Guilty Looks, Shock Collar Warning,
Thanks to my dog friends on Twitter, I learn about some interesting dog news. Here is a round up of things I thought you might enjoy, including when dogs look guilty, shock collar warnings, a good background piece on how dogs learn, and a dog who knows lots of tricks.
What Really Prompts The Dog’s Guilty Look
From Science Daily
Excerpt: Researchers showed … “that the human tendency to attribute a “guilty look” to a dog was
not due to whether the dog was indeed guilty. Instead, people see
‘guilt’ in a dog’s body language when they believe the dog has done
something it shouldn’t have – even if the dog is in fact completely
innocent of any offense.”
Vets on Behavior Proclaim, Never Use a Shock Collar
From North American Veterinary Conference Post Graduate Institute in Advanced Clinical Behavioral Medicine
Excerpt: “After falling out of favor, the electronic collars are making a
comeback. ‘We’re so concerned about keeping sharp knives or anything
that may be poisonous away from our pets because we love them so much;
yet, it’s acceptable to give our best friends a jolt,’ says Dr. Kersti
Seksel, who is a board certified veterinary behaviorist in both
Australia and in the United States. ‘It’s appalling!'”
How Dogs Learn
From Fun4Fido
Excerpt: “Dogs learn primarily through a process of association. They learn very
early in life that their behavour causes consequences they like and
those they don’t like. In this respect, the behavour of dogs will
reflect what they’ve experienced.”
Jessie the JRT Learns Tricks Via Clicker