Using animal symbols to spread misinformation undoubtedly works because doing so has been a common human activity for thousands of years. But as soon as we look at animals as evidence of something other than what they are, their unique identities give way to those that reflect our own needs. Loch Ness Here are links to one video and one article tha…

For many people seeking to take a more natural ethology-based approach to their animals’ problem behaviors, making the training-ethology mental transition is the most challenging part. And the more training experience we have, the more difficult this may be. The post Episode 535 – The Training-Ethology Transition appeared first on MMilani.com.…

Few studies have shaped my understanding of companion animal behavior and the bond as much as the decades-long Russian Farm Fox study. I felt that way when I first read about it in the 90s and still feel the same about it today. Back then I considered it a virtual Rosetta Stone relative to understanding the inextricable relationship between domesti…

What do naked mole rats, dogs, cats, have in common? Many people most likely would say, not a darn thing. However, there are others like myself who enjoy learning about their similarities even amidst all their differences. The post Episode 533 – Naked Mole Rats, Dogs, and Cats appeared first on MMilani.com.…

Do wild animals display social distancing and other self- and group-protective behaviors when contagious diseases occur? Or are they oblivious to what’s happening to them and those belonging to the same species? The post Episode 532 – Do Wild Animals Practice Social Distancing? appeared first on MMilani.com.…

This podcast celebrates Retro-Thanksgiving, a perfect celebration for those of us separated from our loved ones Thanksgiving 2020. Often when I’m separated from family and friends during key periods in our lives, I enjoy remembering the good times we did share to lift my spirits. This year when I joined millions worldwide experiencing their Mother …

When I first read about people doomscrolling, I wondered if doing it could undermine the quality of some companion animals’ behavior and mental health too. If so, that meant this human behavior also could undermine the animal’s physical health and the bonds with their doomscrolling people. And indeed it may. The post Episode 529 – Doomscrolling and…

Because Halloween signals the start of the food-focused holiday season for many, it seems like a good time to think about tricky treats for dogs and cats. To test your perceptions of your dog’s or cat’s body condition, below are downloadable canine and feline body score charts from the World Small Animal Veterinary Medicine Association. Canine body…

Most of us don’t think of pet cats and dogs as they relate to landraces. In fact, most of us don’t think of landraces at all. But whether we’re familiar with landrace animals, we may find them showing up more on the companion animal behavior and bond radar as time goes on. The post Episode 527 – Pet Cats, Dogs, and Landraces appeared first on MMila…

What is the fundamental role of companion animal problem-solving? What help do our animals get in this regard from us? Being only human, our help may reflect our thoughts and feelings more than theirs. And it goes without saying, some animals and people are better at communicating than others. The post Episode 526 – Companion Animal Problem-Solving…

Animals and science inevitably will inspire the creation of volumes of first, but not last words on related subjects. Such is the fate of Monique, the elk. This once-famous elk who first communicated with a satellite gets another first, but not last word treatment in this podcast. You can read Ben Goldfarb’s much more eloquent and detailed descript…

Just Passing Through When summer gives way to fall here in rural NH, the resident companion animals succumb to the migration effect. Some of the resident animals take it more seriously than others. Can you guess which ones? Not-My-Job Frica Not-My-Problem Bamboo There-be-Dragons-Out-There Ollie The post Episode 524 – The Companion Animal Migration …

Using energy to decode animal behavior makes analyzing problem displays much easier. Once I learned that lesson from an experienced veterinary ethologist years ago, an energy audit became my first step when analyzing problem animal behavior. Compare the behavior of the two animals below when left alone. Which one uses more energy than the other? Wh…

Think of going au natural in a changing environment as a local phenomenon. A very local phenomenon. One that happens around your own home. Above we see the red bee balm fleeing for the woods and the companionship of the natives. Below left is the yellow jacket-inspired garden. And on the right, an excellent example of the previously unknown (to me)…

What does normalizing the bond in abnormal times mean? When the COVID-19 quarantine began, the answer seemed obvious. Now, I’m not so sure it is Like MC Escher’s engraving “Day and Night”, pandemics like COVID-19 alter our views of normality. But unlike Escher’s work with its alternate views of reality which remains the same and gives us time to so…

Cats aren’t little dogs, but that doesn’t mean that no domestic canine-feline behavioral overlap occurs. And because domestication involves humans, any canine-feline behavioral overlap will effect the quality of the human-animal bond. The post Episode 520 – The Domestic Canine-Feline Behavioral Overlap appeared first on MMilani.com.…

Rhinella marina This week’s podcast presents a brief update of human-animal-planet news. It serves as a reminder that, regardless what’s going on in our human worlds, there a more complex human-animal-planet one out there. While some of the animals involved are a on the scary side, all of them are fascinating. They’re also quite resourceful. For th…

Animal interactions may play a critical role in times of human crisis. And some of these may trigger profound changes in the quality of the human-companion animal bond for better or worse. Currently, we live in an era in which multiple crises play out simultaneously. Conflicting media reports compete for our attention. One group urges us to practic…

Would you kill an animal messenger? Especially if the animal’s behavior said something about your own behavior that made you feel inadequate? These were some of the questions I asked myself when I read about one of my most favorite animals. Here are depictions of dogs and cats in art throughout history. Notice that the human response has always bee…

An epiphany regarding the nature of the evolving bond in a dynamic human-animal world hit me like a ton of bricks when I gave my old dog a bath. Can you guess what it was? The post Episode 516 – The Evolving Bond in a Dynamic Human-Animal World appeared first on MMilani.com.By Myrna Milani