 Animal Radio® Show #590 March 26, 2011
The Emotional Capacity of Our Dogs
Kevin Behan, Your Dog Is Your Mirror
 Kevin Behan was originally trained to work with dogs under the dominance theory by his father, John Behan, one of the first in America to make dog training a career. But he eventually came to believe that what made the modern dog trainable was not the dominance hierarchy but the dog’s ability to work as a cooperative group member in the hunt. Kevin is surprised that the original model of dominating your dog seems to get stronger and stronger as the years go by.
What Kevin ultimately realized through his work with obedience training, protection and police training, is that dogs project their essence, or themselves, into what they are attracted to and then feel what the object of their affection is feeling. So when we look at wolves, they hunt a prey that is bigger than they can physically overpower. They only prey on the ones that are feeling vulnerable, so they have to pick up that feeling. Domestication has only amplified this in our dogs.
Kevin feels that in the past we have concentrated on the pack as a source of cooperation, when it really isn't. It's really how they work as a team. They feel what the prey is feeling and then they all align around that common feeling. This is how they work cooperatively.
Kevin feels that this is what goes on between dogs and their owners. The dog studies the owner and picks up their feelings and then alines around that.
Kevin doesn't necessarily feel that every team should have a leader, but every team should want to win, so they align around that feeling. There isn't one leader, because if we watch a really effective team, there might be a cast of stars, but every so often a role person takes over, and they want and demand the ball, and a really good athlete learns to pass the ball. So there is actually no leader, but there is a will, this organizing principle, and the one we call the leader is the one who's most in tuned to that. So for that moment, he looks like the leader.
 But this can flip in a minute. If we look at a pack and the pray goes left while the alpha goes right, which way would the pack go? Kevin says left. This is really the organizing principle. Who wants the prey the most? I'm following you, you have the good idea and I'm with you.
When Kevin was asked if you can know what's going on in the mind of a dog, Kevin replied, you could, because emotion in his view is a universal medium. If we look at our dogs without reading thoughts into what they are doing, we will actually see our own feelings playing out.
Find some little oddity of your dog's behavior that strikes you as a quirk of their personality and then see if you can find a correlation in your own behavior, manner or personality, and it will hit you like a ton of bricks!
What do dogs want? Kevin responds by saying that dogs want to resolve their owners charge. What bothers the owner bothers them. This is how some dogs can predict when their owners are going to have an epileptic seizure.
After reading Kevin's book, Your Dog Is Your Mirror, perhaps you might change the way you think about your dog!
http://naturaldogtraining.com
Paw-Parazzi Pet Photo Contest
Steve Pinetti, Kimpton
 At Kimpton, they love pets so much that they have set out to find the cutest and most photogenic pet out there by kicking off the Kimpton Hotels Paw-Parazzi Contest.
Anyone can upload a pet photo to their site. Every two weeks, the five photos with the most “Like” votes will win pet-tacular prizes from their partners such as Olive Green Dog, Polka Dog Bakery, and Republic of Paws. The contest runs for three months through May 31, 2011.
On June 1, 2011, judges from Animal Radio will select the Grand Prize photo from the 30 bi-weekly winners for the "Ultimate hosPETality Getaway" which includes:
 A two night stay at a Kimpton Hotel of the winner's choice- Two round trip tickets on JetBlue for human passengers
- $500 credit for the photogenic pet on Pet Airways, a pet only airline
- One $100 Kimpton Restaurant or in-room dining gift certificate
- One in-room spa treatment for two
- An Amelia Collection Carrier by Sherpa Pet Carrier
- Use of pet amenities such as a dog bed, bowl, and treats
Anyone may enter by logging onto kimptonhotels.com to upload a photo of his or her pet.
What are you waiting for!
Dodge Journey Pet Destinations
What Is Your Favorite Place To Take Your Pet?
People who have pets love to travel with them. At Dodge, they have made it easier with their pet friendly vehicle, the Dodge Journey, which contains concealed storage bins, Chill Zone glove box cooler and second-row dual in-floor storage bins with removable and washable liners (very handy for muddy paws!) Call us with your favorite place to take your furry-friend: 1-866-405-8405.
This week's Dodge Journey Pet Destination:
 Mark, from Southeastern Wisconsin, recommends the Burlington Dog Park in Burlington, Wisconsin. He tells us it is a great place to take your dogs in the summer. They have some great open fields to let your dogs run free. It is also next to the Fox River, so if you have a dog that likes to flop around in swampy mud, it is a great place!
To view Past Dodge Journey Pet Destinations, click here.
The Dogfather's Grooming Tip with Joey Villani
Alternative Pest Control
This is the best way to kill fleas without any harmful chemicals. They key is that is involves a degreaser. The best degreaser that is safe for your pets is dishwasher liquid like Dawn. Don't use a spray degreaser like Fantastic, because that can be toxic to your pet. Dish detergent is non-toxic and Dawn dish detergent actually works best.
 Start with a 1/4-cup of dish detergent to a gallon of water. But, don't wet the pet first! If you wet you pet first, the fleas have an oil coating on their shell, which will repel the water. This actually encapsulates them into an air bubble, which lets them live. You need to break down the oil. By using the dish detergent, you have broken the oil barrier and the fleas will drown.
Just remember, when bathing your pet, always start with the head, because the fleas will run into their ears, nose and across their eyes to try to get away. Start at the head and then go down the body, so you will actually be chasing them off at the end. Leave the mixture on them for about 3 minutes and then rinse them off.
This method works better than most flea shampoos!
 DOGFATHER'S GROOMING TIP Brought To You By SeniorPetProducts.com. Use the code "radiospp" to receive 25% off!
Animal Radio® News with Stacey Cohen
Prepare to Evacuate
With the recent earthquake in Japan, its a good time to remind people how to prepare to evacuate if need be with a pet. If you must evacuate your home in a crisis, plan for the worst-case scenario. If you think you may be gone for only a day, assume that you may not be allowed to return for several weeks. When recommendations for evacuation have been announced, follow the instructions of local and state officials. To minimize evacuation time, take these simple steps: Store an emergency kit and leashes as close to an exit as possible. Make sure all pets wear collars and tags with up-to-date identification. Your pet's ID tag should contain his name, telephone number and any urgent medical needs. Be sure to write your pet's name, your name and contact information on your pet's carrier. The ASPCA recommends microchipping your pet as a more permanent form of identification. Always bring pets indoors at the first sign or warning of a storm or disaster. Pets can become disoriented and wander away from home during a crisis. Consider your evacuation route and call ahead to make arrangements for boarding your pet outside of the danger zone at the first sign of disaster.
This Really Takes The Cheese!
Trained sniffer mice may complement airport security detectors some day, as an Israeli company has created a bomb-detecting unit based on rodents’ unique sense of smell. The founder of BioExplorers, a start-up company based in an Israeli town, claims that trained mice can be better at revealing drug traffickers or terrorists carrying explosives than full-body scanners and other airport systems. Rodents are simply trained to fear certain scents. "It's as if they're smelling a cat and escaping," they say. "We detect the escape." It takes about ten days to train a mouse to start avoiding the first component and even less than that for other scents. The author of the project points out that rodents, unlike dogs, which are often trained for explosives and drugs detection, do not require constant interaction with their trainers or treats to keep them motivated. However, there are drawbacks that could prevent the widespread use of the system. For instance, rodent cages need regular cleaning and new mice would have to be trained all the time because of their short working life. But they are cheap - a little piece of cheese - and you're done.
Is This Normal?
If you are listening to this radio show you aren't going to think this is odd. You will think its normal. Americans will just do anything when it comes to their pets. Forty-four percent of pet owners buy souvenirs for their animals while on vacation. And if you think that’s extravagant, almost ten million dogs each year have a birthday celebration thrown for them by their owners!
 Pigs Feast on Caviar
Pigs in Russia's Far East can now be found working their way through 13.5 tones of red caviar. While the caviar is very nutritious and rich in vitamins, that is not the reason for the feast. Back in October, authorities confiscated the giant serving of salmon eggs because it had been infected with deadly bacteria. An employee at a local fish factory had caught dysentery and infected the caviar. The caviar was meant to be sold to shops in the region. But Pigs, apparently, do not suffer from the disease. So they are going HOG WILD with it...
I s Your Teen A Couch Potato? Get a Dog!
A new study suggests the family dog might be able to help. Researchers had 618 kids ranging in age from 12 to 16 wear accelerometers for a week to measure their physical activity. Half the families had dogs and half did not. The study showed the kids in families with dogs got 32.1 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise a day, while those without dogs got 29.5 minutes. The difference isn't much, but lead Dr. Antronette Yancey, who wrote the book Instant Recess: How to Build a Fit Nation for the 21st Century, thinks more research was needed. "Sometimes these little clues that you get from a small study can actually build into something that's very meaningful," she said. We already know a few things about the impact of pets on health, Yancey said. "We know pets are good for older people and good for lowering blood pressure and a variety of other reasons, so if they are also good for physical activity, great."
 Another BIG Fish Story
Millions of dead sardines covered King Harbor Marina in Redondo Beach, prompting a massive cleanup operation. Redondo Beach Fire spokesman Steve Hyink believes the fish were looking for shelter due to recent strong winds and apparently died from a lack of oxygen. He said there were millions of fish that got so far back into the harbor where there isn't a good surge and they started consuming the oxygen in the water. Hyink said about 150 people are involved in the cleanup effort and it could take up to two weeks.
Why Did The Chicken Cross The Road?
Its the age old question why did the chicken cross the road and no one knows why chickens are crossing the road in one Phoenix, Arizona neighborhood. Local officials say their hands are tied when it comes to solving the mystery. Residents say the wandering flock of about five chickens travels among houses, scaling fences, eating grass and generally causing a nuisance. Maricopa County officials say state law only authorizes them to control cats and dogs, but not chickens, while the city says it has no laws on the books to deal with wayward fowl. One county official says they may call on farm groups that may be interested in trapping the chickens.
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