You may have already heard this, but one of the podcasts from Freakonomics Radio (I'm thinking it was probably No Stupid Questions) interviewed a dog expert on how dogs experience the world. She was truly mesmerizing. She watched hours of footage of dogs (in slow-motion), and recorded their interactions with various stimuli. Even if she can't say for certain what they think, she could say with some expertise what their behaviors mean.
Oh, good grief, I went to find her episode for you, and it turns out, they have an entire pod series on dogs now. Here is the one episode; I have no recommendations on the other series but of course, if they are handling it, it's probably good.
I am on the case! It’s called OFF LEASH and the host, Alexandra Horowitz, is one of the world’s experts on why dogs do what they do. They’re on episode 6 now—all really good.
It’s mostly about purebreds, because those are generally the dogs in dog shows … but i love crossbreeds and mixed breeds and I’ll definitely talk about them as a contrast to purebreds. Besides, mutts are my favorites.
Do we need to know anymore than dogs are pack animals and if you're going to take on the domesticated pet into your hoysehold and family, understand, either you or that dog, no matter the size, is going to be that alpha. Be the alpha.
David, if I thought that was all there is to know, it would be a mighty short book! I hope you’ll find you’ll learn a lot of other worthwhile stuff, too.
I am absolutely sure I will when I purchase and read your book. I love your writing, however I am an efficiency freak and quite low on brain cells. So the alpha issue is sufficient for me.
So we have noticed that on the dog shows they refer to handlers and owners. Why have a handler? Doesn’t that detract from a strong bond between the dog and the actual owner? I understand the need for a trainer initially but afterward it seems it should just be owner and dog. We appreciate any insight. Thanks!
Great question! The owners can be anybody--from a regular person to someone like Barry Bonds (who has had dogs at Westminster). But the handlers are professionals who know the ins and outs of the show ring. There are a lot of owner/handlers, but at the top level most of the handlers are pros, and the dogs live with them during the time they're showing. Then they (usually) go back to the owners once their show careers are over.
You may have already heard this, but one of the podcasts from Freakonomics Radio (I'm thinking it was probably No Stupid Questions) interviewed a dog expert on how dogs experience the world. She was truly mesmerizing. She watched hours of footage of dogs (in slow-motion), and recorded their interactions with various stimuli. Even if she can't say for certain what they think, she could say with some expertise what their behaviors mean.
Oh, good grief, I went to find her episode for you, and it turns out, they have an entire pod series on dogs now. Here is the one episode; I have no recommendations on the other series but of course, if they are handling it, it's probably good.
https://freakonomics.com/podcast/forget-everything-you-know-about-your-dog-ep-436/
I am on the case! It’s called OFF LEASH and the host, Alexandra Horowitz, is one of the world’s experts on why dogs do what they do. They’re on episode 6 now—all really good.
Will your book deal only with pedigree, registered dogs or will it deal with cross breeds as well?
It’s mostly about purebreds, because those are generally the dogs in dog shows … but i love crossbreeds and mixed breeds and I’ll definitely talk about them as a contrast to purebreds. Besides, mutts are my favorites.
Do we need to know anymore than dogs are pack animals and if you're going to take on the domesticated pet into your hoysehold and family, understand, either you or that dog, no matter the size, is going to be that alpha. Be the alpha.
David, if I thought that was all there is to know, it would be a mighty short book! I hope you’ll find you’ll learn a lot of other worthwhile stuff, too.
I am absolutely sure I will when I purchase and read your book. I love your writing, however I am an efficiency freak and quite low on brain cells. So the alpha issue is sufficient for me.
So we have noticed that on the dog shows they refer to handlers and owners. Why have a handler? Doesn’t that detract from a strong bond between the dog and the actual owner? I understand the need for a trainer initially but afterward it seems it should just be owner and dog. We appreciate any insight. Thanks!
Great question! The owners can be anybody--from a regular person to someone like Barry Bonds (who has had dogs at Westminster). But the handlers are professionals who know the ins and outs of the show ring. There are a lot of owner/handlers, but at the top level most of the handlers are pros, and the dogs live with them during the time they're showing. Then they (usually) go back to the owners once their show careers are over.