How To Tame A Fox And Build A Dog

Download or read book How to Tame a Fox (and Build a Dog) written by Lee Alan Dugatkin and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2019-04-14 with total page 237 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Tucked away in Siberia, there are furry, four-legged creatures with wagging tails and floppy ears that are as docile and friendly as any lapdog. But, despite appearances, these are not dogs—they are foxes. They are the result of the most astonishing experiment in breeding ever undertaken—imagine speeding up thousands of years of evolution into a few decades. In 1959, biologists Dmitri Belyaev and Lyudmila Trut set out to do just that, by starting with a few dozen silver foxes from fox farms in the USSR and attempting to recreate the evolution of wolves into dogs in real time in order to witness the process of domestication. This is the extraordinary, untold story of this remarkable undertaking. Most accounts of the natural evolution of wolves place it over a span of about 15,000 years, but within a decade, Belyaev and Trut’s fox breeding experiments had resulted in puppy-like foxes with floppy ears, piebald spots, and curly tails. Along with these physical changes came genetic and behavioral changes, as well. The foxes were bred using selection criteria for tameness, and with each generation, they became increasingly interested in human companionship. Trut has been there the whole time, and has been the lead scientist on this work since Belyaev’s death in 1985, and with Lee Dugatkin, biologist and science writer, she tells the story of the adventure, science, politics, and love behind it all. In How to Tame a Fox, Dugatkin and Trut take us inside this path-breaking experiment in the midst of the brutal winters of Siberia to reveal how scientific history is made and continues to be made today. To date, fifty-six generations of foxes have been domesticated, and we continue to learn significant lessons from them about the genetic and behavioral evolution of domesticated animals. How to Tame a Fox offers an incredible tale of scientists at work, while also celebrating the deep attachments that have brought humans and animals together throughout time.

Download or read book Turning Fierce Dogs Friendly written by Kellie Snider and published by Fox Chapel Publishing. This book was released on 2018-01-09 with total page 330 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Learn how to harness the power of worthwhile reinforcement to build safe, friendly behaviors in aggressive dogs. The positive training based, Constructional Aggression Treatment (CAT), as described in Turning Fierce Dogs Friendly, has proven successful for many pet owners and trainers around the world. As a functional approach to changing aggressive behavior, it offers a humane alternative to desensitization, counter conditioning, and distraction procedures. CAT typically produces long-lasting results in far less time than any positive treatment available, without the undesirable side-effects that are common with punishment procedures. The ultimate outcome is a once-aggressive dog that is now friendly. Inside Turning Fierce Dogs Friendly: Step-by-step instructions for performing CAT with aggressive dogs Understand the normal behaviors of all dogs, of specific breeds, and of your own individual dog How to be awake and aware of your dog’s behavior and your own Discover your dog’s worthwhile reinforcement for safe, friendly behaviors Advice for developing good observation skills and staying on task The issues that can make or break successful aggression treatment: consistency, safety, and follow-through Equipment, handling procedures, and preventing opportunities to practice undesirable behavior When to call a professional

Download or read book Pushinka the Barking Fox written by Lee Alan Dugatkin and published by Persnickety Press. This book was released on 2019-08-27 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Lyudmila Trut, a lead researcher in a silver fox domestication experiment, met Pushinka, a silver fox, that she decided to take the experiment a step further with by moving into a small house.

Download or read book Zak George's Dog Training Revolution written by Zak George and published by National Geographic Books. This book was released on 2016-06-07 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A revolutionary way to raise and train your dog, with “a wealth of practical tips, tricks, and fun games that will enrich the lives of many dogs and their human companions” (Dr. Ian Dunbar, veterinarian and animal behaviorist). Zak George is a new type of dog trainer. A dynamic YouTube star and Animal Planet personality with a fresh approach, Zak helps you tailor dog training to your pet’s unique traits and energy level—leading to quicker results and a much happier pup. For the first time, Zak has distilled the information from his hundreds of videos and experience with thousands of dogs into this comprehensive dog and puppy training guide that includes: • Choosing the right pup for you • Housetraining and basic training • Handling biting, leash pulling, jumping up, barking, aggression, chewing, and other behavioral issues • Health care essentials like finding a vet and selecting the right food • Cool tricks, traveling tips, and activities to enjoy with your dog • Topics with corresponding videos on Zak’s YouTube channel so you can see his advice in action Packed with everything you need to know to raise and care for your dog, this book will help you communicate and bond with one another in a way that makes training easier, more rewarding, and—most of all—fun!

Download or read book Go, Dog. Go! written by P.D. Eastman and published by Random House Books for Young Readers. This book was released on 2015-08-25 with total page 24 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A beloved Bright and Early Board Book by P. D. Eastman, now in a larger size! A sturdy board book edition of P. D. Eastman's Go, Dog. Go!, now available in a bigger size perfect for babies and toddlers! This abridged version of the classic Beginner Book features red dogs, blue dogs, big dogs, little dogs—all kinds of wonderful dogs—riding bicycles, scooters, skis, and roller skates and driving all sorts of vehicles on their way to a big dog party held on top of a tree! A perfect gift for baby showers, birthdays, and happy occasions of all kinds, it will leave dog lovers howling with delight! Big Bright and Early Board Books are super sturdy, simplified board book editions of classic Bright and Early and Beginner Books, available in a bigger size for smaller hands!

Download or read book The Other End of the Leash written by Patricia McConnell, Ph.D. and published by Ballantine Books. This book was released on 2009-02-19 with total page 289 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Learn to communicate with your dog—using their language “Good reading for dog lovers and an immensely useful manual for dog owners.”—The Washington Post An Applied Animal Behaviorist and dog trainer with more than twenty years’ experience, Dr. Patricia McConnell reveals a revolutionary new perspective on our relationship with dogs—sharing insights on how “man’s best friend” might interpret our behavior, as well as essential advice on how to interact with our four-legged friends in ways that bring out the best in them. After all, humans and dogs are two entirely different species, each shaped by its individual evolutionary heritage. Quite simply, humans are primates and dogs are canids (as are wolves, coyotes, and foxes). Since we each speak a different native tongue, a lot gets lost in the translation. This marvelous guide demonstrates how even the slightest changes in our voices and in the ways we stand can help dogs understand what we want. Inside you will discover: • How you can get your dog to come when called by acting less like a primate and more like a dog • Why the advice to “get dominance” over your dog can cause problems • Why “rough and tumble primate play” can lead to trouble—and how to play with your dog in ways that are fun and keep him out of mischief • How dogs and humans share personality types—and why most dogs want to live with benevolent leaders rather than “alpha wanna-bes!” Fascinating, insightful, and compelling, The Other End of the Leash is a book that strives to help you connect with your dog in a completely new way—so as to enrich that most rewarding of relationships.

Download or read book Game Theory and Animal Behavior written by Lee Alan Dugatkin and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2000-03-23 with total page 335 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Game theory has revolutionized the study of animal behavior. The fundamental principle of evolutionary game theory--that the strategy adopted by one individual depends on the strategies exhibited by others--has proven a powerful tool in uncovering the forces shaping otherwise mysterious behaviors. In this volume, the first since 1982 devoted to evolutionary game theory, leading researchers describe applications of the theory to diverse types of behavior, providing an overview of recent discoveries and a synthesis of current research. The volume begins with a clear introduction to game theory and its explanatory scope. This is followed by a series of chapters on the use of game theory to understand a range of behaviors: social foraging, cooperation, animal contests, communication, reproductive skew and nepotism within groups, sibling rivalry, alternative life-histories, habitat selection, trophic-level interactions, learning, and human social behavior. In addition, the volume includes a discussion of the relations among game theory, optimality, and quantitative genetics, and an assessment of the overall utility of game theory to the study of social behavior. Presented in a manner accessible to anyone interested in animal behavior but not necessarily trained in the mathematics of game theory, the book is intended for a wide audience of undergraduates, graduate students, and professional biologists pursuing the evolutionary analysis of animal behavior.