Newsletter – August 2011 22009January/February 09

Learning About Animals was set up to provide information and promote interest in the welfare and behaviour of animals. The aim is to bridge the gap between professionals  & scientists working with animals and the public.

If you have any suggestions for future events or if you would like to be considered to be a speaker please contact me.

I am also a qualified equine behaviourist and run consultations in Surrey and the Home Counties.  For more details please visit the relevant section of the web site.

EVENTS LIST

Animal Welfare: Making a difference for animals
13th August 2011
An introduction to the field of animal welfare, consideration of many different issues and what we can each do to make a difference. Details. Taking bookings now.

Animal Evenings: Series of evening talks
Tuesday 13th September.
Talk 2: ‘Dog body language and communication’ £5, tickets only available in advance. Details. Taking bookings now.

Learning theory day
24th September 2011
A day exploring the fascinating topic of how animals learn. The focus is on horses and dogs but other species will be featured. £30 for the day. Details. Taking bookings now.

DOGS: A workshop with Lynn Barber
2nd October 2011
Lynn is a behaviourist and the Head of Canine Behaviour and Training at the Dog’s Trust. She will be talking about play behaviour and dogs and other topics. More details coming soon. £45, Chertsey, Surrey) Taking bookings now.

 HORSES:  Equine behaviour and training with Ben Hart  Details.  
8th October 2011
(£45, Woking) Taking bookings now.

HORSES: Exploring the latest findings in equine cognition 12th November 2011 (morning event; with Leanne Proops; details). Taking bookings now.

The views expressed by the speakers are not necessarily those held by Learning About Animals

Quote

“It is better to light a single candle than to curse the darkness” Proverb

Interesting links

1. Bee fences used to keep elephants away LINK.

2. RSPCA science update includes review of paper about how mood affects learning in dogs LINK.

3. Interesting article about dogs by John Bradshaw LINK.

4. I kind of wish the earliest horse was still around - it was cute LINK.

5. Brilliant short films on the EnvironmentFilm website. Check out the Soi Dog documentary and the one about moon bears especially.

6. Poster about how kids should interact with dogs - another great resources from Dr Sophia Yin.

7. How to teach a cat to use a cat flap. Blog article.

8. Dog’s don’t understand about moving - funny article.

9. Animals can tell right from wrong. Article.

10. Jean Donaldson’s blog.

An Unusual Delivery

I am excitedly awaiting an unusual delivery - a material to-scale pony’s intestine!

I attended a ‘learning by doing’ day last year at which people working for different animal welfare organisations met to discuss ways that we explain/explore different issues with animal owners. Joni Caswell (see Perfect Pony Partners on Facebook) brought a life-size model of a pony’s intestine made from balls. Such an inventive idea!

Many people do not realise how long the pony’s intestine is and the model can help to explain common problems such as colic. Learning in an interactive way like this helps people to remember the information, and it’s more fun than lectures. Joni  has made me a material version so that I can take it on my trips overseas to help equine owners understand how horses work and how to prevent problems.

I’ll include pictures of the model and its outings in the next Newsletter - THANK YOU JONI!!!

Have your say......

I would like to find out how I can improve Learning About Animals, both the usefulness of the web site and also how to increase the number of people coming to events. If you could spare the time to answer a few questions email me at suzanne@learningaboutanimals.co.uk  and I’ll send them to you.

For each completed questionnaire you’ll receive a very small gift in the post.

Product Review – the Stag Bar

Pure Dog is developing a range of natural chews for dogs. Their main product, the Stag bar, is a piece of antler. They claim to last longer than other dog chews on the market, to be clean, not to splinter or chip and be healthy.

My two lurchers tested one .... They are connoisseurs of most chews on the market and can usually decimate anything that claims to last a long time in less than 10 minutes. Only certain Kong fillings keep their attention. So it was with interest that I presented them with the stag bar.

For the first day it was ignored after just a cursory sniff but as soon as one of them showed an interest the other wanted it too and it has been chewed on for bouts of 10-20 minutes ever since. The leaflet suggests that if the dog isn’t interested you can try rubbing it with sandpaper.

It is indeed very clean (a definite advantage when fair-weather lurchers don’t want to chew outside), doesn’t smell and seems to be lasting well. I am much more excited than normal people would be at finding something that they leave and go back to many times thus creating their own entertainment rather than looking forlorn and bored as lurchers can do so well.

What chews do your dogs recommend?

The Good News box!

1. Shark fishing banned in the Bahamas LINK

2. UK to ban testing household products on animals LINK

3. Wild animals in circuses banned in Peru LINK

4. Animal welfare is gaining interest in China (video) LINK

5. Closure of cruel zoos in Malaysia LINK

Dominance vs Partnership

This was the title of the recent workshop with Ben Hart. First we looked at video clips of different training methods and discussed if we thought them to be based on dominance or partnership. We explored what we mean by both words and whether our beliefs about horsemanship are mirrored in what we actually do in practice. Interactive exercises helped us to think what it must be like to be a horse and to look deeper into our motives for training them to do specific things. Is it for us or for the horse? The day was inspiring and thought provoking about our relationship with horses.

The next event with Ben is on 8th October and will be half theory and half demonstration/practical with horses. Taking bookings now.  

Image courtesy of computerclipart.com

Animal Evenings: talks with optional time afterwards to mingle over nibbles
These events aim to provide a chance for people interested in animals, whether as professionals or just for interest, to relax over nibbles after one or two short talks. For those who can’t resist a spot of shopping, there will also be things to buy in aid of various animal charities. The venue will change each time although if a core of the same people wish to attend these evenings then we can work out where is best to hold them. Profits from these talks will go to a different animal charity each time.

Second Animal Evening: Tuesday 13th September 2011 (£5, 7pm, Chertsey, Surrey)

DOGS: BODY LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION

This presentation is packed full of pictures and video clips on dog communication. It has been produced by Carol A Byrnes, a dog behaviourist from the USA, it will be presented by Suzanne Rogers (Learning About Animals). The resource (PowerPoint presentation with videos) is available to other people who might want to give the talk at their dog training club or behaviour group. As such this event provides a chance for participants to attend the presentation and afterwards discuss if they would use the resource to present to others, if they like it or would want to change anything. Anyone is welcome, trainers, owners, people just interested in dogs! DETAILS.

Five things to do  

1. Watch Undercover Boss on 4-OD; its set in The Blue Cross and is really heartwarming insight into their work.

2. Buy someone you love some dog’s bollox  for just £2 in this amusing new campaign. Check out the videos while you’re there.

3. Go meat-free on Mondays.

4. Check out kid’s drawings of elephants at the Elephant Sanctuaries’ facebook page.

5. Join NatGeo’s Cause an Uproar campaign.

Oldies but goodies

1. If you haven’t yet seen Amazing Grace then it’s one to hire in this rainy British summer.  It’s less than £5 on Amazon. The film is about William Wilberforce and his struggle to end slavery. However, not only was he the founder of the RSPCA but also there are so many parallels with the attitudes people had to slaves and those some people have to animals (such as they can’t feel pain or are cognisant) that as well as being a brilliant film it is an inspiring story of change.

2. An old book to dig out is Canine Body Language by Barbara Aloff. This photographic guide is a brilliant resource to help explain to people about canine communication.

How dogs and cats drink

X-ray footage helps to show how dogs drink. See this video. Dogs don’t have cheeks (they just have lips) so can’t store water the way we can before swallowing. This video shows how they drink and why they often get their water  all over the floor!

A high speed video shows how cats lap up milk (although note that you shouldn’t feed cats cow’s milk).

There is also an x-ray video on how different breeds of dogs move.

Advertising

Do you have an animal-related business? If you would like a ‘box’ of the next newsletter dedicated to your business this costs just £20. This newsletter goes to around 4000 people in the UK, mostly in the South East.  Advertisers must conform to the Learning About Animals ethical policy. Contact me for further information suzanne@learningaboutanimals.co.uk

If you are involved with a charity then contact me to discuss dedicating a box to your work for free.

Dogs don’t socialise with vacuum cleaners!

I am frustrated that new resources are still referring to socialising puppies with vacuum cleaners and other household items in their early training.

Dogs don’t socialise with vacuum cleaners any more than (normal) people do! They habituate, or de-sensitise depending on if they have already become scared of them or not, to them - learning that they are not dog-sucking monsters through repeated experiences of vacuum cleaners.

If you are interested in learning theory then do come to the workshop in September where we will explore this fascinating subject - and then more of you will be bugged by terms being mis-used!