remains on the scene. Or perhaps some new human

Novelist Marcel Proust said that “…every reader is, while he is reading, the reader of his own self.” The same can be said of writers who, whether they want to or not, often tell the reader much more about themselves than the subject about which they write. Such was my experience reading The Wolf in the Parlor by Jon Franklin (Henry Holt and Company, New York, 2009). Because this book has no introduction, I relied on the jacket copy and cover letter I received with my review copy for insight regarding the author’s goal. That combined with the names of

If the title makes you think that I’ve succumbed to the hyperbole that permeates all things companion animal from (gross!) canine butt-covers to adopted pets as holiday gifts, fear not. The title represents the distillation of numerous good resolutions into one that will be easy to remember even when feeling the most frazzled. Can you guess what it is? I’ll give you two hints: This resolution is thousands of years old and probably predates human language. It possesses the power to reduce even the worst pet-related situations to manageable ones. Give up? The ultimate eons old resolution is do

It’s that time of year again when thoughts about holiday gifts creep into our minds more and more often. Only this year as last, finding the funds for even token gifts is out of the question for many people. But not to worry. There are several great gifts we can give our pets this holiday season that don’t cost a cent. Not only that, these gifts will lead their recipients to bestow different, but equally enjoyable gifts upon us. Let’s begin with our gifts to our pets. Over the years I’ve noticed that my animals—both cats and dogs—engage in

I’d written a review of another mass media bond-book and had fully intended to post it this month when I received a copy of Inside Animal Hoarding: The Case of Barbara Erickson and Her 552 Dogs by Arnold Arluke and Celeste Killeen (Purdue University Press, 2009).For me, the subject matter was so pertinent and well-presented it seemed to me that every self-proclaimed animal-lover, everyone involved in shelter or rescue work in any capacity, every veterinarian, vet tech, behaviorist, and trainer, and indeed anyone engaged in animal-related activities of any kind should read this book. But why? What makes this

Last month I gave a presentation on the role of the human-animal bond as it impacts animal health and behavior at Purdue which was celebrating the 50th anniversary of its School of Veterinary Medicine. This month I want to share a slightly edited version of that speech because it so sums up my thoughts regarding the history of this interaction and its potential. Inconvenient Truths, Fantastic Opportunities: A far-reaching view of the bond as it affects animal health and behavior. Myrna Milani, BS, DVM Many years ago I gave a presentation at a large veterinary conference on feline behavior

One nice thing about not being a commercial success is that I can change my mind about things as I gain more knowledge and experience. I can say “Whoa, was I wrong about that! This makes ever so much more sense!” without losing sponsors or watching the value of my empire plummet. Nor do I have to worry about offending my groupies because a) I don’t have any and b) those independent thinkers who do follow my work know I often put a different spin on bond and behavior topics. For better or worse—depending on your view—that spin may

Several months ago I brought a new computer that came with a Vista operating system. Since then I have discovered that Vista’s development apparently is the result of linear more-is-better thinking. What that means is that, if the program didn’t address a particular user need to start with, the chances of any upgrades or programs coming from that same manufacturer doing so are about nil. It hit me that a lot of programs related to companion animal health and behavior fall into that same category. Technologically, Vista is not designed for those of us stuck with dial-up connections until

As you may have noticed, the number of articles and reports about animals being given up or put down because their owners lack the financial wherewithal to provide for them has increased as the general economic picture has become bleaker. In virtually all of those I’ve read or heard, the implication is the same: there is a clear connection between terminating the relationship with an animal and the lack of money. But is this necessarily true? I’d argue that this it isn’t a financial problem. It’s a bond problem. There are plenty of people in good economic times as

We all know people who have no qualms about making hurtful or boorish remarks to others. In fact, such people are common enough in our society that learning how to deal with them gracefully is just another part of becoming a mature adult. But what’s with the people who call themselves animal-lovers who aim such remarks at other people’s animals? What’s the motivation that drives them to assume this anti-animal stance? Let’s look at a couple examples of this, beginning with breed assault. Picture this scenario. You’re walking down the street with your hound mix or sitting on your

Years ago a friend, who is as knowledgeable in his field as I am in mine on my better days, and I were discussing books. Our conclusion was that, relative to any particular subject, there are two kinds of books. Those written from the outside in, and those written from the inside out. Michael Schaffer’s One Nation Under Dog is an outside in book. At this point, common sense demands I define my terms. An outside in book is one that’s written by someone outside a profession or field of study describing something that’s going on in it. The

If you asked a random sampling of pet owners what an animal behaviorist studied, chances are the majority of them would give you a funny look. After all, what else would an animal behaviorist possibly study than animal behavior?  But logical as that might sound, that’s not necessarily the case. And the fact that it isn’t has created a lot of confusion for people whose animals develop problem behaviors. Let’s begin with a little history. The people who used to study animal behavior were often called “naturalists.” This definition embodied the fact that they studied animals in nature, i.e.

The other day when I called my dogs, I got to thinking about the beliefs about learning we impose on our animals and how they and we have to live with the consequences of this. I said I called my dogs, but because I got so caught up in my own needs when I was teaching—and I use the verb “teaching” loosely—them the Come command, the Come has become a “Come One Two” command. It started out so innocently (perhaps stupidly is a better word) on my part… The shameful scenario unfolded like this. I gave the dogs the

Last month I attended one of the largest veterinary conferences in the world, the North American Veterinary Conference in Orlando, Florida. While I was in the area, I also visited the Harmony Institute located about a half hour’s drive from the conference center. Between the two, I experienced the full spectrum of what is available for animals and animal-loving people. Let’s begin with the conference which had an estimated attendance of 60,000 people from all over the world. As an educational experience, it was mind-boggling. Presentations were given from first thing in the morning until last thing at night

Are you ready for this? The one resolution you can make that will benefit your pet’s health, behavior, and relationship with you? And that won’t cost you a cent? But might make you wish you’d vowed to do something simpler, like maybe climb Mt Everest? If so, read on. May we have the drum roll please? Hmmmm. Because all of the potential fur-covered drum-rollers are sleeping as I write this, we’ll have to skip that part. The ultimate pet-related New Year’s resolution is: I vow to develop more patience and self-control when interacting with my animals. While some of

Even though the current worldwide financial turmoil might make the idea of inexpensive pet-related gifts a timely topic, I find the following items so useful and beneficial that I would recommend them even if money were no object. In addition to these being fine gifts to give to yourself and your pets, they’re also fine gifts for your pet-owning friends. Several Rolls of Good Quality Paper Towels A Solution of Half White Vinegar and Half Water in a Spray Bottle Empty Plastic Grocery Bags Sanitary Napkins Good Quality Towels Leashes Gloves Several Rolls of Good Quality Paper Towels I

Last month I had my dog Frica spayed after contemplating all the pros and cons so many times I was dizzy. I learned a lot from this experience, including that there are a lot of clichés that can be applied to this sometimes grueling process. I started thinking about having Frica spayed after she had her litter last January. Since then, I’ve reviewed many of the studies that are listed in my References section as well as some I haven’t gotten around to posting there yet. But the reality is that there’s not a lot of concrete information out

Have you ever taken your pet to the veterinary clinic for some problem and gotten the feeling that your veterinarian just wasn’t listening to you? Or you got the impression that the vet had already made up his or her mind regarding the cause and proper treatment of the problem before getting what you considered a complete history or thoroughly examining your animal? At that time, you might have thought that the veterinarian simply didn’t care about your animal or you. But more often than not, these people really do care. It’s the way they’ve been trained that creates

Over the past few months I’ve read several books that have referred to the Theory of Mind. Never heard of it? Well, I’ll give you a hint about its content: If you were a researcher with a strong human bias who believed in this theory, the title of this commentary would be an oxymoron. And the reason for this would be because the Theory of Mind is often used to define what these folks consider the mental qualities that make humans superior to animals. You might think that the Theory of Mind is some really complex concept, but it’s

Last month a big news story contained two elements the media and public love to talk about: great gobs of money and animals. That Leona Helmsley earmarked her estimated $5-8 billion estate to be used to establish a charitable trust devoted to the care and welfare of dogs had many in a tizzy, some in joy and others in disgust at what they perceived as a gross waste of money. No doubt those in organizations whose work could in any way be construed as benefitting dogs are already sharpening their grant-writing pencils and brushing up on their schmoozing skills.

In many ways, for me the best time of day is when I take the dogs out first thing in the morning. Particularly at this time of year, I love that everything is so fresh and clean. And quiet. It’s the quiet that’s particularly engaged my thoughts lately. These past weeks I’ve become almost obsessed with it as I’ve attempted to master the basics of podcasting. There’s nothing like walking through your home talking into a sensitive voice recorder to point out just how much noise there is that’s slipped your notice. (You can hear some of the noises

Recently Walter Brandes of To the Tipping Point, a New Hampshire business consulting practice, contacted me for permission to use that business name because I’d already claimed TippingPoint Inc. I agreed and then he and I had a delightful chat about the role of tipping points in human and animal behavior. That discussion later caused me to muse yet again about how much more readily our society accepts what we can learn from animal physiology compared to animal behavior. For example, most people are aware of and accept that countless animal studies still form the foundation of our drug-testing

Last month I was invited by the New England Federation of Humane Societies to participate in a panel discussion about shipping un-owned companion animals from areas of excess to those where potential adopters exist. I was happy to accept the invitation because this is another one of those animal-related practices that superficially appears to be a win-win situation for animals and humans alike. But is that really the case? Much as I dread triggering the wrath of passionate advocates of the practice, the answer to that is no. My starting point was to view the animals being transported not

No, this commentary isn’t going to be about people who are addicted to animals or animal-related activities, although that’s also a subject worthy of exploration. This commentary is about the kind of animal addiction hinted at in a video clip I recently received entitled “African Booze Tree” that shows animals of multiple species getting soused on the fermenting fruit of the African marula tree. This got me thinking about two things. The first was whether this behavior was problematic from an evolutionary standpoint. The second was whether a similar phenomenon occurs in companion animals. That some animals will consume

Years ago I heard an interview in which author Ray Bradbury extolled the value of fan letters. He wasn’t just referring to the letters that his own fans had written him that had given him great joy, but also to those letters he himself had written to those from all walks of life. I still recall his passionate message: Don’t put it off. Do it now. Tell them before they die how much you admire them. Not to long ago, it hit me that Whittington is going to be 14 this spring, a thought that elicited all those death-related

This month I’m going share some thoughts about hormones as they relate to an on-going miracle that so struck me as so amazing, it was impossible not to write about it. Can you guess what that miracle was and is? If you took one look at my picture and guessed menopause, you’re wrong. Although I do consider it amazing, it’s not nearly as amazing as the hormonal miracle I have in mind. It began the week before Thanksgiving when I bred my amazing shitzu-terrier mix, Frica, to an equally amazing poodle-terrier mix named Bailey. That set into motion a

When I was doing a lot of media work back in the 90s, a common mantra in the industry was that “Kids and animals make good television” (We might also add that they apparently inspire grammatically questionable mantras, but that’s a different matter.) As I’ve been recording my novel, Getting Fixed, for free (!) downloading from this site, I’ve come up with another mantra: Animals make challenging recording. Admittedly its grammar is equally suspect, but it pretty well sums up what’s been going on in my office for the last 6 weeks. For someone who has never done any

I’m a list-maker and as I’m writing this, I face my usual, crammed-full, ever-lengthening holiday do-list, which I suspect that most people could consider laughably simple compared to their own. Even so, it seems like a lot to me, and even an overwhelming “a lot” some days. That list got me thinking about its fulfillment as it relates to the pets with troubling results because I realized that in some ways the list is all about me. Nor do I think I’m alone in this. Although most pet-owners certainly don’t plan it that way any more than I do,

True, it’s past Halloween trick or treat time, but it is that time of year when there are so many treats around it’s tough to avoid temptation. And because so often we take both our pets and our food-related beliefs with us when we jump aboard the holiday treat train, we and the pets may disembark with some extra baggage come the end of the holiday season. I’ve yet to hear of companion animals who routinely do their own food shopping and prepare their own meals and snacks, so this seems like a good time to explore some preventive

On September 4, 2007, I brought home a 16-week-old female Pembroke corgi pup. Those of you who routinely read these commentaries could very well be thinking, “I distinctly remember that woman swearing on a stack of religiously significant tomes that she would never get another corgi after Violet the WonderDog died.” And were you to think such thoughts, you needn’t wonder if your memory is failing you; your memory is fine. I did vow never to get another corgi because Violet was such a great dog that any subsequent corgi would surely suffer unfairly from comparison. So what changed?

An article in the August 20-27, 2007 Newsweek by science writer Sharon Begley, entitled “The Puzzle of Hidden Ability” describes the use of a common and a less familiar test to determine the intelligence of autistic children. I’ve been interested in autism for years because of its relationship to my own work so the study article immediately caught my attention. It also got me thinking about how easy it also is to judge and label companion animals based on tests about which we know little or nothing. Getting back to the Newsweek article, anyone who has been educated in

Even though we pet-owners routinely accept that our definitions of quality pet nutrition or healthcare will change as more information about these topics becomes available, when it comes to selecting a pet, that’s often not the case. Instead, we may rely on little more than what worked for us—or our parents!—in the past, or even some vague gut feeling. However, much has changed on the human-companion animal scene and those who want to ensure a positive experience for human and animal alike need to consider those changes. Step one is dispelling some myths about ideal pets and how to

Last month I discussed selective mimicry, a human trait that’s also displayed by domestic dogs. That naturally segued into a discussion about how pets also might learn from us using this same method. This month we’re going to look at the flip side of this: how and what young children can learn from pets and how breakdowns in communication can occur. Traditionally when people thought about children learning from dogs and cats, they thought about that knowledge children acquire by observing pet and free-roaming dogs and cats from birth to death. For example and ignoring any political incorrectness, Victorian

It’s a well-established fact that animals learn by modeling their behaviors on those of others. But as any parent knows, children don’t automatically mimic what Dad, Mom, Sis, or some other person does. Instead, even infants make use of a mental phenomenon known as selective imitation. As it turns out, so do our dogs. How do we know this? Luckily for those of us who are fascinated by animal mental processes (a.k.a. thinking for those who accept that animals are capable of thought), researchers Friederike Range and Ludwig Huber of the University of Vienna and their colleagues designed a

Perhaps in response to the weight gains in the human and companion animal populations, the numbers of reports and articles about the value of exercise seem to be piling up as fast as those excess pounds. Among these are those that passionately promote exercise as the universal anecdote for an increasing array of companion animal behavioral problems. Given what some claim is a tremendous amount of scientific evidence to the contrary, how dare I recommend that some of my clients and their pets forego those lengthy romps in the park, at least temporarily? The reasoning underlying this seemingly bogus

I teach animal behavior at a local community college and in this era of worldwide political chaos it would be easy to suffer from low course esteem. Those who teach history can proudly declare, “See? Didn’t I tell you that those who don’t study history are doomed to repeat it? Look at this example, and this one, and this one.” And what could be more important than a solid background in political science or economics to make sense of today’s seemingly nonsensical world? Still, I would argue that knowledge of animal behavior serves as a virtual rosetta stone when

It’s that time of year again in the Northern Hemisphere. The days are getting longer and even though the snow is piled high and the wind bitter cold, the calls and emails come in as cats, in particular, succumb to seasonal orders. But wait a minute! Shouldn’t those behaviors be called disorders like the seasonal changes in behavior some humans experience? Not at all. Even though we may find these season-related animal behaviors disconcerting or even incomprehensible, they’re no more abnormal than the natural tendency for those same animals to slow down and sleep more as the days get

Several weeks ago, two spider-related items arrived in my email box on the same day. One was from a friend telling me she had taken her son to see Charlotte’s Web and was surprised to discover that this childhood classic now comes with a disclaimer. The second was a link to a video clip showing the bizarre webs spiders weave when exposed to certain mind-altering drugs. (The fact that this showed up on a comedy site is equally bizarre but that, as one of my teachers used to say, is beyond the scope of this discussion.) These two events

One of the things I love about teaching animal behavior is seeing how fundamental concepts that apply to wild animals play out in the human-companion animal realm. For example, as part of my animal behavior course, students must prepare a written report and do an oral presentation on an endangered species. As I read the reports and listened to those presentations, the same reason for a species’ dire condition was cited time and time again: human encroachment and habitat destruction. With each repetition, I couldn’t help but see similarities between this and the way we relate to companion animals.

It’s that time of year again when all kinds of catalogues, ads, and announcements shout the praises of the very best holiday pet gift ever so I feel obligated to add my candidate for this award. Can you guess what that might be? I’ll give you a hint. Unlike the offerings touted by others, this very best pet gift won’t cost you a cent. On the other hand, it might very well be the most expensive gift you ever gave. Give up? Well, let’s consider some possibilities that fit those criteria. For over a third of the pets in

During the past year, several people have approached me regarding the use of pets as therapy in certain situations. Rather than eliciting the warm feelings usually associated with this topic, all of these incidents elicited negative reactions in those describing these events as well as myself. How could this be? First, I admit that, because of my role as an independent scholar seeking to integrate information about animal health, behavioral, and the human-animal bond, my perspective of many animal-related activities may differ from that of others. When others tout the benefits of animal-companionship relative to human physical and mental

It’s been obvious to me for years that using the term “leadership” to describe the ideal relationship between humans and companion animals was problematic. In my experience, people who lacked knowledge of animal behavior automatically would define the term as used in sports, politics, and corporate structure, i.e., the leader was the winner of the fight, leadership = domination. I got around this by explaining the difference to my clients and students, but using the same word to describe two almost opposite concepts was messy and confusing and I knew it. Still, I was loathe to coin a new

Like the relationship between dogs and young children, that between cats and kids has much to offer—provided the child’s parents or caregivers recognize the needs and limits of cat and child alike. Unfortunately, many times parents know little or nothing about normal feline behavior, and what little they do know comes from poorly informed media sources. Other times they may mistakenly perceive cats as little dogs. Both behaviorally and physiologically, the latter approach wouldn’t work even if the underlying canine knowledge were sound. But as we saw in the previous two commentaries, often people’s knowledge about dogs is pretty

When a dog bites a person’s face, it’s not uncommon for someone to attribute the wounds to the dog’s predatory nature. However, these bites rarely represent predatory responses. More often than not, these dogs are playing by dog- rather than human rules, thanks to the animal’s relationship with humans. And dogs playing by dog rules naturally communicate in the way they communicate with other dogs: they use their teeth. Unfortunately when they communicate this way to young children and infants, the youngsters often get bitten on the face. “Who cares why the dog bites?” you may ask. Well, I

Among the many presentations I’ve given are those to new parents regarding canine and feline behavioral-bond problems. And in spite of the fact that the best time to consider such issues is before the baby arrives, there are things that can be done after-the-fact to ensure both the animal’s and the baby’s well-being. Granted new parents often think that the new arrival leaves no time to worry about Spot or Kitty’s little quirks. However, unless something is done to address those behavioral issues, trust me, there’s a good chance they’re going to get worse. Because of this, this month

For eleven weeks I was privileged to watch one of my dogs, Frica, imparting those lessons she considered critical to the survival of her three pups. What I learned from her further increased my conviction that we need to reevaluate the way teach animals. It also taught me how little we humans actually know about the animals over who we claim stewardship. Among the many elements of this process that fascinated me was the difference between how Frica taught her pups and what is commonly viewed as canine learning theory among animal-care professionals. The body of scientific studies that

This month I want to explore two common beliefs about health that particularly complicate the resolution of behavioral-bond problems: the beliefs that animals with such problems are healthy, and, two, that these problems are like medical ones which, when treated with drugs, are cured in a relatively short time. Of all the issues that those seeking to resolve serious behavioral-bond problems must address before they can make the necessary consistent, meaningful changes, these two often create the biggest stumbling blocks. Perceiving an animal with serious behavioral-bond problems as healthy is an illusion (delusion?) more often attributed to animal-care professionals,

Did you ever read something that made such infinitely good sense that you immediately incorporated it into your personal philosophy? That’s what happened to me years ago when I was reading Norman Cousin’sCelebration of Life: A Dialogue on Immortality and Infinity. (Harper and Row, 1974). In it he notes that, when we believe that the world is flat, the further apart two people move, the greater the distance between them. But once we realize that the world is round, the further apart they move, the closer they become. So it is with ideas, too, and there are many examples

For as long as I can remember, I have been fascinated by tipping points, those points at which something superficially appears to change instantly. When I founded an organization to explore the interaction of animal health, behavior, and the human-animal relationship, there was no doubt in my mind that I would call it TippingPoint because so many natural displays conform to this principle. Rather than always plodding along like tortoises or leaping like hares, changes often reflect a combination of the two. Changes within an individual, species, or environment progress linearly and predictably up to a point, but then

Periodically I’ll attend a meeting at which someone will passionately pronounce that we should forget about wolf, wild dog, small wildcat, and any other animal studies except those regarding dogs and cats because they’re irrelevant to what our pets do. According to them, we should focus all our energy on the behaviors displayed by companion animals right here and right now. I can understand the logic behind this approach, but I can’t accept it for one perhaps selfish, but also highly practical reason. To dispense with the selfish part first, few feelings delight me more than the realization that

Several groups of researchers currently conduct experiments in which chimpanzees and children of approximately the same age are asked to perform an identical task under identical conditions to compare their responses. Some who have interpreted the data thus far suggest that, at least under these circumstances, chimpanzees may be smarter than humans. However, when I read about the experiments, several other considerations occurred to me based on my work with companion animals and experience as the grandmother of an almost 3-year-old. First, a very abbreviated description of the experiment: An object is placed in a box and the researcher

In this season of peace and good will, the animosity between those who claim to speak for the animals and those who denigrate them seems more irritating and out of synch with reality than usual. In an attempt to clear the air of what often are more struggles for human power than any concern about animals, I offer the following, updated perspective of animal rights advocated by companion animal veterinarian Jacob Antelyes. He proposed these as the standard for all veterinarians for all animals, regardless of the animal’s commercial value and the wealth and status of their owners. I

Two months ago I wrote a commentary about spaying and neutering in which I quoted study results complied by one group that were misquoted by the author of another article. The legitimate confusion this generated as well as some of the highly emotional e-mails I received about that commentary has led me to think about the role emotions play in this issue. But first, the correction. I wrote that dogs younger than a year who were spayed or castrated have about a one in four lifetime risk of developing bone cancer and are significantly more likely to develop this

When Hurricane Katrina spun through the US in September, it stripped bear two concepts of great importance relative to the survival of companion animals. The first of these deals with leadership, the ideal relationship between human and companion animal, the core of which is the foresight and ability to initiate rather than react to events. I’ve long maintained that one reason it’s so difficult for many Americans to grasp this concept relative to their pets is because such a dearth of leadership examples exists in our society. Any doubts I had about the validity of that observation vanished following

Perhaps no aspect of pet ownership in the U.S. elicits as passionately supportive emotions as the subject of spay and neuter. In fact, this orientation is so well established that saying anything that questions the procedure is akin to blasphemy. However, just as women were routinely relieved of their reproductive organs with a “La de da, you’ll never miss ’em” attitude until studies exploring the nonreproductive effects of reproductive hormones made human physicians rethink this position, so veterinarians and other animal-care professionals are making tentative moves to rethink wholesale sterilization of companion animals, too. To understand what difference this

Preparation for a recently completed series of seminars and presentations that addressed the role human emotions play in animal relationships resulted in an affirmation of a long-held suspicion: the views and approaches that gain the most attention are far more likely to be those driven by emotion than solid knowledge. Granted, this isn’t something new. As the old saying reminds us, “Some people are like foghorns: the less they can see, the more noise they make.” Unfortunately, the louder the noise, the more media attention. Further enhancing this trend, we live in a world in which the number of

When I recently gave a seminar in California, the San Francisco area was in a tizzy over proposed breed-specific legislation that would ban those breeds of dogs certain individuals or groups consider problematic. As always when such legislation is proposed, it precipitated a feeding frenzy in a media community often far more interested in sound bites than dog bites. An old truism has long maintained that animals make good media, but media-savvy politicians and others are now discovering that they can tap into that media base for their own use by using animals (and their owners), too. This, in

Two months ago, I wrote about serving as advocates for our pets which some of those who view their pets as members of the family might take as a discussion of the obvious. However, in spite of the fact that multiple surveys do conclude that 80% of us relate to our pets as members of the family and specifically as one of the kids, this isn’t necessarily a boon to the pet animal population. It probably would be if all pet owners could claim good parenting skills. However, as the popularity of television shows like “Nanny 911” and “Supernanny”

Several weeks ago, a reporter from The New York Times called me about the latest New York fad pet, the savannah cat, which is a domestic cat-wild serval cross. This led me to ponder the role novelty plays in the survival of nonhuman and human animal life. For example, those individuals who don’t recognize and properly respond to novel changes signaling the presence of predators won’t last very long. Those seeking mates will preferentially seek out those of the opposite sex who possess some quality that makes that individual stand out from the crowd. However, because pets often serve

Last month we discussed how the only way to function as a purpose-oriented rather than process-oriented owner is to willingly embrace the role of pet-advocate. Although purpose-oriented pet owners seek input from experts when problems arise with their pets, they also acknowledge that the final choice and the responsibility for implementing it lie with them and them alone. Unfortunately, however, we live in an age of experts who may communicate that they, not us, are the only thing standing between our pets and certain physical or behavioral disaster. Such views, while well-meaning, may erode owner confidence to the point

In previous commentaries we explored Nature’s purpose-oriented approach and why humans often accept a process-oriented one. In this commentary we’re going to examine the role of purpose in our personal interactions with our pets. Obviously, we should clearly define the purpose before embarking on any process. However, that’s not as easy as it sounds. Let’s consider the case of Carrie Labatti, whose new pet, Moshi, arrives with pages of instructions from the breeder regarding how to properly feed him. If Carrie is a big fan of those how-to books that compel us to blindly accept another’s processes or ads

Last month we explored how nature puts the average human’s idea of purpose-driven to shame. This month we’re going to discuss how the process-oriented approach to animal problems is so deeply entrenched, we may not even realize we could approach these some other way. To recap from last month, a purpose-driven or goal-oriented approach focuses on the result rather than how to achieve it. A process-oriented approach, on the other hand, focuses more on how the goal is achieved. Why do so many people focus on how the goal is achieved? Doesn’t everyone know that the end justifies the

Another advantage of getting older takes the form of the increasing amount of evidence to support the old adage that there is little, if anything, truly new under the sun. Certain themes keep recurring, albeit each almost invariably presented as if it were something new. Ideas come and go and come again not unlike hairstyles or fashions. Within the human behavioral realm, academia’s “goal-oriented” gives way to business’s “results-oriented”; keeping our eyes on the ball gets replaced by admonitions to keep our eyes on the prize. The most recent reincarnation now urges us to embrace a purpose-driven approach to

In the rocky river valley in which I live, December is the month of stillpoints. The calendar says winter won’t come until the 21st, but the slightest shift in temperature could bring it sooner or delay it for another day. When thick clouds shroud the valley, the old-timers sniff the air. “It smells like…” The stillpoint hits us all, then disappears when they conclude, “like snow.” On clear nights the sheer number and brightness of the stars pressing down from above empties the mind, another stillpoint. Each one of these possesses the potential to change us and our behavior,

During the past few weeks, my life has been dominated by time-related issues of one sort or another. My trusty watch no longer wants to keep accurate time; I spent a harrowing period lost in the woefully unmarked Toronto airport surrounded by clocks and schedules that used military time. I knew I had to catch a flight that left at 3:15 pm, but had trouble getting my already frazzled mind to accept how that related to the 14:35 on the clocks overhead. And then daylight savings time ended with all its usual attendant timepiece-changing rituals and confusion. Like many

Well, I lasted two months after the death of Violet the Wonderdog before I got a new pup. Although there was no doubt in my mind that there would never be another dog like Vi, I also knew that the only way to fill that little-dog-sized hole in my heart was to get another. What I didn’t expect, even though I should have given all the time I spend studying the interaction of animal behavior and the human-animal bond, was how all the emotions and projected beliefs tied up with this process could easily sabotage the new addition and