Christine Hibbard, CTC, CPDT One of the most common calls we get at Companion Animal Solutions is from an owner whose dog barks, growls, and lunges at other dogs when on leash. Often, the owner is baffled because their dog loves playing with other dogs at the dog park or dog daycare. There are several… [Read More]
What a Blockhead! Head Shape and Trainability in Dogs
Jim Ha, PhD, CAAB An interesting paper appeared in a recent issue of Behavioural Processes (2009, vol. 82, pp. 355). The author, William Helton from New Zealand, examined results from three published studies in which breed and head shape were reported, to answer the question of whether morphology (head shape, in this case) reflected intelligence… [Read More]
A Reading List in Animal Behavior, Part Two
Jim Ha, PhD, CAAB Back in the fall of 2008, I presented a blog titled A Reading List in Animal Behavior, Part One. I went on in that article to say, “So here I present a highly personal reading list in ethology. In this entry, I suggest some reading in basic ethology, and in a… [Read More]
Temperament Testing Dogs at the Entlefest
Greta Kaplan, CPDT, CDBC Our afternoon at the Entlefest involved participating in an experiment: For the first time, a breed-specific European-style working temperament test was administered to Entlebuchers as part of a three-part breeding fitness exam. (The other two parts involve structure and movement.) Because so many owners wanted to participate, we divided the duties. … [Read More]
Control Unleashed Presentation at Entlefest
Greta Kaplan, CPDT, CDBC Last week I traveled to Lake Tahoe to give a half-day presentation on Control Unleashed at the Entlefest. I realize this requires some translation. The Entlefest is the annual national breed club meeting for the National Entelbucher Mountain Dog Association. An Entlebucher (Entlebuch Sennenhund) is one of the four Swiss Mountain… [Read More]