Category: Education

Of days and nights.

That magnificient night sky above us.

On Sunday evening Jean and I were invited around to Jim and Janet’s place as their regular summer movie nights swung back into the calendar.

Around 10pm local time the night sky just shone with stars and planets and my old friend The Plough, or Big Dipper (Ursa Major), was up there pointing the way to the North Star.

Then as we all prepared to return to our homes, around 11pm, there was the wonderful, fabulous full Moon.

So it’s a special day today as for the first time in almost fifty years both the full moon and the Summer Solstice fall on the same day. Or better put over on Time and Date:

First June Solstice Full Moon in Decades

In 2016, a full Moon, also commonly known as Strawberry Moon, will coincide with the June Solstice. The 2 events haven’t occurred on the same day since 1967 and will not coincide again until 2062.

Now technically the exact moment of the Solstice was yesterday evening at 22:34 UTC. Or to put it as it was mentioned over on EarthSky:

On June 20, 2016, the moon turns full at 11:02 UTC. The solstice arrives some 11.5 hours later, at 22:34 UTC.

I will close with the gorgeous photograph of that full moon, again courtesy of that EarthSky article.

Rising nearly full moon – near San Francisco, California – on June 19, 2016 via EarthSky Facebook friend Amy Van Artsdalen.

I must admit that there’s a strange feeling inside me knowing that this was the last time that I will see such a coincidence of full moon and summer solstice.

Hazel’s postscript.

Decisions!

In my post informing all you lovely people that Hazel had died in the early hours of Wednesday morning I included:

There has been so much interest and concern over her from you all that I wanted to post this without delay. We will be arranging to have the exact cause of death determined so that, too, may be shared with you all.

The background is that our vet, Dr. Jim Goodbrod, had been in touch with the appropriate health authority with regard to the risk of Coccidioidomycosis, the medical term for the fungal infection of Hazel’s lungs that was the first diagnosis of what was ailing Hazel. Reason why is that Coccidioidomycosis can be a danger to humans if the spores in a body are released following the corpse being open up.

The next step was that Oregon State University (OSU) expressed an interest in doing further research on Hazel’s body because Coccidioidomycosis was so rarely seen in Oregon. That would have entailed shipping Hazel’s body up to Corvallis in Oregon and then having her cremated up there.

In the end, we thought that the most dignified way of treating Hazel was to have her cremated by Stephens locally in Grants Pass. They have been very kind in keeping Hazel’s body chilled while we worked out the if’s and how’s of working with OSU.

We expect that by the end of today, Friday, our lovely dog will have been cremated.

On Saturday, I will be publishing a eulogy to Hazel and Sunday’s Picture Parade will be devoted to remembering the beautiful dog that she was.

Of dogs and play.

Part Two of Professor Bekoff’s essay.

I sitting in front of my PC writing this in what will be, by the time you read this, yesterday afternoon. One way and another it was quite an emotional day sharing the sad news of Hazel’s death with so many both in this blogging place and where we live here in Merlin, North-West of Grants Pass, Oregon.

So not going to say any more about Hazel until I have collected my thoughts about our vet’s response to Hazel’s death and what may flow from that. I should be able to post that update tomorrow.

For today, let me offer you Part Two of Marc Bekoff’s essay. Part One was yesterday.

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Butts and Noses: Secrets and Lessons from Dog Parks (Concluding Part)

Dog parks are gold mines of information about the behavior of dogs and humans

Post published by Marc Bekoff Ph.D. on May 16, 2015 in Animal Emotions

Are dogs really our best friends and are we really their best friends?

I’m asked these questions a lot and I always say it’s simply not so that dogs are “unconditional lovers.” They discriminate among humans just like we discriminate among dogs. And, while dogs might love “too much,” they’re very careful about to whom they open up. So, sometimes — perhaps very often — dogs are our best friends and we are their best friends but we all know of picky dogs and the horrific abuse to which dogs are subjected.

Are dogs really free at a dog park?

I often hear something like, “Oh I love coming to the dog park because my dog is so free” – and then she’s/he’s called back constantly when he plays too roughly or strays too far. People surely differ in how much control they exert, but some just don’t give their dog the opportunity to play, sniff, and hump. Control freaks often abound and they don’t realize it. Patrick Jackson, in the essay to which I referred above, writes about how “caretakers become ‘control managers’ who must negotiate problems related to a variety of dog behaviors, especially mounting, aggression, and waste management.” He’s right on the mark, but there are also those who get upset when play gets a bit rough, even when the dogs obviously are enjoying themselves.

Do dogs display dominance?

Yes, they do, just like many other animals. There is major confusion and mistakes among many “dog people” about what dominance really means, and dogs, like numerous other animals, do indeed use various forms of dominance in their social interactions. However, this does not mean that dominance is equated with overt aggression and physical harm nor that we need to dominate them in order to live in harmony with them (for more on this topic and the fact that dominance is not a myth please see this essay and and and references therein).

Why do dogs mount and hump?

Here are some of the statements I hear about dog mounting and humping: “Oh my God, my dog was fixed to stop this stuff.” “Oh, that’s easy, it’s always to dominate the other dog.” “Domination.” “Dogs are hyper-sexual because of domestication.” There are many reasons why dogs hump and there’s not a single answer (please see this essay and references therein).

Do Dogs feel shame and guilt?

While I hear numerous stories about shame and guilt, the simple and most correct answer is that we really don’t know. While we’re not all that good at reading guilt this does not mean that they do not feel guilt (please see this essay and references therein).

Do dogs get jealous?

Yes they do and a study published in 2014 showed this to be the case (please see this essay and references therein). I often hear very compelling stories about jealousy in dogs.

Do dogs get bored?

Yes, of course they do, just as do many other mammals, especially those living in various conditions of captivity. It’s clear that researchers and zoo administrators, for example, recognize that animals get bored, hence the numerous enrichment programs that are designed to relieve the animals’ boredom. The detailed research of Francois Wemelsfelder is a wonderful place to begin to learn about boredom in animals (see also the essays listed here).

Do dogs suffer from PTSD and other psychological disorders?

Yes they do as do many other animals.

Do dogs mind being used as service dogs or in animal assisted therapy?

Because dogs are such a variable lot, it’s impossible to say something like, “Of course they do.” The correct answer is that because dogs vary in personality and temperament there are some who would mind it and some who won’t. I’ve met many in each camp and I’m sure many readers have as well.

Are there Attention Deficit Dogs (ADD’s)?

I often hear people say that their dogs don’t hear them or that they ignore them most of the time. While there are many reasons why this might be so, it’s entirely possible that there are dogs who get so excited they simply don’t respond to their human’s requests. But, it’s also possible that some dogs do suffer from attention deficit disorder and hyperactivity.

How often does social play escalate into serious aggressive encounters?

We all know that play behavior predominates at dog parks and that dogs have fun when they play (see also) and that play is very contagious. Dogs play socially with one another, often involving objects, and they also play alone with objects or just go berserk on their own because it feels good. Dogs can play very roughly and still be in control and there are distinct “rules of social play” that help to keep even a vigorous interaction well within bounds so that there’s really little or no worry that play will escalate into aggression. Nonetheless, I hear this statement a lot: “Oh whenever dogs play it turns into aggression.” It doesn’t. My own observations suggest that it seems escalation happens more in large groups in which dogs can’t read one another’s subtle signals that “this still is play,” but it is very rare. Dogs can be rather fair. I want to say a bit more on this topic because it seems to be major reason why dogs are called back to their human or that humans break up rough-and-tumble play.

Although my students and I haven’t kept detailed records on this aspect of play for dogs, we all agree that play didn’t turn into serious fighting in more than around 2% of the 1000s of play bouts we’ve observed. Current observations at dog parks around Boulder, Colorado support our conclusion. And, for the approximately 1000 play bouts that my students and I observed in wild coyotes, mainly youngsters, on only about five occasions did we see play fighting escalate into serious fighting. Along these lines, Shyan, Fortune, and King (2003) discovered that fewer than 0.5% of play fights in dogs developed into conflict, and only half of these were clearly aggressive encounters. In this case our intuitions were right on the mark. Of course, there may be dogs who simply bite too hard or slam too hard into their play partners when they get highly aroused and lost in play, and this results in an aggressive encounter of varying intensity. But that is the exception rather than the rule, for play fighting only very rarely escalates into real fighting. Because play is a foundation of fairness there is a good deal of cooperation among the players as they negotiate the ongoing interaction so that it remains playful. I think one can make a good case for their having a theory of mind. Nonetheless, we still need more data on this aspect of play as well.

Do older dogs play less than younger dogs?

While this is true of wild animals who have to work harder to survive and to thrive, older dogs play a lot when they can and we really need more data on this question.

Do dogs have a theory of mind?

We don’t know. While some studies suggest they don’t, we need more “naturalistic” research especially when dogs are socially interacting. Because play is a foundation of fairness and there is a good deal of cooperation among the players as they negotiate the ongoing interaction so that it remains playful. Perhaps dogs even know what their playmates are thinking and feeling. Do they have a theory of mind? While I think so, we still need more data on this aspect of play as well.

Why do dogs roll and writhe on their back?

It could be to impart an odor. A wild canid known as the raccoon dog who lives in South America has a scent gland on its back. Dogs might also roll on their back to mask their own odor. And, of course, it might feel really good so why not do it? I love watching dogs writhe on their back and they look like they’re in doggie heaven.

Do dogs have a sense of time? The “two minute warning”

We really don’t know much at all about the dog’s sense of time. Yet, people often use what I call the “two minute warning” and ask their dog if it’s okay if they leave in 2 minutes, or people tell their dog something like, “You have 5 minutes more to play with your friends before we go to the store.” They also ask their dog, “What the hell took you so long, I’ve been calling you for minutes?” or “Where were you when I called you?” I can well imagine the dog thinking something like, “Huh?”

Why do dogs snort?

While there are physical reasons why dogs snort, recent research shows that dogs sort odors in their nose, forcing out those that aren’t relevant or salient, hence the snort and often a good deal of snot (for more on the fascinating dog’s nose please see this essay and this.

Why do dogs try to pee and nothing comes out?

This is called “dry marking” and we know that lifting a leg as if the dog is peeing serves as a visual signal to tell others he is. Often a dog will “dry mark” and then pee a few seconds later, so it’s clear their bladder isn’t empty. A study I did years ago with some students showed that dogs do this more often when there are other dogs around who can see them and then pee a bucket.

Why do dogs scratch the ground after they pee or poop?

They do this for a number of possible reasons and there isn’t a simple answer to this question.

Poop central: Why do people talk so much about dog poop at dog parks?

People also talk about poop a lot as if they’re freer to do so with their dog. Matthew Gilbert notes, “poop was more of a thing at the park than I had expected.” (p. 66) He also talks about a “stray bowel movement” as a “voluminous and frozen still life” (p, 67). Dog poop is a ripe area for future research.

Why do dogs stick their noses into butts, groins, and ears?

It’s a way of greeting and social investigation, but there haven’t been any studies of which I’m aware that provide any details about why they do this, even to their dog friends or humans. It’s been suggested that some animals might pick up information on the food others have eaten.

Are there breed specific odors?

Many people report that on their first encounter with other dogs, members of the same breed prefer one another and treat breed members differently from individuals of different breeds. There’s been some discussion that there may be a common odor to members of the same breed. However, my reading of available information is that we really know little about this question right now.

Do dogs know what they look like?

While dogs know what they smell like, they don’t know what they look like, or might they? Research done on birds in the 1960s suggests that they might learn their own color from reflections in water. So, I suppose dogs might know what they look like if they’ve seen their own reflection, but we need much more research about this question.

Why do dogs circle before lying down?

Dogs do not always circle before lying down, as some authors claim. They likely do it to flatten or soften the ground, and may also be looking around to see who’s around before they relax. In a study some of my students did years ago they reported that the dogs they watched circled around 65% of the time, but more detailed studies are needed.

Why does the hair on a dog’s back stand up?

This is called piloerection (sort of like goose bumps) and indicates that a dog is highly aroused but not necessarily aggressive. Many other species, including birds, show the same (sympathetic nervous system) response.

Dogs and humans: Why do people open up at dog parks?

Dogs can easily serve as icebreakers and social catalysts. People often open up at dog parks and talk to friends about things they likely don’t talk about in other arenas. They seem to feel safe among kinfolks. Some people began talking to me about pretty personal stuff within a minute of meeting them such as a woman who decided that she didn’t like her BFF because of how she treated a dog she just rescued, and a woman who, after meeting someone for around 10 seconds, decided that the woman wasn’t a good dog owner because she was suffering from bipolar disorder but didn’t know it! Some people – men and women, alike – have told me that dogs are social magnets and make it easy to meet other people who also are out with their canine BFF. These discussions often have very interesting “conclusions.” Enough on that for now …

Why do dogs eat grass?

There are many reasons and Stanley Coren has written a good myth-debunking essay on this. He notes that dogs do not eat grass to cause vomiting to relieve stomach distress. While it’s possible that some dogs do, we need a lot more research on this question.

More questions for a future essay

The list of questions can go on and on, and some questions I’ll consider in the future include: Why do dogs chase their tail? Why do dogs bark and what sort of barks are there? Why do dogs bark and howl at sirens? Why does my dog hoard tennis balls? Are dogs territorial as are wolves? Why do dogs pee/scent mark so much? Why do dogs sniff pee so much even when it’s their friends’ pee? Why do males sometimes squat when they pee and why do females sometimes lift their leg? Do dogs have a sense of self? Studies of “yellow snow” suggest they do. Are they conscious? (Of course they are, and scientists agree.) Why do dogs sniff and eat frozen turds? Why do dogs eat gooey feces? Why do dogs dig holes and then lie in them? Why do dogs scrape their butt on the ground? Why do people openly disparage their dog and then tell them they love them? (I often hear something like, “Oh, he’s really retarded, but I love him” or “You are so fat!” or “My goodness, your breath stinks!). Do dogs pick up on these mixed signals?“ Do dogs have a “little dog” complex? Do dogs make and use tools? (They do.) Why do dogs drink filthy water? How do dogs pick their mates? Do dogs dream? Do dogs get heartburn? Do dogs sweat? Do dogs understand baby talk? (People are well known to talk to dogs as if they’re infant humans.) What does “feral” mean? How did wolves become dogs? (Please see essays by Mark Derr.) What’s the difference between a socialized animal and a domesticated animal? (A wolf who likes humans is a socialized wolf. A domesticated wolf is a dog.) Do dogs really live in the moment? (No, their past clearly influences their behavior — just ask anyone who’s rescued an abused dog — and they think about the future — just watch a dog waiting for a frisbee or a ball to be thrown and watch them track the trajectory, although tracking might not be conscious, even in humans.)

Where to from here? There are many holes in the database and dog parks are gold mines of information.

It’s important to stress that there here are many holes in the database, and people find this very surprising because of many popular dog books that purport to “tell it like it is,” as if there are facts about this or that question. Dog parks are wonderful places for studies in dog-dog ethology and anthrozoology, the study of human-animal interactions, and I hope this essay will stimulate people to conduct formal studies and encourage citizen scientists to share their stories that can be used to generate further more systematic studies.

Studies in dog parks, that some may call “too uncontrolled,” may also shed light on questions that are being debated among different groups of researchers, for example, whether dogs follow human gazing or pointing and how well they perform these activities, or if dogs have a theory of mind. And, let’s face it, some laboratory studies also are rather uncontrolled, mainly because dogs are such a mixed bag of participants as might be the researchers themselves. Watching animals in their “natural habitats,” and dog parks might qualify as such, has shed much light on various aspects of behavior that are difficult to study in captivity or in other more controlled environs. Although many lab studies of dogs are likely more controlled than those conducted on free-running dogs, many people have seen behavior patterns that warrant reinvestigation in more ecologically relevant situations.

I continue to learn a lot about dog and human behavior when I visit dog parks. People often feel free to offer advice even when they knew who I am and what I do for a living. But, on a number of occasions, I chose to keep some distance to determine if their comments and explanations to other people (and often to the dogs) differ from when they know I’m around. For the most part, they did not. For example, I’ve been told that “familiar dogs definitely play differently from unfamiliar dogs,” that “humping is always about dominance,” that “dogs know what other dogs are thinking and feeling and they also know the same about people,” and that “know-it-all researchers ought to get off their butts and out of the ivory tower and watch dogs in the field.” On a few occasions some people made it clear that I had a lot to learn about dogs and they could teach me some valuable lessons. When I agreed, they were very surprised, and over the years I’ve had many interesting discussions that have made me re-evaluate what we know and don’t know about dog behavior and dog-human interactions. Concerning two of the areas above, we actually don’t know if familiar dogs play differently from unfamiliar dogs (I’ve got a student studying this) and, as I mentioned above, there’s not just one explanation for humping. Anyway …

There are numerous research projects just waiting to be done as we watch dogs romp here and there and have fun, meet old friends and strangers, and negotiate social relationships with other dogs and humans. I’m aware that I may have missed some studies so I hope readers will send me the details and share them in the comments section for this essay.

Dog behavior, in all of its kaleidoscopic forms, is an incredibly exciting field of research

Dogs openly share with us a lot about what they know and what they’re thinking and feeling, and we just have to be keen enough and patient enough to figure it all out. Dogs also are wonderful social catalysts and social magnets and they can help us learn a lot about ourselves. The arena of inquiry about dog-dog behavior and dogs and their humans truly is deep and boundless and there are numerous opportunities for studies at dog parks, where dogs frolic and sometimes cower and have to learn to deal with a wide variety of social situations with other dogs and humans, and at other places where dogs and humans congregate. And, as I mentioned before, talking about “the dog” can often be misleading and perilous.

Dog behavior, in all of its kaleidoscopic forms, is an incredibly exciting field of research, and I really look forward to seeing further studies of the above and other questions. When people tell me they’re having trouble coming up with a research project I humbly ask them if they’ve thought about dogs, and then the conversation gets going and going and going ….

Marc Bekoff’s latest books are Jasper’s story: Saving moon bears (with Jill Robinson), Ignoring nature no more: The case for compassionate conservation, Why dogs hump and bees get depressed, and Rewilding our hearts: Building pathways of compassion and coexistence. The Jane effect: Celebrating Jane Goodall (edited with Dale Peterson) has recently been published. (marcbekoff.com; @MarcBekoff)

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Take care all you good people and all your lovely animals.

This day a year ago.

What was posted exactly one year ago?

I was working outside all day yesterday and only sat down to think about today’s post after 5pm. Plus our evening meal was going to be served at 6pm.

So as I have previously done in these situations I decided to repost what was published here on Learning from Dogs one year ago to the day.

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Part One of a stunningly interesting essay from Professor Marc Bekoff.

As a newbie yet-to-be published author I am technically at the stage of having a completed draft that Jeannie and a close friend are proof-reading. Then after corrections, it is going to be released to some ‘beta’ readers who will give me some early feedback. (Too scary to even think of just now!)

OK, with that admission out of the way, let me move on to my ‘draft’ chapter on play; in Part Four of the book. In researching what is known about the way that dogs play and what lessons there are for us humans, I came across an essay by Marc Bekoff, Ph.D. Marc is Professor Emeritus of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Colorado, Boulder. His essay had been published in May on the website of Psychology Today. It was incredibly interesting and full of material for the book!

Within a few minutes of me sending Professor Bekoff an email requesting permission to include quotations in my ‘draft’ chapter, he had responded in the affirmative. I had also sought his permission to publish the essay here on Learning from Dogs. Again, a very quick, positive reply.

Thus with Marc Bekoff’s generous permission, here is his essay in full. (I’ve taken the decision to split this long essay into two parts.)

Finally, Professor Bekoff includes numerous ‘html’ links within his essay to other materials. I’ve cheated by saving quite some time adding those links but have underlined the linked phrase in question, apart from the very early chapters that do have ‘html’ links. Please go to the site of the original essay to explore further those links.

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Butts and Noses: Secrets and Lessons from Dog Parks (Part One)

Dog parks are gold mines of information about the behavior of dogs and humans

Post published by Marc Bekoff Ph.D. on May 16, 2015 in Animal Emotions

I love going to dog parks. So, too, do dogs and their people. Dog parks are a fascinating recent and growing cultural phenomenon. Indeed, I go rather often to what I call my field sites, for that’s what they are, to study play behavior and other aspects of dog behavior including urination and marking patterns, greeting patterns, social interactions including how and why dogs enter, become part of, and leave short-term and long-term groups, and social relationships. I also study human-dog interactions and when I study how humans and dogs interact I also learn a lot about the humans. For example, I often hear how happy people are that their dogs are free to run here and there or free to be dogs when they’re at the dog park. Often, they say this while they’re constantly calling them back to them even when the dog is simply sniffing here or there or looking for a friend. They also call them to break up play when they think it’s gotten out of hand. You call this free?

Two works to which I often go when thinking about social dynamics at dog parks are Matthew Gilbert’s book titled Off the Leash: A Year at the Dog Park and Sonoma State University’s Patrick Jackson‘s essay called “Situated Activities in a Dog Park: Identity and Conflict in Human-Animal Space.” Linda Case writes about Dr. Jackson’s study and she is not a fan of dog parks because she feels they’re not safe and because “Dog park people frequently behave badly by not being responsible dog owners and by being inconsiderate and uncaring towards other people and their dogs.” We really need empirical studies on the safety issue. After having spent countless hours at dog parks I’ve never entertained drawing this conclusion, but there aren’t any detailed data on this topic of which I’m aware. However, on occasion, but hardly regularly, I’ve marveled at just how inconsiderate a very few people can be. But, as part of the gossip network among the other people, I often hear that a given person behaves like this even in non-dog park situations. On a few ocassions I’ve had a rather inconsiderate person ask me why their dog has bad manners and rather than get involved I call attention to some interesting dog-dog interactions.

Most people realize that “dogs are in” and countless scientific and popular essays (see also New Directions in Canine Behavior, Julie Hecht’s “Dog Spies,” and essays written for Psychology Today by writers including Mark Derr, Stanley Coren, Jessica Pierce, and yours truly) and books have been published in the past decade or so about these fascinating mammals. The bottom line is that a plethora of detailed data — and the database is rapidly increasing — clearly show that dogs are thinking, clever, and feeling sentient beings, and viewing them as sort of robotic machines is incredibly misleading and academically corrupt (please see this essay). This does not mean that they are “doggy Einsteins,” however, ample data from numerous different research groups around the world clearly show that dogs are rather complex and incredibly interesting mammals who deserve a good deal of further study. Perhaps even René Descartes would consider changing his views on nonhuman animals (animals) as unfeeling machines given the enormous amount of empirical evidence on sentience in animals.

Why do dogs do this and that? Canine confidential

“Why do dogs do this and that?” The purpose of this short essay, that can be conceived as a field guide to the extremely interesting and largely unknown world of the fascinating dogs with whom we share our lives, is to provide some lessons in dog behavior from observations and questions arising from visits to various dog parks, especially around Boulder, Colorado where I live. I see myself as “a naturalist in a dog park” and aim to show here, via a series of questions, what we know and don’t know about many different aspects of dog behavior. Dogs are often called social catalysts – icebreakers or lubricants — for social interactions with other dogs and they often open the door for pretty frank and wide-ranging conversations among familiar and unfamiliar humans. It always amazes me how dogs free up humans to talk about things they might be more reluctant to share in other venues including what they really think about their human “BFF’s — best friends forever” — and the infamous “3 p’s,” namely, pee, poop, and puke. Often when I get home and look at my notes I view them as “canine confidential.” So, what follows is a sampler of many “why” questions, including why dogs hump, why they sniff butts, genitals, and ears, why they play, and why they organize themselves the ways they do. There are also many “what” questions such as “What do they know?”, “What are they thinking?”, and “What are they feeling?” in different contexts. The list of questions is endless and I’m sure those that follow can easily mutate in many, many more.

People who are lucky enough to share their world with a dog often think they know it all. And, while they do know a good deal about what their canine buddy is thinking and feeling and what they want and need, there really are large gaps in the scientific database. As I mentioned above, there are numerous anecdotes about why dogs do this or that, and, taken together, they form their own pool of data. However, while the claim that “the plural of anecdote is data” applies in some cases, many mysteries still loom in what we actually know about the world of dogs.

Furthermore, often there is no single “right” answer to a question — even some of the most commonly asked queries — and that’s just fine. Dogs compose a highly variable group of mammals — I often say “the dog” doesn’t really exist — so it’s not surprising that just when we think we have a solid handle on what they’re thinking and feeling and why they do what they’re doing an exception or three arises. Surely, the early experience of individual dogs influences their later behavior. So, while we know a lot, people are often amazed by how little we know and that hard and fast answers can’t be given to some common questions.

Visiting dog parks can be wonderful educational experiences. Visits, some lasting hours on end each and every day, can be myth breakers and icebreakers, and also provide information about why dogs are doing this or that. People are always asking questions about why their dog is doing something and really want to know what we know. They also freely offer advice to other people about why their dog is doing something and how they can treat various problems such as shyness, aggressiveness, and why dogs ignore what their human is asking them to do. And, as I wrote above, dogs also are icebreakers – “social catalysts” the academics call them — and get people to talk with one another and to talk about things.

The questions below range from interests about basic dog behavior such as why do dogs stick their noses where they do, and why they play, bark, pee, eat turds, and roll on their back, to more lofty questions about whether dogs have a theory of mind and whether they know what they look like and if they know who they are. A good number of questions deal with dogs’ butts and noses, hence the title of this brief essay (motivated, of course, by the famous rock group, Guns N’ Roses). Butts and noses — including other “private parts” – figure into a number of the questions below. We all know dogs put their noses in places where we couldn’t imagine there would be anything of interest, and also place their active snouts, often on their first introduction, to other dogs and humans, in places that make us rather uneasy. We don’t greet friends or strangers by immediately licking their mouth or with a genital sniff or slurp. There also are many general questions that don’t center on anatomical features that figure largely in the world of the dog. I’ll answer each question briefly with what we know from various types of research, with some stories where they’re available, and note where we really need more information. It’s entirely possible that I have missed a given study (or studies) and I apologize for the oversights and look forward to hearing from readers.

While we know a lot about dogs, there are holes in the database, so the future is chock full of exciting research. Readers will discover that what we often take to be the gospel about dog behavior frequently isn’t all that well supported by published empirical research or even detailed observations. While good stories are interesting and can serve to stimulate more “controlled” research, in and of themselves they don’t constitute “data” as do detailed and more focused studies (I’ll suggest below that studies in dog parks may be more “ecologically relevant” than studies in laboratories and help to settle on-going debates among different research groups). In some ways, then, this essay is sort of a myth-buster and a fun way not only to learn about dogs but also to stimulate further research about dogs and dogs and humans. So, here we go.

(See the concluding part tomorrow.)

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Clearly in this last year the book was published!

For readers who haven’t read Mark Bekoff’s essay before I will repost the concluding part tomorrow.

Playlists of our lives.

If you had to make a playlist of your life, what would be on it?

That intriguing sub-title comes from a video that Jean and I watched a couple of weeks ago.

But first I want to return to the matter of Parkinson’s Disease (PD) that was written about in a post dated the 24th February Personal Journeys. I wrote, in part,

Sue, and everyone else, we returned from seeing Dr. Lee, the neurologist, a little under two hours ago. Dr. Lee’s prognosis is that Jean is showing the very early signs of Parkinson’s disease, and Jean is comfortable with me mentioning this.

Everyone’s love and affection has meant more than you can imagine. I will write more about this next week once we have given the situation a few ‘coatings of thought’.

Jean sends her love to you all!

In recent weeks Jean has been experiencing increasing feelings of apathy, lack of motivation, lack of energy, all of which she summed up as a feeling of isolation. Plus the tremor in her hand has been slowly worsening.

Last week we decided that rather than waiting until August for the next planned appointment with Dr. Eric Lee, the neurologist, we should appraise Dr. Lee of the decline in Jean’s overall mood. That has now been done and Dr. Lee’s response is that Jean should start a trial course of the drug Sinamet® that a quick web search (see link on trade name) explains is:

SINEMET® (carbidopa-levodopa) is a combination of carbidopa and levodopa for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease and syndrome.

As before, Jean is happy for me to share this with you.

So back to the theme of playlists of our lives.

The Australian Broadcast Commission, ABC, have a YouTube channel ABCTVCatalyst that is full of great science programmes. As that website explains:

At Catalyst we know that science is a dynamic force for change. Each week Catalyst brings you stories from Australia and around the world. Our passion to meet scientists at the forefront of discovery is matched by our fascination with science breakthroughs however big or small. Science changes all our lives. For better or worse, we are committed to showing you what our future holds.

That is how Jean and I came across the following incredibly interesting talk about the role of music in our past lives assisting those with fading cognitive skills, as in my case, and including those with PD. It is just twenty-nine minutes long and something we should all watch, irrespective of our present age.

Published on Mar 8, 2016
If you had to make a playlist of your life, what would be on it? And if, toward the end of your life, your mind and memories were fading away, would this soundtrack help bring them back?

My final observation is that as a direct result of watching this programme I blew the dust off my iPod that I hadn’t used in many months. It was remarkable that despite me struggling at times to recall something I did just a few hours ago, I can hum along with tunes that are on my iPod that go back ten or twenty years.

The playlists of our lives!

Protecting our cats

There are some foods that are potentially very dangerous for cats.

Over two years ago I published an article that had been written by a guest. His name is Rohit Agarwal and the article that he wrote for Learning from Dogs was called Dogs and Fences. As it is likely that some readers may not have recalled Rohit’s piece and my introduction, let me repeat a part of what I said in that introduction:

I had no foreknowledge of Rohit, who described himself thus:

Author Bio: Rohit is a dog lover and pet enthusiast; he owns two adorable and wonderful dogs that include a German shepherd and a Labrador retriever. As work keeps him away from home, concerns arise about the safety and comfort of his pet friends, which made him try out various products that facilitate the same. Recently he was worried about leaving his dogs in the yard of his house and tried the underground fence for dogs, which worked great.

Rohit also made clear that he is a contributor to Petstek.com, the company behind the link in the last sentence of his bio.

Rohit’s article was well received so when he recently offered a further guest piece I had no hesitation in saying yes. Here it is.

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Six Foods Cats Should Never, Ever Eat!

cat-eating-icecream

We all are guilty of sneaking our animal family members some human food. In the case of our felines, they often sneak their own tasty treats. It is all fun and most food is generally safe for cats to eat. Unfortunately, not all of our food is considered safe for cats to consume. Here are a few foods to avoid.

Image Credits ThePixelman, CC0 1.0

Raisins

Raisins seem like a totally safe option for an animal, but unfortunately they are quite dangerous for felines. Scientists haven’t figured out the toxin, but consuming raisins can lead to sudden kidney failure in cats. This also means that grapes are off limits. If you notice that your cat has consumed either grapes or raisins, watch them closely for signs of toxicity. These signs include diarrhea, lack of appetite, lethargy, and abdominal pain. Usually, to cause death, large amounts have to be consumed, but even small amounts can lead to sickness.

Onions

Onions can potentially destroy a cat’s red blood cells which can cause a number of blood problems, such as anemia. This holds true for onions in any form, such as powdered, raw, and cooked. Onion powder can be in a multitude of food so be sure to read labels if you think you might give your feline friend a taste of dinner. Garlic is in the same family as onions, so therefore, all of this holds true for garlic in all forms. Garlic is less toxic.

Raw eggs

Humans are supposed to avoid eating raw eggs, so it make sense that our felines should avoid it as well. Eating a raw egg contains a risk of a bacterial infection which is called food poisoning. Your cat could potentially get salmonella or E.coli. Both of these infections could easily lead to death in such a small animal.

Alcohol

Now, this one might seem obvious, but cats are known for being sneaky and taking a lap of their owner’s drink. Consuming even small amounts of alcohol can lead to intoxication and alcohol poisoning. Because of their size, it can take as little as two teaspoons to do damage to their system or cause the cat to enter into a coma. More than two teaspoons can quickly lead to death.

Caffeine

Just like in canines, caffeine is not recommended for any breed of cats. In large quantities, caffeine is capable of being fatal. It is a diuretic that can lead to dehydration. Caffeine also overstimulates the heart and nervous system. If your cat consumes any, watch for signs of caffeine poisoning which includes restlessness, rapid breathing, heart palpitations, and tremors. Remember, caffeine isn’t just in coffee and soda; it is also found in tea, cold medicines and chocolate of all forms.

Chocolate is also lethal to cats, just as it is extremely dangerous for dogs. The agent in chocolate that leads to death is called theobromine. It can be found in all forms of chocolate, but it is especially dangerous in unsweetened baking chocolate. Eating chocolate can lead to tremors, an abnormal heart rhythm, seizures, and death.

Fat Trimmings and Bones

This one doesn’t seem so obvious; felines eat meat so one would assume fat trimmings would be safe. Consuming fat can lead to intestinal issues such as vomiting and diarrhea. It can also cause pancreatitis. Signs of pancreatitis include lethargy, dehydration, and loss of appetite. Sometimes, a cat can also run a fever. Avoiding bones does make more sense. Small bones can easily splinter which could cause lacerations in the stomach or choking.

If you believe that your cat has eaten any of these foods, you should watch them closely for any signs of illness. Contact your veterinarian if concerned. Prevention is key to keeping your feline friend safe.

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Let’s keep all our lovely animals safe!

Hazel – Further Update

Only time will provide the definite answer.

(This update would have been brought to you much earlier this week had it not been for our internet problems.)

You will recall that it was a week ago that we took Hazel to see a specialist and I posted Hazel’s Probable Disease. That evening our vet friend, Jim, brought over a supply of Prednisone tablets with the instructions to stop the Fluconazole treatment and switch to Prednisone. We started at a dosage of one 20mg tablet every 12 hours.

Hazel enjoying the cool floor of our bathroom. — Hazel enjoying the cool floor of our bathroom yesterday afternoon.

Within twenty-four hours the Prednisone had stimulated a return of Hazel’s appetite and for the last seven days she has been eating very well. Plus she has regained an interest in the world around her and now comes out for walks with the other dogs.

Jim and I went for a short hike yesterday afternoon and we were discussing Hazel. Jim reminded me that while the lung pictures and the other evidence were pointing to it being cancer the actual tumour still hadn’t been found.

If there is no noticeable decline in, say, three or four weeks then it may not be cancer. Certainly, Jim said, if it is cancer then Hazel will not live out another three months.

Time will give us the answer.

Death is part of life.

Slowly picking up the pieces from our internet outage.

The fact that I was sitting in front of my PC at 4:30am yesterday morning writing this says a lot about the inconvenience of losing our internet connection last Friday evening. We love living in this rural part of Southern Oregon surrounded by such dramatic scenery but it does have a couple of downsides, one of which is that we are very limited as to internet service providers.

Anyway, on with the show!

One of the posts that I had in mind for earlier this week was this rather poignant piece from Chris Snuggs. Chris and I go back many years to the time when he was Head of Studies at ISUGA; a French college based in Quimper. I was a visiting teacher at ISUGA covering entrepreneurial topics.

Enough of me, here is that story from Chris. It was sent to me on the 10th May.

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My sister’s dog died last night. Margaret woke me at 03.00 in the morning saying she needed my help. I found her at the front door, where Jasper was lying motionless, having crawled there in his last moments.

“I think he’s gone,” she said, sobbing quietly.

I knelt down and felt his side; indeed, there was no sign of breathing, though his body was still warm. Jasper had died. He had been ill for a few days, been down to the vet and got some medicine, but it had been to no avail. Maggie said he had been unusually quiet and motionless that last evening, making strange noises as his lungs failed him. At 12 years old, one cannot say it was a surprise, but until the last few days he had been right as rain, barking senselessly at nothing in particular when let out into the garden, getting under my feet as I did jobs around the house.

But death of any companion – or indeed of any living creature – is moving, shocking. He was not my dog, nor do I see him often or for long, but the one thing about dogs is that once they make friends with you – as Jasper had with me – you are a friend for life.

No matter how depressed you are, no matter how low an opinion you have of yourself, no matter how sheit your day was, whenever you walk through that front door, a dog will greet you with his tail wagging. They have infinite love, devotion and optimism; they take you as you are and love you whatever you are.

And so Jasper will be missed by me, but of course more so by my sister, who had him from a puppy. As anyone who has lost a companion knows, the house seems empty afterwards. There will be no more greetings with the wagging tail, no more forbidden jumping up onto the sofa to be patted, no more barking at the seagulls in the garden.

Death is a part of life, but hard to accept even so.

Chris Snuggs

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Chris also forwarded some photographs of dear Jasper that are offered in memory of the little chap.

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Embracing the reality of death: One of the most important lessons that we learn from our dogs.

Hazel’s probable disease.

And the last thing we wanted to hear.

Dear people, again I must say this:
CAUTION: The following is offered by way of information reaching out to other loving dog owners. Please do not assume I have any specialist veterinarian knowledge and please do not take the following as a replacement for seeing your own vet.

Back on the 4th May I posted the results of Hazel being scanned ultrasonically in a post Hazel’s Sonogram. Here’s a tiny extract:

Dr. Parker, who is a board-certified veterinarian doctor, came to the conclusion that the most likely cause of Hazel’s illness was the fungal lung infection, as Dr. Codd and the radiologist supposed.

But still Hazel showed too many signs that there was no improvement. Her eating was pitiful and the application of the Fluconazole (anti-fungal) medicine was not helping, bearing in mind that she was first seen by Dr. Codd over a month ago.

Dr. Codd’s advice was that we seek specialist help and yesterday morning Hazel was seen by Dr. Kimberly Winters, DVM, of Southern Oregon Veterinary Specialty Center (SOVSC) who, in addition, has a further qualification (Diplomate AVCIM) in Internal Medicine.

Based in Medford, about a 40-minute drive South from home.

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Jean and I were impressed by the way we were received and noted that the clinic, Southern Oregon Veterinary Specialty Center, offered a 24-hour emergency service. Here’s a piece from their home page:

At Southern Oregon Veterinary Specialty Center, we understand the special bond between a pet and their human family. Our team of highly trained doctors, certified technicians and support staff partner with your family veterinarian to provide specialized diagnostics, surgery and emergency care for your pet upon a referral or emergency basis. Our clinic is staffed 24 hours-a-day, 7 days a week, to receive emergency cases and to monitor our critical care patients. The clinic’s board-certified veterinary specialists and staff are committed to providing exceptional compassionate care utilizing state-of-the-art technology and treatments.

Then we were called in and first seen by one of the technicians to record all the details.

Then a short while later in came Dr. Winters.

Dr. Winters listening to Hazel's rather laboured breathing. — Dr. Winters listening to Hazel’s rather laboured breathing.

Dr. Winters recommended a further xray of Hazel’s lungs and some blood work.

An hour later we had her analysis.

Dr. Winters said that while the condition of Hazel’s lungs could be an indication of a fungal infection she had her doubts. Or, in the words of her subsequent report:

There are several things that are not consistent with fungal infection – no high globulin level, no elevation in white blood cell count, no fever, negative titers, progression despite fluconazole treatment.

But the most important indicator of it being something other than a fungal infection was that the xray showed Hazel’s lungs to be worse.

My photograph of the clinic's screen display. — My photograph of the clinic’s screen display.

This can be more readily seen if I publish the xray image of yesterday and the image taken on the 15th April; see below.

Xray image as of the morning of May 12th, 2016.

One of the radiographs taken of Hazel. — One of the radiographs taken of Hazel 15th April, 2016.

Despite not truly understanding these images both Jean and I quickly thought the top one, taken yesterday, showed a decline in Hazel’s lungs compared to the lower one, taken on the 15th April.

It was then time to seek Dr. Winters’ opinion.

Essentially, she said that she doubted the diagnosis of it being a fungal infection especially as lung fungal infections were very rare in Oregon. When I queried the fact that it might have been dormant for some time Dr. Winters thought that doubtful because the lungs, even a month ago, were displaying advanced disease.

Dr. Winters couldn’t be sure without a physical examination of the lung tissue but on the balance of probability she believed Hazel was at an advanced stage of cancer with the tumor somewhere in the body and that her lungs were showing that the cancer had metastasized!

A later discussion with Dr. Russ Codd and Jim Goodbrod confirmed this analysis with Russ thinking that the primary tumor might be in Hazel’s arteries. To a very great extent, it has become academic as Russ believes that Hazel will not have that much longer to go and that our main focus should be on keeping her quality of life as high as we can, for as long as we can.

Jean and I are devastated as you can imagine and later on when writing this post my thoughts were on some of the words added to the post Embracing Those Senior Years just last Wednesday. These words:

First from Barb of the blog Passionate about Pets:

Hariod, your comments to Paul about your GSD really touched me because I myself am in that same space now with my almost 17 year old shih-tzu. We have always had a special connection but in the last year, as her age has progressed with it’s usual complications, our relationship has moved to another level – becoming even deeper than anything I have ever experienced; so powerfully in tune with each other, it’s incredible.
As I write this, every day she is with us is a precious bonus.

Then followed by these words from Petspeopleandlife:

Our aging pets can be very troubling. I ‘ve been there and done that many times in about 60 years and even in my years before I left the farm to attend school. It doesn’t get easy and I always hate watching my pets age. It is devastating to lose them.

Then my words:

There are no favorites in our ten dogs but there are some that are more open in expressing and returning affection. It seems those dogs in particular tear us apart when they die.

For Hazel is one of those dogs.

History of the Pyrenean Mastiff

The breed background history of our Brandy.

In yesterday’s post I wrote about how we determined that our Brandy was a Pyrenean Mastiff (Spanish Mastin del Pirineo). In that search, into both the breeder and the history of the breed, we came across the website of De La Tierra Kennels located in Quartz Hill, California who are Pyrenean Mastiff breeders. As they state on their website:

Tierra Alta were the first kennel to introduce the Mastin del Pirineo to the U.S.A. Our kennels have produced excellent show potential pups bred from the finest imported and now domestic stock available – Tajadera del Tio Roy, Castillo de Ali, Do Limoeiro, De Domus, El Bellotero, Rocaforte, Larresalkoak, Del Paso del Oso, Moralet, Wela Brillante, Springstrand, Iirismaan, Bondadoso and Farma Stekot, Murtoi’s, Del Mostin and Can Cabot. Our foundation mostines are imports directly from Spain, Italy, Finland and the Czech Republic. Our kennels have also exported to Canada, Europe and Mexico. Our kennel has the broadest bloodlines for the PM in the U.S.A. and the largest number of Pyrenean Mastiffs in the country.

and two paragraphs later:

A Moment In History!

Breeder of Pyrenean Mastiffs since 1996: Tierra Alta kennels were proud to announce the arrival of the first Pyrenean Mastiff litter born in the U.S.A. October 1st, 1997

It was then quickly discovered that there is a breed association for Pyrenean Mastiffs and almost as quickly revealed that the breed association shares the same telephone number as the breeders. Nonetheless, I’m going to republish the history of the breed as it is presented on the website of the PMCA Pyrenean Mastiff Club of America.

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Mastin de los Pirineos – Pyrenean Mastif

Statue of the Molossus Belonging to Olympias, daughter of the Molossian King Pyrrhus

Edited By Brian Vesey-Fitzgerald – “The Book Of The Dog“

THE SPANISH MASTIFF & THE PYRENEAN MASTIFF THE HISTORY OF SPAIN

In the Middle Ages, the Christians in the north and the Moslems in the south of the Iberian peninsula were fighting against each other for the control of the land that would one day become known as Espana. In the Christian kingdoms, the business of wool and lambs was the livelihood of the people. At that time existed two hegemonic kingdoms in the yet unborn Spain, Castilla and Aragon. In these kingdoms, each having a very different way of life, were born two breeds of dogs.

In the wide and flat Castilla, the Mastin Espanol (Spanish Mastiff); in the heterogeneous and abrupt Aragon, the Mastin del Pirineo (Pyrenean Mastiff). The system of “trashumancia” in Castilla was completely homogeneous. The big herds had a lot of very detailed rules imposed by the “Honrado Concejo de la Mesta”. These rules included the way to treat the dogs, which was important, since these dogs defended the flocks from many risky situations across many thousands of miles. These big and valiant dogs are the breed we know today as the Spanish Mastiff.

In the kingdom of Aragon, the “Honrado Concejo de la Mesta” had no authority, and the herding rules differed from one valley to the next. The Pyreneans were home to many wolves and bears, and here another magnificent protector, the Pyrenean Mastiff or “Mostin”(from the old aragonish language) was employed.

As the centuries passed these systems continued. The river Ebro remained the border between these two excellent molosser breeds up until our day.

The Spanish Mastiff and Pyrenean Mastiff are both molossoid breeds. The Spanish Mastiff has a shorter coat, slightly bigger head and a little more skin on the throat. The Pyrenean Mastiff has a longer coat and his color is always white with an obligatory mask around the eyes and on the ears. In both cases, the texture of the coat is hard, not soft or wooly. In both breeds the head is important, the structure powerful, a wide chest and round ribs. The expression of the Spanish Mastiff is much “sweeter” than that of the expressive face of the Pyrenean Mastiff.

These two magnificent canine giants have conquered the hearts of many. They are both breeds of excellent temperament and indescribable charm. These Mastiff dogs do not require extensive care. They are healthy breeds that require to spend their days with someone who will be more of a friend and companion than just an “owner’. They are proud, strong and sure of themselves and a great piece of the history of Spain.

ASPECTS OF THE PYRENEAN MASTIFF

The dog we know as the Pyrenean Mastiff belongs to the breed of very big molosus dogs. These dogs were the guardians of the Aragonien sheep herds protecting them from predators such as the wolf and bear. The Mastiff from Navarra and Cataluna are included in the Pyrenean Mastiff of today. They were also used to protect houses, farms and castles.

In their work of protecting the herd they were assisted by the shepherd dog today known as Gos d’Atura Catala. In order to protect themselves while working the Pyrenean Mastiff used to wear a special collar called a “carlanca” generally made of iron with sharp protruding spikes. The collar was an extraordinary help in case of an attack from wolves or bears.

The time eventually came when the herds worst predators disappeared from the Pyreneas. This was around 1930 to 1940. The question of what to do with such a big dog with a large appetite was pondered by the farmers. Due to the lack of interest in this big dog it gradually began to disappear. This could have been disastrous for the breed had it not have been for a few big dog lovers who adopted the task of the breeds survival.

It was hard to feed such a big dog during the period just after the Spanish Civil War but it was obviously one that was accomplished. The great-great-grandchildren of these dogs are the seeds that have been used to revive the breed today. The Pyrenean Mastiff is part of the common origin of the molosus or molususlupoides to guard the livestock. It was distributed within different breeds in the southern part of Europe from Turkey to Portugal and from Caucaso to Sierra Morena.

In the Spanish breed the molosus factor dominates the lupoide one and its structure with a big skull, strong bones and round ribs makes it difficult to rest. The Pyrenean Mastiff is a rectangular dog, thick, big head and wide breast. The ears should be implanted over the eyes line and not too big. The eyes should be intelligent and dark. Overall the Pyrenean Mastiff shall show his power and his strength. The base color of the coat should always be white. The eyes and ears should always be colored. The hair should be long and thick. The Pyrenean Mastiff character is noble, tame with the children and with the people who get along well with the dog, but implacable with those who dare to challenge him.

Often people who are unfamiliar with the breed may say that these dogs are very big and very stupid. Those who refer to the breed in this context are usually more familiar with the barking-attacking anyone or anything without any reason type of dog. The Pyrenean Mastiff is and was a very calm dog possibly due to the fact that his function depended on that. It is a very self reliant dog and barks very little. However if necessary it can be extremely aggressive although it only comes to this point if there really is no other way out. The Pyrenean Mastiff is quiet, good and equilibrated in practically all circumstances. The Pyrenean Mastiff is a dog happy to put on a collar and walk patiently by the side of his owner.

“To each his own” as the saying is known. However in the case of the Pyrenean Mastiff there are some helpful points to look for in the breed: More importance should be placed on the massivity than the size, and to the head rather than the tail. A deeper breast than the elbows rather than shorter and poor. Preferably a too aggressive dog to a too timid one. A deep face profile to a “wolf- thin” profile. A dog with open toes, but extremely strong bones rather than one with perfect toes and too light in the bones or too flat of a breast and ribs. It is more important to seek maybe some incorrect teeth in a powerful and big head rather than some perfect teeth in a “wolfie” head. The ultimate dog is strong, rustic, powerful and full of typicity rather than an “elegant” or “harmonic” or “changed” one.

As previously noted ten to twelve years after the Spanish Civil War the breed was less abundant. With the onset of the seventies, lover of the Spanish dog breeds began to research dogs in the mountains and in the rest of Aragon for the dog that perhaps could belong to the beloved Spanish breed, the old and great molossus from Aragon. The Club del Mastin del Pirineo de Espana (Spanish Pyrenean Mastiff Club) was founded in 1977. It is an association where all breeders, owners and lovers of the breed united to become the most important club dedicated to a Spanish breed. Some years after their beginning the only *monographic book about the Pyrenean Mastiff was written by the club. The international history of the Pyrenean Mastiff is only beginning. Today there are about 4000 Pyrenean Mastiffs in their homeland of Spain.

ORIGIN

Origin: Spain.

The Pyrenean mastiff is a native of the southern slopes of the Pyrenees mountains. The mastiff was developed in the region of the Pyrenean Mountains that stretches from Aragon to Navarra. The breed was once known as the Navarra mastiff. The breed was at one time almost extinct but has gained new interest in recent years. It is still rare despite this. It is also known as the Mastiff of Navarre and the Mastin d’Aragon.

The Pyrenean mastiff should not be confused with its French counterpart, the Great Pyrenees.

The Phoenecian traders acquired mastiffs in Assyria and Sumeria. These dogs were sold in Spain where they were to be bred as working dogs and their heritage can be traced back to the great Asiatic mastiffs.

Description: It is a strong, powerful and tall dog of elegant beauty. Ideal height at the withers for males is 32 inches/81 cm and 29 1/2 inches/75 cm for females. Life expectancy is about 12 -14 years.

The Pyrenean mastiff has such a light step that it hardly leaves any footprints. It posesses a large, long and strong head and long muzzle with a black nose. The skull is slightly rounded, broad and convex, prominent occiput and a wide, deep muzzle. The head should be massive and broad. The neck is powerful and surrounded by loose skin and hanging double dewlaps. The face is symmetrical and the eyes are small and dark with the lower eye lid showing. The ears are pointed and pendant. Although the ears can be cropped and the tail docked, this is not recommended. The tail is carried low and has a fringe and should have a curl at the tip and although it stands up when active, is never carried over the back. The body should be rectangular, well muscled and with strong bone. The back is level, slightly hollow and more inclined toward the withers.

The Pyrenean mastiff has a thick, abundant and coarse coat that is medium long on the body but is slightly longer on the throat and neck. Coat colors most frequently seen are white with markings either golden, any shade of grey, black or badger, sand, red or marbling markings on the sides of the head and ears and the beginning of the neck. Markings may also be found on the posterior. Least prized dogs are those to have black and white markings. No matter what the markings the main body color is always white. A few large patches on the body are permissible but not in all white or tricolored dogs. The fore and hindquarters are strong with plenty of bone and muscle. The forefeet are not very large with toes that are closed and well arched. Double dewclaws on the hindlegs are typical but NOT obligatory in this breed.

TEMPERAMENT

Silent, friendly and intelligent

Uses: The Pyrenean mastiff is a flock guardian, hunter of wild game, personal guardian and working dog. It is an excellent sheep protector, resistant to cold weather and capable of fighting off predators such as wolves.

Every Spring, for many centuries, the shepherds of the Pyrenees would move their large flocks from the lower mountain plains to grazing areas in the high, mountain valleys. The Pyrenean mastiff aided in moving and protecting these flocks during the trip. Four or five dogs would take charge of up to a thousand sheep. The mastiff was equipped with a heavy spiked collar known as a “carlanca” in order to protect the neck during a wolf attack. The mastiff was regognized as a distinct breed in the latter part of the last century. It is a reliable, obedient and protective companion.

All along the southern third part of Europe, from Caucase to Sierra Morena and from Lisboa to Stambul, exist, and have existed during centuries past, molosoid and lupo – molosoid large breeds of dogs. These dogs are dedicated traditionally to guard the ewe herds, and have adapted both their physical and mental abilities to the different circumstances, countries, climates, etc., where their jobs have taken them.

We have known guarding breeds such as the Anatolian Karabash, the Komondor, the Ovtcharka, the Kuvasz, the Polish Tatra, the Maremma – Abruzzese, the Pyrenean Mountain Dog, the Mastin Espanol, the Rafeiro de Alentejo, the Estrela Mountain Dog and others. Among them, one of the more fascinating breeds is the Pyrenean Mastiff (Mastin de los Pirineos). This breed is one of the most primitive breeds of flock guardian dogs.

The Pyrenean Mastiff, like the Mastin Espanol (Spanish Mastiff) breed, was influenced in the past from the blood of molosser dogs coming probably to Spain through the South (Cadiz or “Gadir”) proceeding from Asia in the Phoenecian boats. This influence produced two different types of large and powerful dogs perfectly adapted for the job that would be required to do for so many centuries, protecting the lambs against the wolf and the bear.

There were two molossoid Spanish breeds, the Mastin del Pirineo and the Mastin Espanol. The first of these two lived in the north – east part of Spain and the latter in the center, in the area of Castilla and Leon. In the middle age times when both breeds became established, the lands of Aragon and Cataluna were independent and this was where the Pyrenean Mastiff was living. The Mastin del Pirineo can compare his history to that of the Pyrenean Mountain Dog because they have many breed similarities.

Imagine that the Pyreneans valleys direction was north-south and both sides belonged to the Navarra-Aragon-Cataluna crown or in essence to Spain. This situation changed in 1659, when Mazarino, the Regent of France and Philippe IV, King of Spain signed a decree through which France acquired the Northern side of the Pyreneans. From that time on, the French raised their dogs in their own direction and style, hence leading to a characteristic type that later became known as Chien de Montagne des Pyrenees (Pyrenean Mountain Dog/Great Pyrenees). In the Southern Pyrenees, the Spanish chose to remain with the traditional type dogs, working dogs that were more primitive and wide, less refined and homogeneous. During the international expansion that the official cynology has experienced in our twentieth century, both breeds have had opposite appeal.

The Pyrenean Mountain Dog (Great Pyrenees) has enjoyed great recognition due to the excellent selection efforts of the French breeders and those of other countries also. The Spanish Pyrenean Mastiff was barely surviving as a breed, still working in his traditional role as guardian of the lambs, until the middle of this century when the last wolf was killed off in the Spanish Pyreneans. In the forties and fifties Spain was in poor shape, still trying to recuperate from the effects of a civil war. A large breed such as this, that eats a lot and with no useful job to perform in its homeland became a heavier burden on the people during such hard times and with each passing year their numbers began to diminish as a pure breed. In the seventies, a new passion grew among many people who had an interest in the Spanish breed. Gradually the Pyrenean Mastiff began to make a comeback, although far from the wolves and lambs, but closer to a bigger friend, man.

Today people are beginning to once again take an interest in the Pyrenean Mastiff. If luck is on the side of this large and wonderful Spanish breed, it will this time enjoy the recognition that it rightfully deserves.

Information provided by Rafael Malo

Story translated and edited by Karin S.Graefe

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I closed yesterday’s post with these words:

Further research on this breed has turned up some very interesting information. Come back tomorrow to read that and what we discovered when we spoke to the breeder.

Well you have had the interesting information and later I had a wonderful conversation with Karin Graefe of that breeder; De La Tierra Alta Kennels in Oakdale, California. (See footnote.)

In a web search for other PM breeders I came across Pyrenean Mastiffs de Monte Sano based in Alabama. Here’s what you read on their website home page:

Pyrenean Mastiffs de Monte Sano owner, Victoria Betterton, is an active member of the Pyrenean Mastiff Club of Spain (Club Del Mastín Del Pirineo De España (C.M.P.E)) and is the US representative for the club.

Located in Huntsville Alabama, we have done a lot of research into the Pyrenean Mastiff breed and have worked hard to bring wonderful specimens to the USA. Our dogs are the result of the vision of breeders that are among the best in Italy and Spain. These breeders have become good friends as these dogs are now a loving part of our family.

The Pyrenean Mastiff has recently been added to the American Kennel Club’s (AKC’s) Foundation Stock Service (FSS). Our breeding dogs are registered with FSS as well as with both the Federación Canófila de Puerto Rico (FCPR) for Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI) approved registry purposes, and the United Kennel Club (UKC) for show purposes. All our dogs and their offspring can also be registered with all of the smaller clubs that accept FCI approved or UKC registrations such as the American Rare Breed Association (ARBA).

I called them and it was Victoria who took the call. I explained the circumstances of Brandy coming into our lives and then sent her an email with some photographs of Brandy. This was her reply:

Hi Paul,

It could be that Brandy has Pyrenean Mastiff in him, but I doubt he is purebred. The jowls, and especially the coloring is not characteristic. He doesn’t have near the droop in the lip of typical PMs, and he is missing way too much white, especially on the nose. While there are PMs with darker muzzles, they always have some white or they are not considered correct for the breed. I’d say he is definitely a mix of something and PM or GP. If you could trace the owner by microchip, you may be able to find out.

He is a beautiful dog. I wonder why they clipped him. I never clip mine. The hair protects from cold and heat both.

Best Regards, Vicki Betterton

Clearly more to find out!

Footnote:

Later in the afternoon I had a most delightful conversation with Karin Graefe of De la Tierra Alta Kennels in California who came up with another possible explanation of Brandy’s roots. More of that another day. But can’t resist telling you that in my call with Karin it was very quickly established that she joins me and Jean in being another Londoner as she was born in Kensington. Small world at times!

First June Solstice Full Moon in Decades

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Butts and Noses: Secrets and Lessons from Dog Parks (Concluding Part)

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Butts and Noses: Secrets and Lessons from Dog Parks (Part One)

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