This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American
Think dogs get the summer off from school? Think again! Summer brings numerous conferences, both in the States and abroad, featuring canine science from a variety of angles like behavior, cognition, welfare and the dog-human relationship.
The conferences feature new research on topics like:
oxytocin receptors and affiliative behavior in dogs
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canine post-traumatic stress disorder in military working dogs
why adult dogs play
the Black Dog Syndrome
how much working dogs watch their handlers’ faces
the prevalence of fearful and anxious behaviors of dogs in the United States
the effect of pet therapy on language development in preschoolers
cognitive predictors of assistance-dog success
behavior rehabilitation of abused pets
the relationship between prenatal experiences and postnatal behavior (a topic I previously discussed here)
Find all conference details in my guest post, Upcoming Canine Science Conferences, on Dr. Patricia McConnell’s blog, The Other End Of The Leash.
Contributing to The Other End Of The Leash is more than just getting to write for a blog read by over 22,000 people from around the world. I first met Patricia McConnell, Ph.D., CAAB and pioneer in the field of Applied Ethology, as an undergrad at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in her class, “The Biology and Philosophy of Human-Animal Relationships.” I was not alone in being enamored with her personal research on dog-human acoustic communication as well as her intimate and compassionate look at dogs and the dog-human relationship. Whether in her books, her presentations or online, Trisha is a wealth of knowledge and good fun on all aspects of dogs and their human companions!
If you’re new to McConnell's blog, website or Facebook, poke around! In her Reading Room, you’ll find a comprehensive compilation of experience- and science-based resources on dog training, behavior and health, behavior problems and more. You’ll also find my “Is Denver Really Guilty?” video in her section on Emotions. Her blog and resources are timeless, and applicable to all dogs and their people, so get cracking!
Photo: Study Buddy by Matthew Blouir used under Creative Commons license.
Reference
McConnell, P. 1990. Acoustic structure and receiver response in domestic dogs, Canis familiaris. Animal Behaviour, 39, 897–904.
