What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

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Anatine
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by Anatine »

small Animal Behavior unit in high school biology classes is some operant vs. classical conditioning (which I already knew), taxis vs. kinesis (which I already knew), and a lab about preferred conditions with either pillbugs/rolly-pollies/woodlice or fruit flies
We did the same thing in our A Levels, Dontpugme. I'm really hoping it goes into a bit more depth. I, like you, already knew it all~ :)
The wildlife behaviour unit is described as "to enable you to appreciate how wildlife behaviour affects the success of habitat management for conservation" but there is also an optional unit on primate behaviour "The way in which primate behaviour can be interpreted will be explored from an evolutionary viewpoint, and how human and non-human primates’ behavioural strategies are adapted to the environment (social and ecological) in which they live. The unit is aimed at stimulating discussion and the critical analysis of theories." I'm thinking that sounds pretty interesting and helpful. Especially the critical analysis.
Question everything and believe nothing until you can pass it through your bullshine filter. Beware of personal agendas masquerading as fact.
Thank you for the advice Nettle! I'll keep it in mind and try to be critical :)

Also, I hope Sweetie is better soon :D
dontpugme
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by dontpugme »

Sweetie's Human wrote: Anyway, she's back to bossing us about so she must be feeling better :wink:
That's good to hear :)


Anatine, that optional primate behavior unit sounds super exciting and enticing.
--dontpugme
Sweetie's Human
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by Sweetie's Human »

Thank you all.

She's a little better again today.
jacksdad
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by jacksdad »

Anatine wrote:
Question everything and believe nothing until you can pass it through your bullshine filter. Beware of personal agendas masquerading as fact.
Thank you for the advice Nettle! I'll keep it in mind and try to be critical :)
it's great advice and been very helpful to me.
bendog
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Joined: Fri Jan 07, 2011 7:42 am

Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by bendog »

I did 2 modules on animal behaviour at liverpool uni plus one on human evolutionary psychology (part of a broad biology degree - i also studied biochemistry of human disease, virology, genetics, physiology (human and animal) and all sorts of other stuff including a bit of ecology too)

The one thing a decent science degree SHOULD do is teach you to think critically and question everything (in my case this worked too well and I dropped out of a phd after losing faith that my research would have any real life application.

On the animal behaviour modules we did a lot on optimal foraging theories (finding food), a lot on sexual selection/mate choice and breeding strategies (including infidelity), some stuff on communication (mostly alarm calls but also quite a lot about scent marking/pheromones etc)

Did very little about any domestic pets except lab mice. Lots about flies and birds. Behavioural ecology is very focussed on observations and ethograms.
JudyN
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by JudyN »

bendog wrote:On the animal behaviour modules we did a lot on optimal foraging theories (finding food)...
That reminds me of learning in ethology at university (as part of a philosophy and psychology degree) that birds will always be busy doing something - feeding, foraging, nest building, reproducing - because otherwise they wouldn't be using an optimal strategy. Later, as a programmer at Bournemouth Town Hall, on the second floor with a pigeon-infested balcony outside the window, I tried to convince my colleagues of this, but in the end had to concede that the lazy birds were just lying around, sunbathing, cooing at each other, having the odd bit of what was quite possibly recreational sex, enjoying the view and being just as bone idle as we were :lol:
Jasper, lurcher, born December 2009
gwd
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Joined: Tue Aug 14, 2012 11:33 pm

Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by gwd »

Is it emmabeth that lives in the midlands??? I was reading an article about the trentham garden fairies.

http://www.trentham.co.uk/news/do-you-b ... in-fairies
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lucyandbella
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by lucyandbella »

Bella attacked Lucy yet again. We are at my parents house while I am on break from school. My dad came home from work and this is what triggered the fight, he witnessed the start of it. His dog was greeting him and both Lucy and Bella were also trying to greet him.

Lucy purposefully (according to my dad) blocked Bella from approaching him. Bella growled at her and at this point Lucy runs and hides under the coffee table (a place Lucy often retreats to in times of stress). Although Lucy listened to Bella's "warning" and retreated, Bella went after her, following her under the table and attacking her.

Lucy came from under the table all the while they are both fighting. When I round the corner (I can hear the awful noises they are making) Bella slips on the tile floor they have moved to fighting on and falls at which point Lucy dives on top of her going for her throat. I grab Lucy and hold her, as Bella is getting up my dad blocks her then chases her into my room and closes her in her crate.

Meanwhile Lucy is crying horribly sad cries and holding her head funny. I've never heard her cry like that. I set her down and she won't put weight on her leg and she continues to cry. It took me awhile to find that close to her armpit on one of her front legs is a huge puncture wound. Her leg has swollen very badly and she is still drooling buckets which is what she does when she is very nervous though I'm not sure if she is nervous, in pain, or both. :cry:

Bella is fine I did check her over too. Lucy and I had agility practice tonight that we obviously won't be going to. I'm really annoyed with Bella and feel bad for Lucy.

All this comes when I have been considering medicating Bella for some of her anxiety issues (she basically is scared of anything new and at least a few times a week will growl or bark at inanimate objects in my house or even at me if I'm holding something she hasn't seen me hold, etc.). But I'm also afraid these medications could make her more aggressive toward Lucy.
JudyN
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by JudyN »

That's not good news, L&B. I really hope you can find a solution :(
Jasper, lurcher, born December 2009
gwd
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Joined: Tue Aug 14, 2012 11:33 pm

Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by gwd »

lucyandbella wrote:Bella attacked Lucy yet again. We are at my parents house while I am on break from school. My dad came home from work and this is what triggered the fight, he witnessed the start of it. His dog was greeting him and both Lucy and Bella were also trying to greet him.
Managing and recognizing periods of arousal are going to be key to keeping peace in your home. In my case, I had to give baby girl an alternate behavior as a default for how to act when daddy comes home from work. Jumping on boy dog and grabbing and hanging off his ears or hocks was not good. Grabbing a stuffie is now what she knows she's suppose to do to get noticed and it helps her manage her stress that she experiences when boy dog is aroused. ........plus, when she's carrying a stuffie, she can't bite him!
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gwd
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by gwd »

Grammar question about article. I've noticed our uk members will say, 'I went to hospital' or 'am at university' ...........in neither case is an article (a or the) used. Here in the us, we use articles in these cases. 'I went to the hospital' or, 'I am attending a university'. These are the only two I've noticed......... so, on that note, if you were going to a public library would you say, 'I'm going to library' or would that sentence deserve an article?
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JudyN
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by JudyN »

gwd wrote:Grammar question about article. I've noticed our uk members will say, 'I went to hospital' or 'am at university' ...........in neither case is an article (a or the) used. Here in the us, we use articles in these cases. 'I went to the hospital' or, 'I am attending a university'. These are the only two I've noticed......... so, on that note, if you were going to a public library would you say, 'I'm going to library' or would that sentence deserve an article?
Interesting - no, you wouldn't say 'I'm going to library'.

I think the reason behind this is that 'hospital' and 'university' are being treated more as a 'state of being' than a place. 'I'm going to work' would be another one. If I was visiting someone in hospital, I wouldn't say 'I'm going to hospital'. If I just had an outpatient appointment I may say 'I'm going to hospital,' but it feels slightly misleading...

Does that make sense? It's not something I've thought about before!
Jasper, lurcher, born December 2009
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Nettle
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by Nettle »

L&B that armpit hole needs a vet check just to make sure it's okay. It's a peculiar area healing-wise, and whereas I am quite relaxed about most bite injuries, armpit or groin punctures are ones I have professionally checked. It's probably fine but do make sure. :)


JudyN, I used to have Bird Control as part of my remit at airports, and our lectures included 'loafing' as an official term for what birds do when not doing life-maintaining things like eating and breeding. This is exactly what I mean when I say we should question everything. Whoever says birds and animals are always 'doing' never studied any properly.
A dog is never bad or naughty - it is simply being a dog

SET YOURSELF UP FOR SUCCESS
JudyN
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Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by JudyN »

I've just been reading on a lurcher forum about some TV producers making a documentary about dog behaviour, who were after dogs who had unwanted but natural behaviours such as digging, destroying items, rolling in fox poo. One of the forum members has a dog who rolls in fox poo so contacted them. Cut a long story short, the producers are coming over today with a bucket of cow poo (fox poo is too small for a good visual effect) to see if he performs :shock: The owner has no idea if the dog will roll on command, as he's only ever tried to stop him before, never asked him to do it! Though if he doesn't roll in it, eating it will be good enough, apparently :lol:

I wonder if the TV makers will do the necessary cleaning after?
Jasper, lurcher, born December 2009
gwd
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Joined: Tue Aug 14, 2012 11:33 pm

Re: What are you and your dogs up to today? Part 2

Post by gwd »

JudyN wrote: I think the reason behind this is that 'hospital' and 'university' are being treated more as a 'state of being' than a place. 'I'm going to work' would be another one. If I was visiting someone in hospital, I wouldn't say 'I'm going to hospital'. If I just had an outpatient appointment I may say 'I'm going to hospital,' but it feels slightly misleading...

Does that make sense? It's not something I've thought about before!
Found another discussion about articles and the dropping of..........


http://english.stackexchange.com/questi ... o-hospital

There are some interesting examples of times with American English grammar dropping articles.......... and further, that it even tends to be regional with am/eng.

I find speech patterns and phrase usage fascinating.
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