Duncan's holiday caroling....Happy, Merry, Joy, Joy and 10,000 Blessings on your head!
YouTube - Jingle Howl
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Friday, December 18, 2009
2009 Five Best and Worst States for Animal Abuse
Come on Georgia! Let's get out of the middle and lead the way eh?
2009 Five Best and Worst States for Animal Abuse
2009 Five Best and Worst States for Animal Abuse
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Friday, December 11, 2009
The secret to a dog's sniffer
Interesting that so little research has been done eh?
http://sciencenow.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/2009/1209/3
http://sciencenow.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/2009/1209/3
The Secret of a Dog's Sniffer -- Morell 2009 (1209): 3 -- ScienceNOW
Interesting to learn how little research has been done in this area...
The Secret of a Dog's Sniffer -- Morell 2009 (1209): 3 -- ScienceNOW
The Secret of a Dog's Sniffer -- Morell 2009 (1209): 3 -- ScienceNOW
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Why I'm ashamed to be a vet: a shocking expose of the profession that puts pets through 'painful and unnecessary treatments to fleece their trusting owners' | Mail Online
Monday, December 7, 2009
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Dogs Show A Fetching Communication Savvy - Science News
So there Michael! Science proves dogs can understand abstract concepts!
Dogs Show A Fetching Communication Savvy - Science News
Dogs Show A Fetching Communication Savvy - Science News
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Petfinder: Dog Parks and Good Play vs. Bad Play : Video : Petfinder
Though I'm not a big fan of dog parks, this is an excellent video on appropriate dog park behavior and tips!
Petfinder: Dog Parks and Good Play vs. Bad Play : Video : Petfinder
Petfinder: Dog Parks and Good Play vs. Bad Play : Video : Petfinder
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Dog training and child rearing
So, the NY Times published yet another story idolizing Cesar Milan; big deal, it's not the first and most likely won't be the last time, right? On this occassion, it's about applying dog training techniques to raising children. Well, there's nothing new about that either. I've been saying it for years and I'm not the first or the only! But because the training techniques being applied are so off base, I just had to speak up.
Many training techniques work across species. Certainly by focusing on the positive and setting the student up for success, lessons will be enjoyed and learned more easily. And certainly we should interrupt and redirect inappropriate behavior and boundaries should be communicated clearly and consistently...works across species, doesn't have to be a dog. In my experience, it's particularly effective on husbands. Rewarding good choices and communicating clearly are important skills to develop and model whether for kids, employees or for dogs.
But when you apply training techniques that are based on myth and cult celebrity status, just what are you trying to teach your children or anyone else for that matter? My mother used his dictator methods, as have many parents over the years. Milan appears calm and collected while abusing, choking, flooding and terrorizing dogs and that's hailed as a "Whisperer". So during those times when being beaten by a stone cold lunatic of a mother, I was really being whispered to eh? As long as you don't let anyone see you loose your cool, as long as you appear calm and assertive, you can do all kinds of atrocities and be lauded as the Alpha in your pack. Have we lost our ever loving minds?
Focusing on helping people who are willing to think and who want relationships rather than dictatorships makes me feel good. Thinking about Dictator Milan makes me feel bad...bad for the dogs, bad for their people and bad for the society who would mindlessly embrace such methods. I'm going back to feeling good now so let's leave these crazy Alphaeytes where they belong...in the past! I feel better now! I feel better than James Brown!
Many training techniques work across species. Certainly by focusing on the positive and setting the student up for success, lessons will be enjoyed and learned more easily. And certainly we should interrupt and redirect inappropriate behavior and boundaries should be communicated clearly and consistently...works across species, doesn't have to be a dog. In my experience, it's particularly effective on husbands. Rewarding good choices and communicating clearly are important skills to develop and model whether for kids, employees or for dogs.
But when you apply training techniques that are based on myth and cult celebrity status, just what are you trying to teach your children or anyone else for that matter? My mother used his dictator methods, as have many parents over the years. Milan appears calm and collected while abusing, choking, flooding and terrorizing dogs and that's hailed as a "Whisperer". So during those times when being beaten by a stone cold lunatic of a mother, I was really being whispered to eh? As long as you don't let anyone see you loose your cool, as long as you appear calm and assertive, you can do all kinds of atrocities and be lauded as the Alpha in your pack. Have we lost our ever loving minds?
Focusing on helping people who are willing to think and who want relationships rather than dictatorships makes me feel good. Thinking about Dictator Milan makes me feel bad...bad for the dogs, bad for their people and bad for the society who would mindlessly embrace such methods. I'm going back to feeling good now so let's leave these crazy Alphaeytes where they belong...in the past! I feel better now! I feel better than James Brown!
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Monday, November 16, 2009
mental_floss Blog » The Late Movies: Dogs Welcoming Home Soldiers
The Beagles really take the cake, but the golden mix who jumped in the car seemed to be saying "If you leave again, I'm going with!" Very touching...
mental_floss Blog » The Late Movies: Dogs Welcoming Home Soldiers
mental_floss Blog » The Late Movies: Dogs Welcoming Home Soldiers
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Critics Challenge 'Dog Whisperer' Methods | LiveScience
Turns out they don't bite the hand that feeds them!
Critics Challenge 'Dog Whisperer' Methods | LiveScience
Critics Challenge 'Dog Whisperer' Methods | LiveScience
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Friday, November 6, 2009
So Touching!
A Soldiers Dogs greeting him after returning from 14 months in Iraq, pre arranged
LiveLeak.com - My Dogs greeting me after returning from 14 months in Iraq, pre arranged
LiveLeak.com - My Dogs greeting me after returning from 14 months in Iraq, pre arranged
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Monday, November 2, 2009
Good Dog, Smart Dog - NYTimes.com
The studies are proving it...dogs are smarter than we've been giving them credit for. Duh!
Good Dog, Smart Dog - NYTimes.com
Good Dog, Smart Dog - NYTimes.com
No Pain, No Gain: Mastering A Skill Makes Us Stressed In The Moment, Happy Long Term
An interesting study. I wonder how this translates across species?
No Pain, No Gain: Mastering A Skill Makes Us Stressed In The Moment, Happy Long Term
No Pain, No Gain: Mastering A Skill Makes Us Stressed In The Moment, Happy Long Term
Friday, October 30, 2009
WI looking for wolf watchers : News : WLUC TV6
I almost wish I was in Wisconsin this winter...almost....
WI looking for wolf watchers : News : WLUC TV6
WI looking for wolf watchers : News : WLUC TV6
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Tapping for the Rainforests
A dear friend has started this surrogate tapping for healing and it's pretty amazing, so please share....
Tapping for the Rainforests
Tapping for the Rainforests
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Vitamin D might lessen your flu risk - Health, Frontpage - Independent.ie
I'm opposed to over vaccinating people as well as dogs!
Vitamin D might lessen your flu risk - Health, Frontpage - Independent.ie
Vitamin D might lessen your flu risk - Health, Frontpage - Independent.ie
Monday, October 26, 2009
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
High Court Showdown: Dogs, Guns and Sexual Predators
Dog fighting videos should NOT be allowed as "Freedom of Speech". So here at Beastie Darlings we're focusing on the Supreme Court putting an end to this atrocity!
PostPartisan - High Court Showdown: Dogs, Guns and Sexual Predators
Shared via AddThis
PostPartisan - High Court Showdown: Dogs, Guns and Sexual Predators
Shared via AddThis
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Friday, October 2, 2009
Holistic Canine Healthcare Series
I took this series and found it extremely informative….BD
Catherine O'Driscoll
Holistic Canine Healthcare series
How Cognitive Dissonance and Didactic Eclecticism Influence You and Your Dogs
This lecture series is not for everyone, because it requires that you think for yourself, and it’s difficult for most people to think for themselves. Few have reached a level in their own personal development where they’ve stepped out of tribal belief – the illusions of the masses – and into personal power.
Group energy – tribal belief – moves slowly. If you’re still adhering to group thoughts and beliefs, then you’re wearing leaded boots and you’ll be years behind in your thinking. Have no doubt: staying within tribal thought patterns can seriously affect your health and your dog’s health. You’ll be waiting for the people who do your thinking for you to evolve before you can evolve in their shadows.
But there is a benefit to being a follower: at least this way you can avoid the feelings of discomfort that come with personal responsibility.
Courage is required for you to sign up to these lectures and put yourself in a place where you might hear something that makes you rethink your world view. Having your belief system turned upside down isn’t necessarily comfortable. Most people would rather not think at all than experience discomfort.
‘Cognitive dissonance’ is a psychological term used to explain the feelings of uncomfortable tension which come from holding two conflicting thoughts in the mind at the same time. This feeling of discomfort increases with:
• The importance of the subject to us
• How strongly the dissonant thoughts conflict with one-another
• Our inability to rationalise and explain away the conflict
Cognitive dissonance is strongest when we believe something about ourselves and then do something against that belief. For example, you may say that you love your dog, but you’ve heard people say that you’re doing something that harms him, whereas other people tell you that this allegedly harmful practice is good for him. Who do you believe? This conflict is so uncomfortable that, if you’re not willing to face the issues, you’ll:
• Deny or ignore : 'I didn't hear anyone tell me that annual vaccination was unnecessary,' or ‘she’s talking rubbish’.
• Rationalise and make excuses : 'My vet knows best.'
• Attack the messenger: ‘If I convince myself that she’s a bad person, I don’t have to listen and have my beliefs threatened’.
• Dismiss : 'I don’t need to know this.'
• Hope for the best : 'If I don’t look, then maybe everything will be alright.'
• Persuade yourself : 'I don’t need to look at the evidence because I know it all already.'
It’s much easier, isn’t it, to make snap decisions and turn away than to have to look at all of the information and make up your own mind?
Are you one of these people who’s full of opinions, but only parroting out the same ‘safe’ message given to you by people who make a fortune out of your ignorance?
There are two routes to personal growth, whatever the issue you’re working on:
1. Bear the discomfort and be open to information that can contribute to your growth, or
2. Wait for life to knock you flying, so you have no option but to grow. In other words, if you’ve already acted and the consequences cannot be undone, then after-the-fact dissonance (discomfort) will compel you to change your beliefs.
Unfortunately, your dog is relying upon you when you impose your lack of knowledge on him. He’s the one who’s going to have the vaccine reaction, or suffer diseases of malnutrition. He’s the one who’s going to be ill, or even die years before he should. Maybe only then, when your friend has suffered and you’ve been shocked and traumatised into asking why, your next dog will stand a better chance?
Are you outraged by this email? Well, then, congratulations – because at least you had the courage to read it. The next step is to enrol on the course and face the unpalatable truth - so that you can at least say you didn’t turn away from serving your dog’s best interests.
Because we understand that enrolling on this lecture series might be difficult for you, we’ve done all we can to make the rest of it easier. We have:
• Made it an on-line lecture series so you don’t need to travel or arrange for cover at home or work
• Made it extremely inexpensive, thereby circumventing any financial barrier to your personal enlightenment, or your dog’s best interests
• Included information in the lectures that will save you a great deal of money, and make your dog healthier
• Included information that will lead to your own self-empowerment
• Included information that will give you options, based upon scientific facts rather than opinion or ignorance – or because everyone else has always done it that way. (If you think something just because everyone else thinks it, then you’re not thinking.)
**And we’re also throwing down a challenge: if you enrol on this lecture series, participate in it, and finish feeling that you’ve learnt nothing of value, then we will give you your money back – without any questions.**
Please note: the veterinary profession is at this time struggling with huge cognitive dissonance. Every vet, if they’re on the planet, will have heard that annual vaccination is neither necessary nor without harm – because it’s in the veterinary literature. Yet they’re vaccinating annually anyway. Why do you think this is?
Vets have been reassured and pacified by vaccine company sales messages, vaccine company ‘education’ programmes and vaccine company sales events. A further incentive for vets to keep the status quo is a concern about the loss of booster income. In addition, they’ll have been comforted by their colleagues who also have their heads in the sand, and dissuaded by their veterinary bodies from implementing changes that might adversely impact the viability of the profession.
Most vets have also heard that processed pet food is ‘scientifically’ manufactured (which they’ve been taught is a good thing), and they’ve listened to the sales patter of visiting sales reps. Since around 20% of practice income comes from pet food sales, uncomfortable cognitive dissonance prompts vets to avoid information attesting to the benefits of natural food for their patients. Another fear is that if all of the patients are well because they’re getting the nutrients they need, where will veterinary income come from?
Vets are also taught in college that the only solutions to disease in animals revolve around steroids, antibiotics and NSAIDs, and they’re also taught to dismiss any evidence that isn’t supported by multinational-sponsored research grants. This means that natural healthcare, such as balanced nutrition and energy therapies (none of which support multinational corporations or promote repeat business for vets), threaten discomfort and must therefore be ‘dissed’ or dismissed.
Most vets are still adhering to group thought forms – the slow-moving energy that empowers their own group or tribe but disempowers themselves as individuals, and you as their clients.
Now, more than ever – for the sake of your dogs – you need to open your minds, and make your own minds up.
You may have wondered where ‘didactic eclecticism’ in the title of this email comes in. Didactic eclecticism means that you are open to information that you may not wish to hear, but which comes from more than one source. Didactic eclecticism also implies that whilst you might risk having the rug pulled out from under you – you might have your existing beliefs challenged – there is a chance that they will be replaced by new beliefs which improve the quality of your understanding, and your life.
The question is, do you love your dog enough to bear a little discomfort and commit yourself to a four-hour lecture series? Do you love yourself enough to consider a different, more empowering, world view?
And, finally, consider this: before you lash out because you feel threatened, remember our challenge: you can have your money back in full if you learn nothing in the lecture series to help your dogs.
__________________________________________________________________
Online Canine Healthcare Lecture Series
In your own home, at your own convenience, worldwide
Three content-rich lectures for only £29 (less than £10/$15 each lecture).
These lectures could seriously change your life, and the lives of your dogs.
__________________________________________________________________
Online Lectures
(http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/k9health/wwwchc/Catherine/OnlineLectures.html)
Register Now Lecture Dates
When registering/booking please always quote your reference, which is: CO/AFF/40
__________________________________________________________________
Some comments from previous attendees:
"Loved lecture 1 - looking forward to the rest (very thought provoking and inspiring). Well done to Catherine for making this so accessible to everyone wherever they are :)" Thanks, Alex (Scotland)
"Watched it in 2 parts as I had to stop and make supper. I am indeed impressed. You did a wonderful job Catherine." Wendy (Canada)
"Dear God – please let everyone who has a dog/cat hear about CHC and Catherine’s on-line lectures. Our animals so deserve this. Please show me a way to get as many people as possible to want to hear these lectures …… Just to let you know how much I enjoyed all three lectures " Barbara (England)
"Such a shame it was not shown on national television on prime time. Every dog owner should see it." Satu (England)
"Brilliant lecture". Robert and Jacqui (England)
" Just a quick note to say how much I enjoyed the online lectures and how much I learned from them due to your informal, easy to listen to manner, Catherine. I truly feel that it should be a legal requirement that every would be dog “owner” listen to and understand all the information given". Annie (Jersey)
__________________________________________________________________
Catherine O’Driscoll is a highly respected pioneer of natural canine health. She is the author of two seminal best-selling books, What Vets Don’t Tell You About Vaccines, and Shock to the System – as well as In Search of the Truth About Dogs, voted best DVD of 2008 by the Dog Writers’ Association of America.
Catherine is the founder of Canine Health Concern, which spearheads research and education by and for dog lovers to promote positive canine health. She has played an instrumental role in promoting health-enhancing food for dogs worldwide, and is a world expert in canine vaccination issues. She is a certified EFT practitioner and teacher, a healer, an animal communicator, and a regular contributor to the dog press.
In this lecture series, Catherine shares vital information about what we are doing to make our dogs ill, and how we can raise healthy dogs. If you love your dog and want the best for him or her, you may not want to miss this opportunity. It’s a chance to hear Catherine without even leaving home.
_______________________________________________________________
Holistic Canine Healthcare
(Each part available to view over a full 24 hours)
Part One: Wednesday 14th October 2009
Part Two: Wednesday 21st October 2009
Part Three: Wednesday 28th October 2009
Register Now (no obligation) for full details.
for further details click here:
Online Lectures
(http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/k9health/wwwchc/Catherine/OnlineLectures.html)
When registering/booking please always quote your reference, which is: CO/AFF/40
_______________________________________________________________
We are planning more lectures series' on different complementary healthcare topics and will email you when these are available. (To unsubscribe from these mailings please click reply and send with ‘unsubscribe’ as the subject heading – no text required).
Catherine O'Driscoll
Holistic Canine Healthcare series
How Cognitive Dissonance and Didactic Eclecticism Influence You and Your Dogs
This lecture series is not for everyone, because it requires that you think for yourself, and it’s difficult for most people to think for themselves. Few have reached a level in their own personal development where they’ve stepped out of tribal belief – the illusions of the masses – and into personal power.
Group energy – tribal belief – moves slowly. If you’re still adhering to group thoughts and beliefs, then you’re wearing leaded boots and you’ll be years behind in your thinking. Have no doubt: staying within tribal thought patterns can seriously affect your health and your dog’s health. You’ll be waiting for the people who do your thinking for you to evolve before you can evolve in their shadows.
But there is a benefit to being a follower: at least this way you can avoid the feelings of discomfort that come with personal responsibility.
Courage is required for you to sign up to these lectures and put yourself in a place where you might hear something that makes you rethink your world view. Having your belief system turned upside down isn’t necessarily comfortable. Most people would rather not think at all than experience discomfort.
‘Cognitive dissonance’ is a psychological term used to explain the feelings of uncomfortable tension which come from holding two conflicting thoughts in the mind at the same time. This feeling of discomfort increases with:
• The importance of the subject to us
• How strongly the dissonant thoughts conflict with one-another
• Our inability to rationalise and explain away the conflict
Cognitive dissonance is strongest when we believe something about ourselves and then do something against that belief. For example, you may say that you love your dog, but you’ve heard people say that you’re doing something that harms him, whereas other people tell you that this allegedly harmful practice is good for him. Who do you believe? This conflict is so uncomfortable that, if you’re not willing to face the issues, you’ll:
• Deny or ignore : 'I didn't hear anyone tell me that annual vaccination was unnecessary,' or ‘she’s talking rubbish’.
• Rationalise and make excuses : 'My vet knows best.'
• Attack the messenger: ‘If I convince myself that she’s a bad person, I don’t have to listen and have my beliefs threatened’.
• Dismiss : 'I don’t need to know this.'
• Hope for the best : 'If I don’t look, then maybe everything will be alright.'
• Persuade yourself : 'I don’t need to look at the evidence because I know it all already.'
It’s much easier, isn’t it, to make snap decisions and turn away than to have to look at all of the information and make up your own mind?
Are you one of these people who’s full of opinions, but only parroting out the same ‘safe’ message given to you by people who make a fortune out of your ignorance?
There are two routes to personal growth, whatever the issue you’re working on:
1. Bear the discomfort and be open to information that can contribute to your growth, or
2. Wait for life to knock you flying, so you have no option but to grow. In other words, if you’ve already acted and the consequences cannot be undone, then after-the-fact dissonance (discomfort) will compel you to change your beliefs.
Unfortunately, your dog is relying upon you when you impose your lack of knowledge on him. He’s the one who’s going to have the vaccine reaction, or suffer diseases of malnutrition. He’s the one who’s going to be ill, or even die years before he should. Maybe only then, when your friend has suffered and you’ve been shocked and traumatised into asking why, your next dog will stand a better chance?
Are you outraged by this email? Well, then, congratulations – because at least you had the courage to read it. The next step is to enrol on the course and face the unpalatable truth - so that you can at least say you didn’t turn away from serving your dog’s best interests.
Because we understand that enrolling on this lecture series might be difficult for you, we’ve done all we can to make the rest of it easier. We have:
• Made it an on-line lecture series so you don’t need to travel or arrange for cover at home or work
• Made it extremely inexpensive, thereby circumventing any financial barrier to your personal enlightenment, or your dog’s best interests
• Included information in the lectures that will save you a great deal of money, and make your dog healthier
• Included information that will lead to your own self-empowerment
• Included information that will give you options, based upon scientific facts rather than opinion or ignorance – or because everyone else has always done it that way. (If you think something just because everyone else thinks it, then you’re not thinking.)
**And we’re also throwing down a challenge: if you enrol on this lecture series, participate in it, and finish feeling that you’ve learnt nothing of value, then we will give you your money back – without any questions.**
Please note: the veterinary profession is at this time struggling with huge cognitive dissonance. Every vet, if they’re on the planet, will have heard that annual vaccination is neither necessary nor without harm – because it’s in the veterinary literature. Yet they’re vaccinating annually anyway. Why do you think this is?
Vets have been reassured and pacified by vaccine company sales messages, vaccine company ‘education’ programmes and vaccine company sales events. A further incentive for vets to keep the status quo is a concern about the loss of booster income. In addition, they’ll have been comforted by their colleagues who also have their heads in the sand, and dissuaded by their veterinary bodies from implementing changes that might adversely impact the viability of the profession.
Most vets have also heard that processed pet food is ‘scientifically’ manufactured (which they’ve been taught is a good thing), and they’ve listened to the sales patter of visiting sales reps. Since around 20% of practice income comes from pet food sales, uncomfortable cognitive dissonance prompts vets to avoid information attesting to the benefits of natural food for their patients. Another fear is that if all of the patients are well because they’re getting the nutrients they need, where will veterinary income come from?
Vets are also taught in college that the only solutions to disease in animals revolve around steroids, antibiotics and NSAIDs, and they’re also taught to dismiss any evidence that isn’t supported by multinational-sponsored research grants. This means that natural healthcare, such as balanced nutrition and energy therapies (none of which support multinational corporations or promote repeat business for vets), threaten discomfort and must therefore be ‘dissed’ or dismissed.
Most vets are still adhering to group thought forms – the slow-moving energy that empowers their own group or tribe but disempowers themselves as individuals, and you as their clients.
Now, more than ever – for the sake of your dogs – you need to open your minds, and make your own minds up.
You may have wondered where ‘didactic eclecticism’ in the title of this email comes in. Didactic eclecticism means that you are open to information that you may not wish to hear, but which comes from more than one source. Didactic eclecticism also implies that whilst you might risk having the rug pulled out from under you – you might have your existing beliefs challenged – there is a chance that they will be replaced by new beliefs which improve the quality of your understanding, and your life.
The question is, do you love your dog enough to bear a little discomfort and commit yourself to a four-hour lecture series? Do you love yourself enough to consider a different, more empowering, world view?
And, finally, consider this: before you lash out because you feel threatened, remember our challenge: you can have your money back in full if you learn nothing in the lecture series to help your dogs.
__________________________________________________________________
Online Canine Healthcare Lecture Series
In your own home, at your own convenience, worldwide
Three content-rich lectures for only £29 (less than £10/$15 each lecture).
These lectures could seriously change your life, and the lives of your dogs.
__________________________________________________________________
Online Lectures
(http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/k9health/wwwchc/Catherine/OnlineLectures.html)
Register Now Lecture Dates
When registering/booking please always quote your reference, which is: CO/AFF/40
__________________________________________________________________
Some comments from previous attendees:
"Loved lecture 1 - looking forward to the rest (very thought provoking and inspiring). Well done to Catherine for making this so accessible to everyone wherever they are :)" Thanks, Alex (Scotland)
"Watched it in 2 parts as I had to stop and make supper. I am indeed impressed. You did a wonderful job Catherine." Wendy (Canada)
"Dear God – please let everyone who has a dog/cat hear about CHC and Catherine’s on-line lectures. Our animals so deserve this. Please show me a way to get as many people as possible to want to hear these lectures …… Just to let you know how much I enjoyed all three lectures " Barbara (England)
"Such a shame it was not shown on national television on prime time. Every dog owner should see it." Satu (England)
"Brilliant lecture". Robert and Jacqui (England)
" Just a quick note to say how much I enjoyed the online lectures and how much I learned from them due to your informal, easy to listen to manner, Catherine. I truly feel that it should be a legal requirement that every would be dog “owner” listen to and understand all the information given". Annie (Jersey)
__________________________________________________________________
Catherine O’Driscoll is a highly respected pioneer of natural canine health. She is the author of two seminal best-selling books, What Vets Don’t Tell You About Vaccines, and Shock to the System – as well as In Search of the Truth About Dogs, voted best DVD of 2008 by the Dog Writers’ Association of America.
Catherine is the founder of Canine Health Concern, which spearheads research and education by and for dog lovers to promote positive canine health. She has played an instrumental role in promoting health-enhancing food for dogs worldwide, and is a world expert in canine vaccination issues. She is a certified EFT practitioner and teacher, a healer, an animal communicator, and a regular contributor to the dog press.
In this lecture series, Catherine shares vital information about what we are doing to make our dogs ill, and how we can raise healthy dogs. If you love your dog and want the best for him or her, you may not want to miss this opportunity. It’s a chance to hear Catherine without even leaving home.
_______________________________________________________________
Holistic Canine Healthcare
(Each part available to view over a full 24 hours)
Part One: Wednesday 14th October 2009
Part Two: Wednesday 21st October 2009
Part Three: Wednesday 28th October 2009
Register Now (no obligation) for full details.
for further details click here:
Online Lectures
(http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/k9health/wwwchc/Catherine/OnlineLectures.html)
When registering/booking please always quote your reference, which is: CO/AFF/40
_______________________________________________________________
We are planning more lectures series' on different complementary healthcare topics and will email you when these are available. (To unsubscribe from these mailings please click reply and send with ‘unsubscribe’ as the subject heading – no text required).
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Michael Vick Fails To Inspire Team With 'Great' Dogfighting Story | The Onion - America's Finest News Source
I LOVE The Onion! While this is not factual, it is real...
Michael Vick Fails To Inspire Team With 'Great' Dogfighting Story | The Onion - America's Finest News Source
Shared via AddThis
Michael Vick Fails To Inspire Team With 'Great' Dogfighting Story | The Onion - America's Finest News Source
Shared via AddThis
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
YouTube - Dr Karen Overall Acepromazine
Beware this drug. Much better to teach Easy!
YouTube - Dr Karen Overall Acepromazine
Shared via AddThis
YouTube - Dr Karen Overall Acepromazine
Shared via AddThis
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Saturday, September 26, 2009
ACE awards recognize outstanding canines
Congratulations to Benton and Margo! We are so proud of you. Great work!
ACE awards recognize outstanding canines
Shared via AddThis
ACE awards recognize outstanding canines
Shared via AddThis
Friday, September 25, 2009
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Monday, September 21, 2009
Thursday, September 17, 2009
One day
Every day life can be so challenging. It’s easy to put off working with the dogs, especially when there are no pressing problems, and day to day living is generally without incident. Yes, occasionally Duncan will decide he’s too comfortable on the bed to get up and come when he’s called, knowing full well I’m calling him to get off of my bed and lounge on his own. Yes, Mag will certainly be hesitant to come when she knows it’s raining and I want her to go outside, as she hates to get her feet wet. And yes Bella is limited in her self control behaviors, but over all it’s doable and livable when life’s other demands get in my face and insist on taking priority. I understand all too well how life happens. Still, my patience wears thin today, with those who hire me to help them and help their dogs, yet do nothing between sessions.
Don’t get me wrong, I am grateful for those small percentages of people who offer one excuse after the other for not doing their assignments; the ones who concentrate on what’s wrong. They make the other clients who do some work, even if limited, seem even better! When I listen to them complain yet again about some infraction from the dog or some "issue that the dog has", I go to my happy place and imagine the small successes of those who take baby steps along the path to accomplishment. So I concentrate on the clients who try, however little, those who ask questions, fumble with concepts and trip over leashes, but laugh as we play a less challenging training game until their skills and confidence grow. I hold that laughter and those memories of success dear, as the Excusers recount another justification for believing their dog is stupid, or wrong or bad, tiresome, wicked, possessed or hopeless.
It does matter what you dwell on and it does make a difference to your animal that you believe in them! One day I’ll be able to help those Excusers change their minds, take action and see results. One day I’ll learn enough about how to motivate and communicate and that day I won’t have any percentage of clients offering excuses for why they aren’t ready to move forward. Until that day, I’ll focus on that equally small percentage of people who soak it up like a sponge and take to like a drowning man to a life raft. Those rare people are inspirational and so are their results. I don’t find them often, but regularly, and those people are amazing! They take the information and run with it. If one method doesn’t work for them, they’re ready, willing and able to give the next thing their all. Their enthusiasm is contagious. Their mind set is motivating. And their devotion to their animal is boundless! They make me want to be better. They make me want to be like them. So I’ll concentrate on them, remember them and look forward to meeting them, so that their energy can rub off on me and on the Excusers, who need it most.
Front page news - newsjournalonline.com
Another story of loyalty, but be careful, it's sad...
Front page news - newsjournalonline.com
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Front page news - newsjournalonline.com
Shared via AddThis
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Health of Pedigree Dogs
Anyone considering a purebred dog must have this information
YouTube - Health of Pedigree Dogs
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YouTube - Health of Pedigree Dogs
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Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Sunday, September 13, 2009
It's been a lazy, easy morning and the girls are enjoying a nap after breakfast, ball chasing and general silliness. I think it was the silliness that wore them out! So Moran is sleeping on the bed by the door and Maddie is sacked out behind my desk. I'm just answering emails, getting the schedule for next week settled and thinking about getting dressed for the day. Did I mention it's been a lazy morning?
Friday, September 11, 2009
Maddie and Morgan are staying for a few days and are such a pleasure, they make my heart sing! Here they are on the bed, just as I'm coming in to cuddle while I do some reading. I keep the trundle bed pulled out, so they can get up and down without too much jumping, but it means I have some crawling to do when I come and go.On our walk yesterday morning, we crossed paths with a lady and her two out of control Cocker Spaniels. I saw her coming, so I let the girls know what to expect and that they needed to be Easy. So as the Cockers were approaching, they behaved as expected; lunging, barking, growling, gasping for air...all the typical adrenalized behavior, as they pulled their person down the road. Maddie and Morgan on the other hand, just looked at the Cockers and kept on truckin, minding their own business and controlling themselves perfectly. As the lady and the Cockers were going past, she yelled, "Your dogs are sooo well behaved!" I just smiled and said thank you, but of course my chest puffed out with pride and the girls got big praise, party and treats for doing such good work!
They've been so excellent for their whole stay, that every day I send a big fat blessing to their moms for keeping them on track. They both wait at the door, the gate and the stairs until released; they both walk beautifully on leash and pass dogs, people and obstacles with very little coaching. Since they're new to the neighborhood, all the indoor or behind the fence dogs raise a ruckus when we pass by, but the girls just look at me, get their praise and keep walking. They both do a great job on checking in while we're walking along as well, which I totally love and recognize each time.
Morgan was limping after our first walk...2 miles was too much, so we cut it short and I made an appointment with the chiropractor, but the next day, she was fine, so I took Magique instead.
As I finish up on the computer, M&M are resting at my feet and after I run a couple of errands, we'll get back to cuddling while I finish up a good book. Hope their mom's are having a great time in Panama, cause the girls are enjoying themselves here.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
YouTube - One Great Snark!
YouTube - One Great Snark!
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Here's some excellent body language and on leash greeting video!
Shared via AddThis
Here's some excellent body language and on leash greeting video!
Friday, September 4, 2009
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
BlogTalkRadio Share Show Widget
Join us at 8pm on 9/9/09 to hear Don Hamilton DVM. Call-in Number: (347) 677-1824
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Documentary - BBC - Pedigree Dogs Exposed Video by bordercollie19 - MySpace Video
This is difficult to watch, but a MUST SEE if you're thinking about purchasing a pure breed dog.
Documentary - BBC - Pedigree Dogs Exposed Video by bordercollie19 - MySpace Video
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Documentary - BBC - Pedigree Dogs Exposed Video by bordercollie19 - MySpace Video
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Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Tootsie went home
I found myself tearing up when I dropped off Tootsie at her home earlier today. She's such a sweet girl, I'll miss seeing her beautiful face looking up at me...ah but at least I'll see her a few more times as I get to work with her people to catch them up with her!
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Shake, Focus and Rollover
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhQ_BZyfjzQ&feature=email
This is an odd way to get it here, but I've tried uploading this video many times, without success, so click on the link above to watch.
This is Tootsie, learning Eye Contact, Extended Eye Contact, Shake and Rollover
This is an odd way to get it here, but I've tried uploading this video many times, without success, so click on the link above to watch.
This is Tootsie, learning Eye Contact, Extended Eye Contact, Shake and Rollover
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
The Soul less Michael Vick
This article was is so well written I had to share. The information about how Vick and his henchmen enjoyed themselves as they tortured to death the dogs in their care only confirms that this man can have no soul, for what human could enjoy inflicting this type of torture?
http://cynography.blogspot.com/2009/08/no-second-chance.html
http://cynography.blogspot.com/2009/08/no-second-chance.html
Monday, August 17, 2009
More of Tootsie
So we're taking a break and I pull out the Flip Camera, which I've never used and I start to video the potty break in the yard. Then I have the chance to practice the "Call to Come" and Tootsie decides she's not interested! My timing was off because I was concerned about the footage, but basically I left her when she decided not to come. I went inside and had a party...yippee, yahoo, excellent, etc, for 30 seconds on the other side of the door. She was waiting when I opened the door and I asked for "Here" again...which she did right away. The last part is one more opportunity to come from a distance and you can see what a difference that party made eh?
Second chance?
http://www.examiner.com/x-1779-LA-Pet-Rescue-Examiner~y2009m8d17-Vick-continues-to-dodge-responsibility-for-killing-dogs-in-60-Minutes-interview
Link
Friday, August 14, 2009
Tootsie Learns Get It and Leave It
I have had a difficult time with putting myself on video...Lord I'm fat! But the dogs deserve to be seen so this is for Tootsie and for all those times I've refrained from showing the work. If it's the energy and intent that counts, then you'll see what great work Tootsie is doing and I'll be irrelevant eh?
Thursday, August 13, 2009
taking a break from Easy
Just taking a break and teaching the names of some nearby objects.
The cameras not set up right, but I'm not dressed, hairs not combed and I'm not there for me anyway...it's all about the Tootsie pup learning to use that brain!
Tootsie gets Easy
Tootsie is learning the concept of relaxation. It's about Self control Not domination and submission. This is just the beginning of the process and later she'll be allowed to choose the position as well as learning how to maintain Self Control when presented with stimulus. This process took about 15 minutes and was edited down.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
What a great story!
Ahhh! I love this story. It made my heart sing, so hopefully you'll like it.
http://www.pawnation.com/2009/08/11/lost-and-found-dog-saves-life-of-boy-with-down-syndrome/?icid=main|htmlws-main|dl1|link3|http://www.pawnation.com/2009/08/11/lost-and-found-dog-saves-life-of-boy-with-down-syndrome/
http://www.pawnation.com/2009/08/11/lost-and-found-dog-saves-life-of-boy-with-down-syndrome/?icid=main|htmlws-main|dl1|link3|http://www.pawnation.com/2009/08/11/lost-and-found-dog-saves-life-of-boy-with-down-syndrome/
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Tootsie and Lola at recess
Just like eating dessert first, I post the dogs at play before I get around to posting the lessons. Go figure!
Monday, August 10, 2009
Tootsie's adventures
Tootsie has come to Camp Beastie for a visit and to learn some basic communication skills. She is a 7 month old miniature Labradoodle...did you know they were breeding Labdoodles down? She's my 4th one in 2 months, so they must be getting popular, eh?
Anyway, Tootsie is a real cutie, very smart, loving and willing to work. She's starting to settle in nicely. She had a hard time resting on Saturday night and we all got very little sleep that night. So Duncan, Lola, Tootsie and I needed a nap on Sunday. Anyway after a day of hanging out with all of us, she's ready to start to work.
Here are a few pictures of her playing with Duncan and Lola 
yesterday.
yesterday.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Ban of ear cropping, tail docking and debarking
At last! I'm jazzed to read about this!
Banfield pet hospitals ban tail docking, ear cropping on dogs
By Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY
Banfield, The Pet Hospital, the nation's largest network of animal hospitals, has announced it will no longer do tail docking, ear cropping or devocalization on dogs.
Headquartered in Portland, Ore., Banfield is the nation's largest general veterinary practice, with more than 730 hospitals and 2,000 veterinarians nationwide.
Devocalization, or de-barking, is a rare procedure and has long been controversial. It involves the full or partial removal of a dog's vocal chords to keep it from barking.
Tail docking and ear cropping, both quite common, have become more controversial over the past few years. Last year, the American Veterinary Medical Association passed a resolution opposing ear cropping and tail docking of dogs, "when done solely for cosmetic purposes," and encouraging the elimination of ear cropping and tail docking from breed standards.
Banfield has come out strongly against the procedures.
"After thoughtful consideration and reviewing medical research, we have determined it is in the best interest of the pets we treat, as well as the overall practice, to discontinue performing these unnecessary cosmetic procedures," says Karen Faunt, vice president for medical quality advancement. "It is our hope that this new medical protocol will help reduce, and eventually eliminate, these cosmetic procedures altogether."
The hospitals will continue to carry out the surgeries on pets for which it is medically necessary, she says.
There have been numerous attempts in several states, most recently Illinois, New York and Vermont, to outlaw the practice of tail docking and ear cropping. The American Kennel Club has fought such laws.
In statements opposing them, the AKC says that "as prescribed in certain breed standards, (they) are acceptable practices integral to defining and preserving breed character, enhancing good health and preventing injuries," and that "any inference that these procedures are cosmetic and unnecessary is a severe mischaracterization that connotes a lack of respect and knowledge of history and the function of purebred dogs."
Gina Spadafori, an editor at the website PetConnection.com, says that tail docking is still fairly common, in part because it's done within days of birth. Ear cropping, which is generally done when the puppy is between 12 and 14 weeks old, is fading, in part because "people are not comfortable seeing their puppies taped up like that."
Both docking and cropping have gone out of fashion in Europe, she says. In the USA, many breeders of show dogs "would happily stop doing it if they thought they could still win in the ring."
Banfield pet hospitals ban tail docking, ear cropping on dogs
By Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY
Banfield, The Pet Hospital, the nation's largest network of animal hospitals, has announced it will no longer do tail docking, ear cropping or devocalization on dogs.
Headquartered in Portland, Ore., Banfield is the nation's largest general veterinary practice, with more than 730 hospitals and 2,000 veterinarians nationwide.
Devocalization, or de-barking, is a rare procedure and has long been controversial. It involves the full or partial removal of a dog's vocal chords to keep it from barking.
Tail docking and ear cropping, both quite common, have become more controversial over the past few years. Last year, the American Veterinary Medical Association passed a resolution opposing ear cropping and tail docking of dogs, "when done solely for cosmetic purposes," and encouraging the elimination of ear cropping and tail docking from breed standards.
Banfield has come out strongly against the procedures.
"After thoughtful consideration and reviewing medical research, we have determined it is in the best interest of the pets we treat, as well as the overall practice, to discontinue performing these unnecessary cosmetic procedures," says Karen Faunt, vice president for medical quality advancement. "It is our hope that this new medical protocol will help reduce, and eventually eliminate, these cosmetic procedures altogether."
The hospitals will continue to carry out the surgeries on pets for which it is medically necessary, she says.
There have been numerous attempts in several states, most recently Illinois, New York and Vermont, to outlaw the practice of tail docking and ear cropping. The American Kennel Club has fought such laws.
In statements opposing them, the AKC says that "as prescribed in certain breed standards, (they) are acceptable practices integral to defining and preserving breed character, enhancing good health and preventing injuries," and that "any inference that these procedures are cosmetic and unnecessary is a severe mischaracterization that connotes a lack of respect and knowledge of history and the function of purebred dogs."
Gina Spadafori, an editor at the website PetConnection.com, says that tail docking is still fairly common, in part because it's done within days of birth. Ear cropping, which is generally done when the puppy is between 12 and 14 weeks old, is fading, in part because "people are not comfortable seeing their puppies taped up like that."
Both docking and cropping have gone out of fashion in Europe, she says. In the USA, many breeders of show dogs "would happily stop doing it if they thought they could still win in the ring."
Thursday, July 23, 2009
What is a behavior?
When ‘What Animals Do’ Doesn’t Seem to Cover It
Serge Bloch
New York Times
Published: July 20, 2009
Certain things should never be taken for granted, among them your spouse, your mother, the United States Constitution, and the precise meaning of words that are at the heart of your profession.
Daniel Levitis was working as a teaching assistant for an animal behavior course at the University of California in Berkeley, and on the first day of class, the professor explained that the shorthand definition of a “behavior” is “what animals do.”
O.K., that’s the freshman-friendly definition, Mr. Levitis thought. Now how about the unabridged, professional version? What is the point-by-point definition of a behavior that behavioral biologists use when judging whether a particular facet of the natural world falls under their purview? After all, animals digest food and grow fur, yet few behavioral researchers would count such physiological and anatomical doings as behaviors.
Mr. Levitis asked the professor for the full definition of a behavior. She referred him to their textbook, with its promising title, “Animal Behavior.” To his surprise, neither that textbook nor any other reference he consulted bothered to spell it out. “It was assumed that everyone knew what the word meant,” said Mr. Levitis, who is completing his doctorate at Berkeley.
Mr. Levitis decided to ask the people who should know best: working behavioral biologists. The provocative and crisply written results of his quest, carried out with his colleagues, William Lidicker Jr. and Glenn Freund, appear in the current issue of the journal Animal Behaviour. Among the highlights of the report: biologists don’t agree with one another on what a behavior is; biologists don’t agree with themselves on what a behavior is; biologists can be as parochial as the rest of us, meaning that animal behaviorists tend to reflexively claim the behavior label for animals only, while botanists sniff that, if the well-timed unfurling of a smelly, colorful blossom for the sake of throwing your seed around isn’t the ultimate example of a behavior, then there’s no such thing as Valentine’s Day; and, finally, words may count, but thoughts do not.
The researchers acknowledged that biologists had not been crying out for a canonical definition of the term. Marlene Zuk, an animal behaviorist at the University of California at Riverside, contrasted that casual attitude with the often acrid debates now under way on how to define the term species. “What you think a species is means a lot for the way you think about evolution,” she said. But with behavior, she added, “there doesn’t seem to be an existential crisis.” Then again, nothing can be more insidious than the wallflower you ignore.
Walter D. Koenig of Cornell University, who helped Mr. Levitis in the early stages of the project, said his interest was piqued when he moved from the study of bird behavior to an investigation of the birds’ primary food supplier, oak trees. Why is it that trees dispersed over great distances end up releasing their acorns, or masting, en masse, he wondered. “Are the trees responding to something produced by other trees?” he said. “It’s entirely possible.” And if you designate this sort of inter-arboreal chemistry a behavior, he added, “it ends up pushing the boundaries” of what you think plants can do.
To perform their linguistic investigation, the researchers composed an online survey with two basic parts. In the first, they presented 13 “potentially diagnostic” statements about behavior, compiled from their sweep through the scientific literature, with which respondents could either concur or not. “Behavior always involves movement,” for example, and “is always an action, rather than a lack of action.” Or, “behaviors are always the actions of individuals, not groups” and “something whole individuals do, not organs or parts that make up an individual.” Or, “a developmental change is not a behavior.”
In the second part, Mr. Levitis and his co-workers offered 20 instances of natural phenomena and asked, Behavior, yea, nay or can’t say? “A sponge pumps water to gather food,” for example, or “a plant bends its leaves toward a light source” or “a beetle is swept away by a strong current.” Does a flock of geese flying in V formation count as a behavior? How about when a person decides not to do anything tomorrow in the event of rain, or when a female ant that is physiologically capable of laying eggs doesn’t do so because she’s not a queen? (If you’d like to take the survey and see how your responses compare with scientists’ and other readers’, please go to nytimes.com/science. Warning, spoilers ahead.)
Nearly all of the items were designed as borderline cases that tested the validity of one or more statements in the first half of the survey. “Flocks of geese fly in V formation,” for instance, contradicted the notion that behaviors are the actions of individuals rather than of groups. A person deciding on inactivity in the event of rain and an ant forgoing reproduction because she’s not royalty both flouted the premise that a behavior is always an action. One offering, “a spider builds a web,” contradicted none of the 13 stipulations about behavior and thus served as an experimental control.
Tallying results from 174 respondents, the researchers found an impressive lack of accord. “We didn’t have complete consensus for any item on the survey,” said Mr. Levitis, and that includes the little eight-legged control spinning its web. There were some harmonic notes. All but one participant deemed geese flying in V formation to be a legitimate behavior, while more than 95 percent turned thumbs down to the beetle swept away in a stream.
Amusingly, more than half the scientists contradicted themselves, some of them multiple times, by designating as behaviors items on the second list that defied the set of rules they had chosen from the first list.
Despite the overall lack of concordance, the researchers sought to extract from the results a trial definition for a word their peers bandy about with abandon. As they pitch it, a behavior is the internally coordinated response that an individual or a group makes to a stimulus. The response can be action or lack of action. The stimulus can come from inside or out. By this definition, masting oak trees, bacterial colonies creeping across a sugar gradient, zebra herds fissioning and fusing, are all displaying behaviors. Dogs that bark are behaving, dogs that obey a trainer’s signal and choose not to bark are most definitely behaving.
Yet a favorite human sport fails to meet the new lexical guidelines. Thinking, it seems, is not a behavior. If you think about going for a walk and then go for a walk, that’s a behavior. If you think about going for a walk but then decide it’s too cold, that’s a behavior. Walk or not, just make up your mind. It don’t mean a thing till you get off that
Serge Bloch
New York Times
Published: July 20, 2009
Certain things should never be taken for granted, among them your spouse, your mother, the United States Constitution, and the precise meaning of words that are at the heart of your profession.
Daniel Levitis was working as a teaching assistant for an animal behavior course at the University of California in Berkeley, and on the first day of class, the professor explained that the shorthand definition of a “behavior” is “what animals do.”
O.K., that’s the freshman-friendly definition, Mr. Levitis thought. Now how about the unabridged, professional version? What is the point-by-point definition of a behavior that behavioral biologists use when judging whether a particular facet of the natural world falls under their purview? After all, animals digest food and grow fur, yet few behavioral researchers would count such physiological and anatomical doings as behaviors.
Mr. Levitis asked the professor for the full definition of a behavior. She referred him to their textbook, with its promising title, “Animal Behavior.” To his surprise, neither that textbook nor any other reference he consulted bothered to spell it out. “It was assumed that everyone knew what the word meant,” said Mr. Levitis, who is completing his doctorate at Berkeley.
Mr. Levitis decided to ask the people who should know best: working behavioral biologists. The provocative and crisply written results of his quest, carried out with his colleagues, William Lidicker Jr. and Glenn Freund, appear in the current issue of the journal Animal Behaviour. Among the highlights of the report: biologists don’t agree with one another on what a behavior is; biologists don’t agree with themselves on what a behavior is; biologists can be as parochial as the rest of us, meaning that animal behaviorists tend to reflexively claim the behavior label for animals only, while botanists sniff that, if the well-timed unfurling of a smelly, colorful blossom for the sake of throwing your seed around isn’t the ultimate example of a behavior, then there’s no such thing as Valentine’s Day; and, finally, words may count, but thoughts do not.
The researchers acknowledged that biologists had not been crying out for a canonical definition of the term. Marlene Zuk, an animal behaviorist at the University of California at Riverside, contrasted that casual attitude with the often acrid debates now under way on how to define the term species. “What you think a species is means a lot for the way you think about evolution,” she said. But with behavior, she added, “there doesn’t seem to be an existential crisis.” Then again, nothing can be more insidious than the wallflower you ignore.
Walter D. Koenig of Cornell University, who helped Mr. Levitis in the early stages of the project, said his interest was piqued when he moved from the study of bird behavior to an investigation of the birds’ primary food supplier, oak trees. Why is it that trees dispersed over great distances end up releasing their acorns, or masting, en masse, he wondered. “Are the trees responding to something produced by other trees?” he said. “It’s entirely possible.” And if you designate this sort of inter-arboreal chemistry a behavior, he added, “it ends up pushing the boundaries” of what you think plants can do.
To perform their linguistic investigation, the researchers composed an online survey with two basic parts. In the first, they presented 13 “potentially diagnostic” statements about behavior, compiled from their sweep through the scientific literature, with which respondents could either concur or not. “Behavior always involves movement,” for example, and “is always an action, rather than a lack of action.” Or, “behaviors are always the actions of individuals, not groups” and “something whole individuals do, not organs or parts that make up an individual.” Or, “a developmental change is not a behavior.”
In the second part, Mr. Levitis and his co-workers offered 20 instances of natural phenomena and asked, Behavior, yea, nay or can’t say? “A sponge pumps water to gather food,” for example, or “a plant bends its leaves toward a light source” or “a beetle is swept away by a strong current.” Does a flock of geese flying in V formation count as a behavior? How about when a person decides not to do anything tomorrow in the event of rain, or when a female ant that is physiologically capable of laying eggs doesn’t do so because she’s not a queen? (If you’d like to take the survey and see how your responses compare with scientists’ and other readers’, please go to nytimes.com/science. Warning, spoilers ahead.)
Nearly all of the items were designed as borderline cases that tested the validity of one or more statements in the first half of the survey. “Flocks of geese fly in V formation,” for instance, contradicted the notion that behaviors are the actions of individuals rather than of groups. A person deciding on inactivity in the event of rain and an ant forgoing reproduction because she’s not royalty both flouted the premise that a behavior is always an action. One offering, “a spider builds a web,” contradicted none of the 13 stipulations about behavior and thus served as an experimental control.
Tallying results from 174 respondents, the researchers found an impressive lack of accord. “We didn’t have complete consensus for any item on the survey,” said Mr. Levitis, and that includes the little eight-legged control spinning its web. There were some harmonic notes. All but one participant deemed geese flying in V formation to be a legitimate behavior, while more than 95 percent turned thumbs down to the beetle swept away in a stream.
Amusingly, more than half the scientists contradicted themselves, some of them multiple times, by designating as behaviors items on the second list that defied the set of rules they had chosen from the first list.
Despite the overall lack of concordance, the researchers sought to extract from the results a trial definition for a word their peers bandy about with abandon. As they pitch it, a behavior is the internally coordinated response that an individual or a group makes to a stimulus. The response can be action or lack of action. The stimulus can come from inside or out. By this definition, masting oak trees, bacterial colonies creeping across a sugar gradient, zebra herds fissioning and fusing, are all displaying behaviors. Dogs that bark are behaving, dogs that obey a trainer’s signal and choose not to bark are most definitely behaving.
Yet a favorite human sport fails to meet the new lexical guidelines. Thinking, it seems, is not a behavior. If you think about going for a walk and then go for a walk, that’s a behavior. If you think about going for a walk but then decide it’s too cold, that’s a behavior. Walk or not, just make up your mind. It don’t mean a thing till you get off that
Monday, July 20, 2009
Friday, July 10, 2009
Wicked Mylar Must Die!
I love watching my dog on the hunt! This may be loud, so turn down the volume eh?
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Songbirds Reveal How Practice Improves Performance
ScienceDaily (2009-07-06) -- Learning complex skills like playing an instrument requires a sequence of movements that can take years to master. Last year, neuroscientists reported that by studying the chirps of tiny songbirds, they were able to identify how two distinct brain circuits contribute to this type of trial-and-error learning in different stages of life.
Now, the researchers have gained new insights into a specific mechanism behind this learning. In a paper being published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences during the week of July 6, the scientists report that as zebra finches fine-tune their songs, the brain initially stores improvements in one brain pathway before transferring this learned information to the motor pathway for long-term storage.
The work could further our understanding of the complicated circuitry of the basal ganglia, brain structures that play a key role in learning and habit formation in humans. The basal ganglia are also linked to disorders like Parkinson's disease, obsessive-compulsive disorder and drug addiction.
"Birds provide a great system to study the fundamental mechanisms of how the basal ganglia contributes to learning," said senior author Michale Fee, an investigator in the McGovern Institute for Brain Research at MIT. "Our results support the idea that the basal ganglia are the gateway through which newly acquired information affects our actions."
Young zebra finches learn to sing by mimicking their fathers, whose song contains multiple syllables in a particular sequence. Like the babbling of human babies, young birds initially produce a disorganized stream of tones, but after practicing thousands of times they master the syllables and rhythms of their father's song. Previous studies with finches have identified two distinct brain circuits that contribute to this behavior. A motor pathway is responsible for producing the song, and a separate pathway is essential for learning to imitate the father. This learning pathway, called the anterior forebrain pathway (AFP), has similarities to basal ganglia circuits in humans.
"For this study, we wanted to know how these two pathways work together as the bird is learning," explained first author Aaron Andalman, a graduate student in Fee's lab. "So we trained the birds to learn a new variation in their song and then we inactivated the AFP circuit to see how it was contributing to the learning."
To train the birds, researchers monitored their singing and delivered white noise whenever a bird sang a particular syllable at a lower pitch than usual.
"The bird hears this unexpected noise, thinks it made a 'mistake', and on future attempts gradually adjusts the pitch of that syllable upward to avoid repeating that error," Fee said. "Over many days we can train the bird to move the pitch of the syllable up and down the musical scale."
On a particular day, after four hours of training in which the birds learned to raise the pitch, the researchers temporarily inactivated the AFP with a short-acting drug (tetrodotoxin, a neurotoxin that comes from the puffer fish). The pitch immediately slipped back to where it had been at the start of that day's training session — suggesting that the recently learned changes were stored within the AFP.
Listen to the birds adjust the pitch of their song here: http://web.mit.edu/feelab/media/andalmanandfee.html
But the researchers found that over the course of 24 hours, the brain had transferred the newly learned information from the AFP to the motor pathway. The motor pathway was storing all of the accumulated pitch changes from previous training sessions.
Fee compares the effect to how recent edits to a document are temporarily stored in a computer's dynamic memory and then saved regularly to the hard drive. It is the accumulation of changes in the motor pathway "hard drive" that constitutes the development of a new skill.
The NIH and Friends of McGovern Institute supported this research.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Friday, July 3, 2009
Choices - Inspiration and motivation
"Choices - Inspiration and motivation"
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Upcoming interview with Julie Catalano
I'm doing research for next weeks interview with Julie Catalano. This is going to be a good one!
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Canine-Mutiny/2009/07/02/An-interview-with-Julie-Catalano
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Canine-Mutiny/2009/07/02/An-interview-with-Julie-Catalano
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Targeting
I love this video of Sassie and her targeting work with Stamp and Fleet!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCx24kwY1qo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCx24kwY1qo
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
new flea and tick repellant
I was wandering around on the web the other day and found this link to a new product called Shoo Tag. This is what is says:
If you are looking for a non-toxic, chemical-free way to protect your pets from pests then we have the product for you. We are your online source for the Shoo!TAG™. Shoo!TAG™ combines cutting-edge science and technology to produce a “green” product that uses electromagnetic frequencies that eliminates the use of toxic chemicals on your animals."
So I ordered it from the Safe Pet Shop and I was very impressed with their service. The order arrived within 2 days. There are 2 tags for each dog, one for fleas and one for ticks and the tags are tacky looking, which is a real turn off for me...nevertheless, I put them on the ring and attached them to the collars. I break a nail every time I'm attaching tags to collars. There must be a better way...maybe a carabiner eh? Anyway, I'll let you know how the tags work. Prior to their arrival, I had picked off 3 ticks already, which is a record for our household, so I'm anticipating a heavy flea and tick summer here in GA.
www.thesafepetshop.com
If you are looking for a non-toxic, chemical-free way to protect your pets from pests then we have the product for you. We are your online source for the Shoo!TAG™. Shoo!TAG™ combines cutting-edge science and technology to produce a “green” product that uses electromagnetic frequencies that eliminates the use of toxic chemicals on your animals."
So I ordered it from the Safe Pet Shop and I was very impressed with their service. The order arrived within 2 days. There are 2 tags for each dog, one for fleas and one for ticks and the tags are tacky looking, which is a real turn off for me...nevertheless, I put them on the ring and attached them to the collars. I break a nail every time I'm attaching tags to collars. There must be a better way...maybe a carabiner eh? Anyway, I'll let you know how the tags work. Prior to their arrival, I had picked off 3 ticks already, which is a record for our household, so I'm anticipating a heavy flea and tick summer here in GA.
www.thesafepetshop.com
Friday, June 5, 2009
6 Degrees of Separation
So I found out with this application that I'm connected to Rin Tin Tin in just 5 steps! Who knew?
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Proof Positive
In my wanderings on line, I found this video of Jay Sisler and information about his training techniques. Some have been amazed that he was ahead of his time with positive techniques. I propose that positive techniques were normal until the return of soldiers and war dogs from WWII. The public then became inundated with information about training dogs like little soldiers and that's when the dominance based training took over.
Monday, June 1, 2009
Myrna Milani
I've begun working with Myrna Milani and am in her mentor ship program for the next six months. I respect her work and look forward to learning more about dog behavior, normal dog behavior and her CPR (Canine Parent Relationship) program. But boy do I have a mental block about finishing my first assignment. I've started for the 4th time now and don't seem to be able to commit. Beginners jitters I think. I'm even blogging to avoid the issue! Now we know that's bad eh?
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Friday, May 15, 2009
Kris Christine Interview
I'm working on next week's interview with Kris Christine. She's amazing and inspiring. How she turned a personal tragedy into a mission to save our dogs is really remarkable! I'm such a slacker...
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Canine-Mutiny/2009/05/21/Kris-Christine-Interview
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Canine-Mutiny/2009/05/21/Kris-Christine-Interview
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Annual Dog Show
We spent last weekend in Perry, Ga for the annual Peach Cluster Dog Show/Vacation. Here we are as a mutely crew with several other black dog friends.
Spring is here
All the dogs are loving the change in weather and so am I! Gotta do some grooming though...everyone is shaggy, just look at Mag, she's cute but hardly recognizable as a Giant Schnauzer!
Monday, February 9, 2009
Working with Puppies
I've had a litter of puppies with Momma at the house for about 3 weeks. They're 4 wks old now. It's been especially excellent for the whole time; but now that they're seeing, hearing and moving around, it's even better.
I've been doing a lot of conditioning and also including the Super Dog workout as they've developed. They're
interesting to watch and I love, love, love the smell of
puppy breath!
I've been doing a lot of conditioning and also including the Super Dog workout as they've developed. They're
interesting to watch and I love, love, love the smell ofpuppy breath!
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
New Networking options
This was forwarded by a friend. I hung out at this site for a few days and found it a haven for MLM and Network Marketing stuff...sell, sell, sell this stuff; or buy buy buy my stuff. Obviously not my space; but check it out, if it sounds like something you would enjoy.
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