Podcasts

This podcast briefly recaps the  ethological concepts discussed in the past 6 weeks that I’ve found particularly helpful in my work with animals experiencing behavioral problems and those who live with them. Another benefit of taking an ethological view of animal problems that I didn’t mention is that, from a biological perspective, humans also rank as animals. Consequently understanding these concepts can make some otherwise seemingly incomprehensible human behavior understandable too. And as with animals, that understanding can eliminate a lot of energy-sapping negative emotions.

Ironically when I recorded and edited this podcast my immune response was engaged in battle with an upper respiratory virus that for a while seemed determined to win. In the process of taking it easy to make it as easy for my body to heal as possible, the dogs, cat, and I got an extra dose of doing-nothing-together time that ultimately benefited us all.

Even though some scholars perceive the human ability to use words as the key feature that makes us the most superior species on the planet, it seems likely that members of other species would consider this form of communication highly inefficient and prone to error.

In keeping with our focus on ethology with its central concept of energy-efficiency, the good news is that learning by modeling behavior on that of others (a.k.a. social learning) is extremely efficient. The bad news is that this form of learning is so  energy-efficient that animals may model our or other animals’ problem behaviors as well as desirable ones.

It struck me when I was editing this podcast that another unintended consequence of the all-positive movement was that it resulted in people who were unprepared to handle negative behaviors in their animals. Instead, they froze or panicked. At worst, they threw treats at the animal because that was the only thing they knew how to do. Although we often think of dogs relative to this phenomenon, sometimes cats get themselves into trouble too.

This week’s podcast discusses how using knowledge of the relationship between energy and animal and human behavior can make the analysis and resolution of problem behavior more comprehensive and efficient.

We’ve all heard that a look is worth a thousand words but a lot of other human and animal behaviors may be too. This podcast begins an overview of some the basics of ethology and the benefits of taking an ethological approach to analyzing and resolving problem animal behaviors.

This week’s podcast explores the mental process necessary to uncover the whys underlying an animal behavioral problem. Sometimes it’s a matter of recognizing all the different pieces and how they combine to create that particular result, and formulating a solution based on that. Other times it’s more of a challenge…

This week’s podcast delves into the challenges facing the messenger delivering and the recipient accepting the message that a beloved dog or cat is overweight. Compared to this, cutting back calories and increasing exercise can be a breeze!

Imagine you had a neophobic cat. In other words your cat was fearful of anything or anyone new that entered your home. And because these additions frightened the cat, he sought to neutralize their negative effect by peeing on them to signal his claim. Under those circumstances I image most of us would make the same assumption a client who had such a cat did. In her mind, the cat was always peeing everywhere. But the cat wasn’t really. It just seemed that way because she was an avid shopper as well as a highly social person. As a result, she often received deliveries

In Aesop’s fable The City Mouse and the Country Mouse the two animals discover that they lack the temperaments and skills to enjoy each other’s lifestyle  Such differences occur because normally when animals succeed in a particular physical and mental environment, they pass the genetic potential for that to their offspring and then teach them specific survival strategies as part of the parenting process. But sometimes domestic animals aren’t so lucky. Because mass spay and neuter policies target companion dogs and these animals may be transported to environments far different from those in which they were born and for which

It was a dark and stormy morning and I suspect that those who live alone, and especially women who live alone, will appreciate my dilemma. Not knowing what awaited on the other side of the door, should I open it or not? Tune in to this week’s podcast to discover what I did.

Where does your mind go when you’re taking videos of your animal? Are you in the moment or is your mind off somewhere? The few times I’ve attempted to video the resident quadrupeds, the results have been sufficiently underwhelming that I gave up. At best, they act suspicious and slink around. At worse, as act as if they’ve been pithed. Either way, it’s nothing I want recorded for posterity. If we accept that the human animal bond is a bilateral physiological and behavioral phenomenon, then it’s reasonable to assume that anything that changes our behavior is capable of changing

I’ll admit upfront that like many clinicians I play both sides of the research/experience fence. Which side I play when depends on the circumstances. Among those who are adamant supporters of one side or another, a paradox typically occurs. Those with the most or least experience with that orientation are often the strongest supporters. For example, those who have the least knowledge regarding how science works are often the most awed by it; and those who routinely work within the research realm often put much more weight on their results and conclusions than any clinical observations. And vice versa.

Do you have a favorite childhood memory of the family dog or other animals with whom you shared your early life? Even after all these years, I can recall multiple memories that fall into this category. Many qualities of these memories intrigue as a biologist. For example, although I know I had good and bad experiences with animals, memories of what I considered the good ones are much clearer and more detailed.  Yet I have no doubt someone who experienced identical events might possess vivid memories of the bad ones but only vague memories of the good ones. In

Can you imagine the public outcry if anyone were to suggest a trap, neuter, release (TNR) program for free-roaming dogs in this country? The media would have a field day. Scorn and hatred would be heaped on the poor person who raised such a possibility.Experts from areas as varied animal rights, public health, and politics (especially during an election year) would find themselves strange but united bedfellows as they sought ways to stamp out such an obscene suggestion. And yet, if the circumstances were to change in response to climate change, habitat destruction, or the increased incidence of diseases

Connectivity is a new area of ecology that considers the paths animals use to ensure their individual and species survival. Many times these  connections evolved and were refined over thousands of years. Sometimes we don’t give them a thought until some poorly conceived man-made project like this reminds us:

I personally believe that all animals think although perhaps not using the same parts of their nervous systems the same way we do. However if you’re new to observing them do this, I suggest you begin with young animals because young animals are virtual thinking machines.  Here young Ollie masters all the math and physics necessary to decide whether to make his first leap from the bed to the pillow-covered bench at the bottom of it   Meanwhile young Bamboo and the donkey foal use their noses to learn about novel features of their environments.  

Something is going on with my blog and FB causing my previous blogs to disappeared from FB. Because this blog refers to last week’s blog, entitled Depression, Healing, and Balance, I’ve included a link to it here. Here are some pictures of the Worm Hotel to go with this podcast, beginning with one of the hotel itself: It definitely looks more Skid Row than upscale. But it’s more than 10 years old, plus I have neither an outside faucet nor a sink in my basement and draw the line at thoroughly scrubbing it in outside and out in  in

Another variation on the theme of physical or mental depression in  animals discussed in this podcast is the fear-freeze response. In its most energy-efficient form, the animal goes into a trance-like state during which the animal is literally oblivious to what’s going on. Not only don’t these animals move, mentally they aren’t there. When exhausted fighting game cocks go into this state, so complete is their withdrawal that they may be presumed dead and tossed in a pile with the other dead animals, only to emerge later. Multiple species of animals, including hummingbirds, assume a state called torpor that

For those of you who would like to take a walk down memory lane or are unfamiliar with the song, “I Know An Old Lady” and want to know more about it,  here’s some background information, complete lyrics, and the much beloved version sung by Burl Ives  with animation supplied supplied thanks to the National Film Board of Canada. The more I thought about how the theme  of creating a bigger problem in an attempt to find the easiest way to solve a smaller one pops up in our relationships with animals, more came to mind. I bet you

This picture of Frica (brown) and the most submissive pup in her first litter demonstrates the inherent role of the sit command.   This was taken one the first days I took the puppies outside and allowed them to wander around the yard. Frica was confident enough in her maternal teaching and skills that she assumed the more relaxed down position to monitor the other pups’ behavior. But this more timid one planted himself next to his mother and assumed a high-alert sentinel sit position instead. It was this behavior that caused me to agree with Frica that he

Last week I meandering primarily about canine versus human perception so it seemed only natural to look at this same situation as it relates to cats and us. Unfortunately because cats are so out-of-box behaviorally I found myself meandering into a corner. Why, in this particular area, was feline perception more closely aligned to ours than to our dogs’? After pondering the subject for several days, one conclusion I came to in some ways seems the logical: how their perception evolved may have nothing to do with us at all. As my eyes automatically wander toward Bamboo doing his

In keeping with the variable rate of perception theme of this podcast, it’s a little shorter than usual. I had trouble recording it because I kept trying to mentally envision what it meant to see reality at the faster canine rate as well as take into account all the other differences in canine vision. If you don’t recall what those are, here’s a  video demonstration of an accurate representation of canine visual perception(minus the processing rate difference discussed in this podcast) compared to cats and some other animals. Why the rate difference evolved continues to puzzle me because it

Here’s how the baby phoebes looked before their eyes opened: Because I had to use the flash to get the picture, once their eyes opened that ended the picture-taking because I didn’t want to startle them. As you listen to this podcast, pretend you’re the mother bird and think about what you would have done in situation described Pay attention to how easy or difficult it was for you to make your choice. If you’re like me and you make the same choice the mother bird did, you’ll realize that it’s not an easy choice to make at all! 

When I edited this podcast I realized that I referred to dogs instead of dogs and cats in my examples. In retrospect, that might explain why the cat made it so clear that he wanted out when I was recording this.  In may admittedly lame defense,  probably didn’t mention cats because people more commonly complain about their dogs waking them up. This might  be because cat folks are embarrassed to admit that their cats displayed such behavior, but I doubt it.  In my experience, cat people often seem a lot more willing to disclose their cats’ troublesome behaviors than

Among my most favorite scientists and engineers are those who explore how animals solve certain problems as valuable sources of information regarding the solution to  similar problems in the human world. That science now looks to the animal kingdom for not only solutions, but also energy-efficient adjustments to improve existing human technology pleases me greatly. This podcast considers one such contribution by the lowly firefly. Another firefly factoid is related to the bioluminescent bacteria that give them their light which caused me to meander a bit about hatching chicks. If similar synchronization occurred in human activity, such as in

Imagine you took your dog to the veterinary clinic and the veterinarian used treatments and techniques based on studies conducted in the 1940s and 50s. Preventives and treatments now available weren’t offered to you. Most of us would quickly seek out a new veterinarian! But perhaps because our society always has placed a higher value on physical than mental health, we accept behavioral approaches based on studies conducted in that same era as gospel. Oh sure, we switched the emphasis from punishment to reward and added a few devices and drugs to the process. But other than that, it

I’m the first to admit that how open I or my animals are to recognizing  the full potential of the bond varies from day to day. Relative to capturing that connection photographically, I realized that for me at least that’s difficult for several reasons. One is because my focus on the kind of picture I want to get often interferes with such a connection. My greatest teaching moment occurred quite a while back when I was trying to put together a holiday PowerPoint presentation for my grandkids and others I thought might appreciate it. Like a typical doting grandmother,

The different ways our society views dyed-in-the-wool cat people compared to similarly devoted dog people and the way those in these two groups view each other is an on-going source of interest to me. This podcast explores a few more of the may ways these differences may affect the nature of any resultant human-animal bonds and the creation of quality human-animal relationships.

While I was working on this podcast my wood-guy, Steve, delivered four cords of wood. As usual we caught up on that we’d been doing in the last year and while we talked his old dog wandered around the yard claiming it as her own. Because she outweighs my dogs by a good 50 pounds and doesn’t like other dogs, naturally I didn’t let my dogs out to greet the visitors. But neither did I move the deacon’s bench that doubles as a perfect observation point for small dogs before the wood arrived. (See below) As expected, the result

Will all of you who can swear on a stack of religious texts or something else you value that your relationship with others—including your animals and clients or any trainer or behavioral consultant of any persuasion with whom you work—is really all positive all of the time, please raise your hand? Naturally I can’t see any of you, but I think it’s safe to say that there are darn few hands going up out in the cybersphere. The reality is that the all-positive terminology reflects a state of perfection that, while a laudable goal, may damage more than enhance some

Did you ever experience what superficially seem like a series of  unrelated events that later turned out to be related? That’s what happened to me when I was reading  Trash Animals: How we live with nature’s filthy, feral, invasive and Unwanted Species edited by Kelsi Nagy and Phillip David Johnson II , the book mentioned in this podcast. So often we view using food as evidence of an advanced form of human-animal interaction when in reality it’s probably been the primary form of exerting power over animals (including members of our own species) for thousands of years. While we

As you listen this podcast, ask yourself if you would have had the courage and the faith in your animal and yourself to do what my friend did. Or would you give in to fear and all its negative effects?

The problem-oriented approach always has played a key role in science where it typically yields a tiny glimpse of a larger picture. Think of the results of an individual study as a single piece in a more complex mosaic. Like all other living beings, we humans are hardwired to get what we want using the least amount of energy. Relative to our higher intellectual pursuits, this means we like to be right because that means we don’t need to change anything. Another nice thing about focusing on the results of individual studies instead of taking a broader view is

In last month’s commentary I wrote about the common belief that post-natal care fulfilled only physical needs, primarily those for food and warmth. Shortly after I uploaded that podcast I saw this news clip about a neonatal puppy who was rescued who wasn’t.

Another thought struck me when I was editing this is whether the same phenomenon described in this podcast makes it so much easier at this time of year for some people to assume that young of multiple wild and domestic species need human care.

What can I say? I’m one of those people who consider bees fascinating creatures. Because of this, I took it very personally when multiple factors, some of which were of human origin, resulted in the disappearance of the honey bees from my gardens. But when I read about the research conducted by Aurore Avargues-Weber and Martin Giunfar, the subject of this week’s podcast, I felt much better.

This podcast describes a study, the results of which may strike some of you as so obvious that you wonder why it needed to be done, and hit others (like me) who will be surprised. But regardless what you may think about dogs possessing this particular recognition skill, it seems to me that who or what dogs can recognize in what form depends on what they learn from those around them, just like kids. I suspect that both of my dogs would flunk this particular test because dog breed names usually don’t occur in my conversation with them. It’s

No one needs to worry about me expanding my treatment protocol to include tango lessons. However, I don’t rule out its benefit for those who are intrigued by the dance or any dance requiring the partners to learn to read each other’s body language and appreciate each other’s perspective who can find an instructor as capable as my client’s. But for those who lack patience for this, there’s nothing quite like working with a horse, cow, or other animal big enough to kill you to learn appreciate human-animal interactions from the animal’s perspective. Such creatures have made instant believers

The brief interludes of humming and chirping soundtrack you’ll hear with this podcast  are the constant sound of of the river in the valley below the house and the seasonal brook flowing across the back yard, all punctuated by birdsong. And below are pictures of the intrepid mini-crocuses. The pale lavender ones were the first to show themselves beneath the snow in their usual location. But the yellow ones came as a complete surprise as few days later. Had I not slipped when I jumped off the stone wall near the woodpile, landed on my behind in a mound

For supporters of the Yellow Dog Program who think that someone ought to tie a yellow ribbon around my neck to warn other people to stay away from me, alas that could backfire for the same reason it could backfire in dogs. That said, I’m the first to admit that my take on this easily could be biased by my work. I’m not a big fan of the Rub-Their-Noses-In-It approach to training that advocates putting dogs in situations that cause them behavioral pain to teach them to accept it for our own convenience. As a veterinarian, I’m also not

When I was editing this podcast, I realized it also includes one disservice and a behavioral phenomenon of interest (I hope) that may occur in domestic animals which I failed to mention when I recorded it. The disservice was to my dogs for focusing primarily on the cat’s ancient repertoire when their own “divide and confuse” strategy is pretty ancient too. The behavioral phenomenon I failed to point out is how the dogs’ strategy—moving to opposite sides of the perceived threat—was a display that also occurred in the cat’s behavioral repertoire. In wild canine and feline species living in

Surely every culture has a saying comparable to “Do as I say, not as I do.” And most likely such sayings persist over generations because the desire to tell others what to do while we do as we please remains a common human short-coming. But while we may worry most about our peers or, gasp!, superiors pointing out this inconsistency and thus may be more mindful about displaying such behavior in their presence, somehow we convince ourselves we can fool kids and animals. And sometimes we may succeed. But other times when we think we’re fooling them, they wind

In retrospect I think my parents had a built-in system that prevented them or I thinking that my various talents conferred maturity: siblings. Whatever sense of entitlement my sibs didn’t (sometimes literally) beat out of me, spending 4 years in vet school with others who were as if not more “special” than I took a good chunk out of the remainder. Toss in finding myself looking at the testicles of a thoroughbred stallion rearing in the confined space between me and the locked stall door… Well, let’s just say that in that moment my grades and musical talent meant

Moving on with our overview of crippling parental strategies imposed on kids that may create problems for our animals, this podcast looks at guilt. I’ve never decided to my satisfaction whether owner guilt is the result of its position as the driving force in the marketing of many pet-related products and services or the opposite. That is, is guilt such an obvious motivator in so many human-companion animal relationships that clever marketing types immediately recognized how capitalizing on this emotion could induce us to spend more money on our pets? Whatever the answer, there’s no denying what a potent

Have you ever found yourself in a situation in which you performed a task that required a minimal amount of physical or mental ability and someone went on and on about how fabulous you were for doing this? Did you bask in their praise and wish it would never end? Or did you accept the first 30 seconds or so, but after that find it uncomfortable and then flat out annoying? Observations of animals indicate that they may experience similar responses.

Continuing with our exploration of the parenting approaches that trouble Dr. Tim Elmore*  as these same strategies also may undermine the ability of companion animal to succeed, this week we look at the downside of being too anxious to rescue. In some ways, the desire to rescue flows naturally from the desire to coddle rather than permit those we perceive as lesser to take risks. We tell ourselves we’re motivated by love. But is that always the case? * The author of Artificial Maturity: Helping Kids Meet the Challenge of Becoming Authentic Adults

Although I don’t usually talk much about how parental strategies affect humans, I will in the next few podcasts because some of these can and will affect how we will relate to animals when we grow up.This opening podcast explores the need to strike the right balance between safety and risk-taking in ourselves and our animals. Click here to read the blog about Dr. Tim Elmore’s work regarding kids that triggered the thoughts that precipitated these meanderings. An ad will come up when you open the Forbes site, but be patient. The article will eventually appear.

In some ways this podcast this podcast builds on the previous one in that both look at factors that may influence the way scientific data is presented to the public. To see an example of this as it relates to animals given as gifts and the recipients, first click here to see how the results of a study are presented to the public by an organization that seemingly wants to encourage this practice. Then download the study  and read it here.

Unless I was a Nobel Prize winner who could summon funding for my research with minimal to no interference from the funders, I wouldn’t like to be a researcher at this time. Although many scientists still claim to be objective (at least publicly), funders can and do directly or indirectly influence researchers. That’s simply human nature. Even so, as the numbers of costly tests associated with diseases that have some genetic component in purebred dogs continues to grow (and seriously, is there any disease that doesn’t if we really think about it?), it seems like we need to get

This podcast uses Lyme disease as an example of how incredibly complex natural cycles can be. And, more troubling, how seemingly unrelated point-in-time choices we make about wild animals may, literally, come back to bite us years later.

Are you one of those people who automatically rants and rages about the unfairness of it all when you develop a cold, succumb to the flu, or get laid low by a hot intestinal virus? I admit that when it happens to me, it takes a lot of self-control not to succumb to such feelings. But I’m a lot better than I used to be because I realize how such negative emotions may undermine the immune response. And I’m also now at the age where I can’t afford to ignore any help Nature builds into the system. This podcast

Continuing our series of 4-letter words that may affect the human-companion animal bond, this week we consider some of the profane effects of love.

Unlike our first 4-letter word, hope, to which we readily may assign a positive emotional value whether it deserves it or not, most people agree that the less fear we and our animals experience, the better. This isn’t to say that fear has no redeeming value. At its best it can prevent us and our animals from doing things that might cause us harm. But at its worst, oh my.

If you look up hope in Wikipedia, you’ll discover that it’s a  word that those in multiple disciplines strive to define to their own satisfaction. When it comes to our interactions with our animals, hope sometimes  plays a pivotal role in our interactions. The question is: Is this always a good thing? Or can hope sometimes get in the way?

When most people think of New Year’s traditions, making resolutions to improve our lives typically comes to mind. If you’re like me, you even may envision those resolution as written in stone to help guarantee their fulfillment. But many years ago some friends introduced me to another kind of New Year’s list, one that I delight in watching go up in smoke.

What comes into your mind when you think of extra-sensory perception? Does your definition have enough flexibility as it relates to human-animal communication? In this podcast we explore how such extra-sensory communication flows naturally once we become aware of the role sequential thinking plays in our interactions with animals. And what a wonderful gift it is!

Henry David Thoreau wrote that “Time is but the stream I go a-fishing in.” The same holds true of all animal behaviors, whether in response to those of their own species or members of a different one. At that same time, though, sometimes our teaching methods cause us to forget that this flow…

The next three podcasts deal with something that we can’t see, hear, smell, taste, or feel that affects all of us: time.

Even though some consider the ability to communicate verbally as evidence of our species superiority, sometimes our words don’t communicate all that well. Like members of multiple species, we may have our own languages or dialects that others can’t understand…

After I finished editing this podcast, I started thinking about how active the process of breaking down and establishing new neuronal circuits must be when replacing old established behaviors and ideas with new ones. How does this affect human and animal dreams, I wondered.

I Imagine that most people who enjoy their work recognize some aspect of it that particularly enchants them. Although what we consider positive manifestations of this can make our day, we also notice and value negative ones because of what they teach us. For me, an awareness of tipping points fills that definition. I find them amazing, magical even. They add a dimension to my work and life that makes even the the worst event awesome in its own way. And it probably comes as no surprise that my favorite ones involve animal behavior.

f you had any doubts this podcast will convince you that, when it comes to my work, I like to know the lay of the land. Among the benefits I gain from this that I share with other members of the animal kingdom, I particularly value the role a perceived physically and mentally stable environment plays in quality teaching and learning.

This is one of those podcasts that might cause those with minimal interest in animal behavior to think that I need to get a life. Be that as it may, how animals of the same species, including humans, adapt old behaviors for new uses and then condense them into rituals to form a kind of behavioral shorthand intrigues me. Observing this kind of transformation between members of different species over a period of time… Well, that strikes me as living a life more than needing one. 🙂 Here’s a recent picture of my favorite feline playmate. This podcast also

The news report mentioned in this podcast served as the primary source of inspiration. But in that strange way life works, another seemingly unrelated event also played a role. For the first time in ages, I gave up on a book I was reading because it became apparent within the first 25 pages that the main characters had learned nothing from what they experienced in the first book and the interval that supposedly passed between when it ended and the second in the series began. Because I found that more irritating than entertaining, I deleted the entire series from

Years ago I attended one of those compulsory academic social events in which a lot of people from different disciplines congregated. I can’t remember the exact reason the subject of alcohol abuse came up, although it’s possible that the long line at the cash bar played a role. During the discussion one member of the group, declared that the problem never would be resolved in his home state. Like others in the group I expressed interest in what about the population in that particular state may him so pessimistic. “Oh, it’s not that we have more people with these

This is one of those podcasts that may cause some of you to say or think, “Yes, but in ________ (insert name of one of my books) you listed _______.” which is very true. This is why I generally tell people to look to the commentaries and podcasts for more current information. Not only do I know more than I did when I wrote those lists in my books—a process that begins the day after I finish a book—the humans and companion animals with whom I work have changed too. This creates another problem for me relative to the

This podcast is about one of the most extraordinary dogs I’ve met in my career. Even though he’s from a population with a  breed name , I don’t and won’t mention which one except to say that, at least for now it’s a population bred for function, specifically to be farm dogs. And because as we know from the Russian fox experiments, behavior changes physiology and that all farms and the canine functions needed on function well on those farms aren’t identical, these dogs naturally look different. To create a cookie-cutter standard that ensures they all look and to

If a constellation called Companion Animal Labeling Major existed, it would have been right over my house when I recorded this. Granted my interest in the effect the terminology we use to describe companion animals goes all the way back to when I read pediatric neurologist Mel Levine’s groundbreaking book A Mind at a Time. In addition to pointing out how standard teaching methods weren’t kid-brain-friendly because they didn’t take into account how kids evolved to learn, he also pointed out the downward spiral set into place by labeling a child as “learning disabled” or otherwise a “problem”. This

After I recorded and edited this, I seriously considered deleting it because  I knew that, in spite of my best efforts to avoid it, some people would choose to misinterpret my words. For the record, I do not consider all resource-guarding or all displaced or redirected aggression normal. As always, it depends on the circumstances, and that requires an awareness of what’s going on relative to any dogs and humans involved. In that context and like all other behaviors, sometimes these behaviors are normal and sometimes they’re pathological. The trick is to avoid taking a one-size-fits-all approach simply because

This week a chance encounter with two young male deer who dropped by to sample the buffet of apples and hosta on either side of my driveway caused my thoughts to meander about what enabled them to do that. To set the scene, here’s the old apple tree in front of my house. While it looks like its left side is smoldering, that’s the smoke coming from the chimney that 40-degree morning. The apple part of the buffet is to the left of the driveway although sometimes the deer (and other critters) carry the apples to the lawn to

Below are actual photos taken by the resident forensic specialist who just happened to be on the scene before the alarm was given and the evidence destroyed.  

Those who have seen me  know that on a 1-10 voluptuous scale, I rank about a 2 at most. Years ago I worked with a woman whose figure would have made Renoir weep for joy and we used to compare notes about our experiences with clothing labeled, “One size fits all”. Although many people found such garments fit them perfectly, they typically fit me with all the style of a cadaver bag and her like a sausage casing. If we wanted something to fit perfectly, we either had to ferret out those few brands whose sizes did fit us,

The soft rushing sound in the background of the segment that opens and closes this podcast is the sound of the river. In spite of the cause of it—i.e., an abnormal amount of rain this spring and summer—I still love that sound. It’s the fact that I can hear it from my bedroom along with the wildlife and the wind in the white pines above my house that’s kept me from putting in the air conditioner so far this summer.

Here’s a picture of the subject of this podcast hiding out following another favorite game of his, Bash the Poppies. (See results in the lower right of the picture.)  I tried to get a picture of him engaging in an extension of the Cleopatra Game called Rowing Down the Nile, during which he propels himself from one end of his rug roll to the other. So far His Royal Catness has limited this part of the game to the rug in my office. Smart cat…

This podcast was triggered by multiple reports of some recent research that proved dogs could remember events that occurred in the past. Admittedly this came as no surprise to anyone who ever lived with a dog. Nonetheless, the idea that dogs lived in the moment has permeated psychology for decades. And the belief spilled over into the forms of training that originated within psychology. Simultaneously—and I admit what intrigued me even more—was that while some researchers use this phrase to signal the limited mental capacity of canines, countless humans seek to achieve this same state because of all the

As mentioned in the last blog, you can click here to learn about Your Brain on Nature by Eva M. Selhub MD and Alan C. Logan ND, the book that’s triggered a lot of my current thoughts about nature and those who dwell in it as it affects human health and behavior. On the one hand I rejoice that all the benefits of nature are finally gaining the attention they deserve and even scientifically proven for those who require such proof. On the other, it bothers me that the animate beings that comprise nature almost inevitably will be reduced

Although many species of animals engage in ritualistic behaviors, we humans seem to be especially good at it. As long as we impose these  on other humans who speak the same language and share the same culture, they pose few problems. But when we impose those rituals on those for whom these make no sense, then we create problems for those others as well as ourselves. This podcast explores the evolution of a natural command that benefited humans and their dogs into a more ritualistic one that emphasizes control. The difference in the human-canine relationship signaled by this change

Even though I recorded this podcast several days after the last one, my peonies were still in bloom. However, I was unaware until I edited this one what a persistent and powerful memory trigger the scent of those flowers are for me.

Another benefit of working and hanging out with animals is that they quickly make it apparent that they don’t live in the same perceptual world we do, and that if we ignore that fact our relationship with them isn’t going to be nearly as good as it could be. But while the particular form of perception to which another animal species may assign a greater value may differ from ours, how we and animals process sensory data does share some basic similarities. This fascinating animal study on olfaction caused me to ponder how some ways we humans process visual

The first time my naïve little brain encountered the notion of canned hunts occurred years ago when a friend in law enforcement sent me a video of a sting operation involving such an establishment. Much as I strived to perceive the issue from all sides, there was no way my mind could connect sportsmanship with hunting animals confined to small, often unnatural habitats and even cages in some instances. I still can’t make that link but this article raises another facet of this mindset that reared its ugly head when the Atlantic strain of rabies arrived in New England:

This batch of meandering explores the relationship between exercise and canine behavior, specifically the myth that more exercise equals better behavior. Originally I intended a more inclusive discussion about this effect in multiple species of companion animals, but quickly realized such a podcast would last days. Instead I offer this abbreviated version that I hope will inspire you pay attention to other forms of animal exercise in a variety of species that may sacrifice quality for quantity. For example, in spite of the numerous trails in my area, I routinely see people riding horses on narrow winding roads where

After I recorded this podcast, I game across the article that triggered these meanderings in my deleted file. Among other things the news item demonstrates one way to recognize how much a person knows about normal canine and feline behavior. Those  who know little to nothing typically assume that cats are essentially the same as little dogs. In their minds, if something works for dogs, it will work for cats too. That certainly would simplify matters. But alas, it just isn’t true.

One critical difference between the human and canine highs described in the article that triggered this podcast and the zoomies IMHO is that, under the right circumstances, the zoomies are a celebration. Under those conditions I suspect that the neurotransmitters produced may differ from those produced when a dog is running on a treadmill. I might be completely wrong about this, but I have difficulty accepting that, except possibly for an animal used to living in a small stimulus-deprived space, that running on a treadmill could be comparable to zooming outdoors. Of all the images of zooming animals one

A discussion of all the different factors that may come into play when a cat doesn’t use the litter box would fill a hefty tome. And like any information related to human and animal behavior, it would require constant updating as new behaviors evolved as conditions and cats change. The only constant will be as always: the animal’s desire to achieve physiological and behavioral stability in the most energy-efficient way possible. While this podcast discusses one feline coping strategy used by territorial housebound cats, it made me wonder what kind of behaviors similarly confined dogs trained to used pee

Did you ever think about all the different emotional charges the concept of home base may elicit? For me these all tend to be positive, probably because I’m one of those people who possesses a strong sense of place. Even though I readily appreciate and enjoy all kinds of different environments, there’s something about this little house on the hill that says “home” like none other. As a child, I remember my parents functioning that same way for me. Home was where they were. As long as they were there, I’d be safe. Sure, there were times when I

Did you ever encounter something while working on a project that caused your mind to make a leap, the results of which made you laugh out loud? That’s what happened to me when I reached the part of this podcast where I ask how you would feel if I referred to you as an “it”. Suddenly the mental image of the Anthropomorphic Police in their storm trooper uniforms materializing in my office and vaporizing me (and possibly the dogs and the cat) filled my mind. 🙂 Even so,  I can guarantee you that if you were born in the

When we’re younger, it’s easy to believe that what we do to pet dogs and cats animals represents what we’ve done for ages because it reflects the most logical way to do them. But is this necessarily true?

How easily could you ask your veterinarian about your dog or cat’s sexual behavior or some concern about your pet’s penis, vulva, or vagina? How easily could your veterinarian discuss such subjects with you?