Category: Companion Animals

The science of how behavior is inherited in aggressive dogs

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From ANIMAL PEOPLE,  July-August 2013:

by Alexandra Semyonova

 Probably most people recognize that every dog breed results from human manipulation of inherited physical traits.  Until recently,  most people probably also recognized that much dog behavior is also a result of manipulating inheritance:  if you want to do sheep trials,  you get a border collie.  If you get a beagle,  he will likely become instantly deaf to your calls if he picks up a scent to track.  Read more

Train Your Dog Positively

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From ANIMAL PEOPLE,  May/June 2013:

Train Your Dog Positively, by Victoria Stilwell Ten Speed Press (c/o Random House,   1745 Broadway,  New York,  NY 10019),  2013. 248 pages,  paperback,  $14.99.

Whether rescued or from a breeder,  all puppies need training to learn potty manners,  basic commands,  and how to walk on a leash.  Adopted older dogs may need to brush up on their skills.  Television dog trainer Victoria Stilwell offers her perspective on how best to do this in Train Your Dog Positively.  Read more

Indian ban on tail-docking undone

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From ANIMAL PEOPLE,  May/June 2013:

CHANDIGARH––Kennel Club of India general secretary Harinder Singh Aulakh in mid-April 2013 advised dog breeders via the Indian Kennel Gazette that they may resume cropping the ears and docking the tails of dogs, after the Madras High Court ruled that the Animal Welfare Board of India lacked the authority to ban ear-cropping and tail-docking if done by a “qualified veterinarian.”  The AWBI had issued an order against ear-cropping and tail-docking in November 2011. Read more

Colorado requires law enforcement training in dog behavior

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From ANIMAL PEOPLE,  May/June 2013:

DENVER––Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper on May 13,  2013 signed into law bills designating shelter animals the official state pet and requiring Colorado police and sheriff’s departments to provide personnel with three hours of online training on dog behavior recognition and the use of nonlethal dog control methods.  The training must be made available by September 1,  2014. Read more

BOOKS—Unleashed: The Phenonena of Status Dogs and Weapon Dogs

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From ANIMAL PEOPLE,  May/June 2013:

Unleashed:  The Phenomena of Status Dogs and Weapon Dogs   by Simon Harding The Policy Press,  U. of Bristol (c/o U. of Chicago Press,   427 East 60th St.,  Chicago,  IL 60637),  2012.    286 pages,  hardcover.  $100.60;  Kindle $23.72.

I first saw an American Staffordshire,  better known as a pit bull,  during a 1989 visit to Baltimore.  Three youths had stolen a cocker spaniel and were encouraging their three unleashed pit bulls to tear the spaniel apart alive.  The spaniel tried desperately to escape,  but was held on a short leash.  By the time I reached the scene,  the spaniel had collapsed,  possibly dead.  The youths kept kicking the remains,  and the AmStaffs kept attacking.  By the time the cops caught up with them,  they had disposed of the evidence.  They laughed in the cops’ faces:  “Man, you’ll never find that dead dog, and anyway we’re juvies––you can’t touch us.” Read more

Editorial feature: Horse doctoring & the ethical evolution of veterinarians

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From ANIMAL PEOPLE,  April 2013:

By Merritt Clifton & Kim Bartlett

The American Veterinary Medical Association,  150 years old this year,  has from the beginning pitched a broad tent.  The AVMA is at once a trade association representing the economic concerns of veterinarians;  a professional body setting veterinary standards;  an umbrella for ongoing efforts to advance veterinary science;  a provider of continuing professional education to vets;  a disaster relief agency;  a provider of public education about animal issues;  and an entity which seeks to influence public policy. Read more

BOOKS / Four-Legged Miracles: Heartwarming Tales of Lost Dogs’ Journeys Home

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From ANIMAL PEOPLE,  April 2013:

Four-Legged Miracles:   Heartwarming Tales of Lost Dogs’ Journeys Home   by Brad & Sherry Hansen Steiger St. Martin’s Griffin (175 Fifth Ave.,  New York,  NY 10010),  2013.  264 pages,  paperback.  $14.99.

Animal lovers are familiar with the 1943 classic Lassie Come Home,  in which an impoverished rural family sells their cherished collie to a Scottish nobleman,  but the collie returns to the boy she loves. Four-Legged Miracles is a compilation of amusing,  inspirational and sometimes tearful real-life “Lassie” stories.   Read more

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