Let me quote from a post on Ugly Hedgehog because it will make a good introduction to today’s Picture Parade.
We made our way to get a new pup. Before I could get to the litter to choose, one of them decided to walk over to me and sit right between my feet. Clearly he was telling me that he was the one. From the start he was comfortable with anything and anyone around him. No matter what the situation, it was his pleasure and he made it ours. He loved strangers and playmates of all kinds – even taking selfies with them. You could hide his toys anywhere and he had an amazing sense to find them. He was a gentle soul who enriched our hearts for nearly 14 years. Brady surrendered to a medical condition he endured for a couple of years without ever showing an ounce of complaint. Some days its tough to walk without him by my side, but no sympathy is needed because he left us with too much joy. Instead, give your pets the unconditional love they give you for as long as you are so blessed.
I was very short of time yesterday so my apologies for going straight into this post. Plus, it is a post that talks about the learning process for dogs and, as such, looking more thoroughly will discover more material.
ooOOoo
Canines go to college in this class that seeks to give shelter dogs a fresh start
Associate Professor of Psychology, Saint Francis University
Published August 24th, 2023
Shelter animals often display problematic behaviors. Can they be retrained? Shlomit Flaisher-Grinberg
What prompted the idea for the course?
When I was growing up, my love for animals led me to volunteer at animal shelters. But it wasn’t until I started teaching psychology that I found another way to support the well-being of shelter animals. During my first year of teaching a psychology course about learning, I realized that the course’s content could be used to train shelter dogs.
Since some shelter dogs display problematic behaviors, such as fearfulness, destructiveness and disobedience, they are less likely to get adopted. I wanted my students to use their knowledge, passion and care to train shelter dogs and improve their chances of finding a permanent home.
What does the course explore?
The course teaches students how to apply behavioral analysis and modification techniques toward the training of shelter dogs. Students work with dogs on learning to follow cues such as “sit,” “down,” “stay” and “come”; perform tricks such as “high-five,” and “roll over”; and complete agility courses made of tunnels, hoops and weaving poles.
The course also explores the emotional, psychological and physiological benefits of the human-animal bond, such as reduced stress, by integrating the dogs into educational and therapeutic environments. For instance, the students train the dogs to sit by them calmly for the entire duration of a lecture. This skill may be important for future adopters who work within an educational setting or need their dog to accompany them into the classroom.
The students also train the dogs to visit our clinical educational facility, the Experiential Learning Commons, which was built as a mock hospital. Within our simulated emergency room, intensive care room, patient room, maternity room and exam room, students train the dogs to walk next to simulated patients’ wheelchairs, sit by patients’ beds and provide them with affectionate and nurturing companionship.
Finally, the course instructs students on how to apply for grants for nonprofits, with the idea being to secure funding to support animal shelters.
Why is this course relevant now?
This course creates a collaborative and reciprocal partnership between a university and the community in which it is located. Focusing on the care for shelter dogs, it allows for faculty, students and a shelter’s staff and volunteers to exchange knowledge and resources. As such, it uses an instructional approach known as community engagement.
What’s a critical lesson from the course?
Working alongside our animal shelter community partners, and under the direction of my co-instructor, talented dog trainer Megan Mills, students learn that they can make a true and visible impact on society, one dog at a time.
Students will learn to use psychological learning principles to work effectively with shelter dogs – and this knowledge can later be translated to other domains of their lives. I believe that by training shelter dogs and learning to write nonprofit grant proposals, my students will develop into ethical and responsible citizens – both locally and globally.
These photos were shown on the website Ugly Hedgehog by a user called ‘daldds‘. I sent daldds a private message asking if I could republish the photos and he said ‘Yes’.
Copyright (2023) National Geographic Partners, LLC. (I hope me sharing this image with you is alright.)
National Geographic published the above edition of their magazine recently that consists of three chapters: From Wolf to Wolf; The Human-Dog Bond; Inside Dog Behaviour.
In that first chapter it is stated that: “The exact timing of the appearance of the domesticated dog is hotly debated, but based on the latest science, it most likely falls somewhere between 15,000 and 40,000 years ago.”
So when I wrote on the home page of this blog all those years ago, “Yet they have been part of man’s world for an unimaginable time, at least 30,000 years.“, I wasn’t far wrong.
If you can possibly purchase a copy then please do. National Geographic provide back issues while Ebay, Amazon and others also sell this. You will not regret it!
Learning from Dogs 