Dog Behavior answered!

Q: Why does my dog misbehave so often? A: Often what humans view as misbehavior -- excessive barking, counter surfing, jumping on people -- is just normal behavior from the dog's point of view.

Obs: Also if your dog, like mine is a constant window watcher, and sometime seems like there's nothing there but continues to bark anyways. It's annoyning and frustrating but the dog is making sure you know what's going on outside the home, like "Hey, there are some weird people out here! I don't think they're a threat but I just want you to know." They just want to protect the pack.

Q: Why does my dog keep hiding behind her toys and blankets behind the sofa?
A: Despite millennia of domestication, dogs are still wolves at heart. Your dog is just minimizing their exposure during vulnerable hours when they're asleep.

Obs: My dog usually hangs out in the laundry room also known as "the cage". Its where we kept her as a puppy and where she's usually sent for punishment. Some days she'll stay in there most of the day doing as describe as sulking because she'll give you a look like she's guilty of doing something wrong. And she wanted to get ahead of you by punishing herself. But I guess it's like her home and she feels comfortable there.

Q: Why does my dog eat grass even thugh it makes them sick?
A: Sometimes dogs eat grass because their tummies are upset.

Obs: Don't be too alarmed if your dog starts ripping at grass like a cow. Their tummy is upset and most likely all you'll have to worry about is the regurgitated contents of their stomach in a corner somewhere. For the most part that'll be the end of it and things will settle into their normal routine. It's best not to punish your pooch because they didn't really do anything wrong. Just give them a little extra TLC to see them through.

Q: Why does my dog insist on rolling in smelly things?
A: They're hiding their scent as any good predator would. A duck might be alarmed by the scent of 75 pounds of wet dog bearing down on it, but a rotten banana is not on its enemies list. Of course with a dog's heightened sense of smell, all scents are interesting, frightening, exciting, delicious, etc. -- but never disgusting.

Obs: I'm not too certain of this explanation, in fact it's the only one I'm at odds with. Again this is most often a wolf-rooted behavior. My dog in particular used to love scent rolling - rubbing their cheeks or shoulders - in owl scat, which is very pungent in odor. I think dogs are attracted to strong smelling substances and roll them to inhance their own scents.

I also found this in "Wolves: Behavior, Ecology, and Conservation" by L. David Mech and Luigi Boitani:

"Scent Rolling: The tendency of wolves to roll on pungent substances is difficult to explain (reviewed by Reiger 1979). This ritualized behavior involves lowering the head and shoulders onto the substrate, followed by rubbing the chin, cheeks, neck, shoulders, and back on the odorous substance. Natural stimuli for scent rolling, such as rotten carcasses, typically have very strong odors that humans find offensive.

Tests with captive wolves have resulted in extensive lists of potential scent-rolling stimuli, both natural and unnatural (Goodman 1978; Ryon et al. 1986), but they have not conclusively demonstrated the function of this behavior. Possibilities include (1) familiarization with novel odors or changes in odors (Fox 1971a; Ryon et al. 1986), (2) strong attraction or aversion to particular odors (Ryon et al. 1986), (3) concealing one's own scent with something more pungent (Zimen 1981), and (4) making oneself more attractive by applying a novel odor (Fox 1971a). Female African wild dogs roll in the urine of males whose pack they are attempting to join, perhaps to coat themselves with an odor that would be familiar to the pack and to increase the chances of acceptance (Frame et al. 1979)."

Some other little tidbits from the BJ's article:
-Dogs' noses have over 300 million scent receptors -- 50 times more than a human nose -- allowing them to literally "see" their world through scent.

-The average dog can understand about 165 words, but the smartest breeds know upwards of 250 words -- that's on par with a human 3-year-old.

-Dogs' super-sensititve whiskers can sense tornadoes and earthquakes days before they happen.
(source: BJ's Journal - I cut out their product placement! - along with my own observations thrown in)

Blog specific contact

Just went through the painstaking process of getting an AOL email and instant messenger addy in case anyone wanted to contact me specifically concerning charitable organization I'll be setting up or anything further concerning wolves.
staynthwds@aim.com

The AIM screen name is the same: staynthwds

With Love, From Michigan

My mom is busy trying to plan a family vacation. Only problem? She doesn't know where she wants to go. She's gotten a few tour book guides from AAA. Right now she's thinking Colorado or Utah, the Mid-Atlantic (Delaware, D.C., Maryland, and the Virginias), and Michigan or Wisconsin. A Michigan magazine came in the mail the other day, I was flipping through it and the state looks absolutely goregous. I hope the pictures do the state justice. I don't want it to be like those fast food menu pictures, where the fries and burgers look just scrump-didilee-umptous but when you get them they look a little less apetizing. So I think I'm voting for Michigan. We've already been to Utah and Virginia. They also have a picture of the baseball stadium for the Detroit Tigers and it looks awesome. Gy-normous tiger statues at their gates!! Who wouldn't want to visit?

One of my good friends and roommate is living up in Michigan now attending Graduate school. Maybe if she's still up there, we could visit. She sent me a few links regarding my masters quest; The Student Conservation Association and Emory Laney Graduate School - Neuroscience and Animal Behavior (Psychology track). No doubt I'll be looking into these, especially the SCA and about their internship opportunities. Thanks Linza!!

And to leave you, while I get ready for my insanely short day at work. Department of Natural Resources and Environment - Gray Wolf (Canis Lupus)

Ruff Love

(source: AARP, May/June 2010)

The human-animal bond is mighty sweet:

• 24% of pet owners 55 and older celebrate their pets' birthdays
• 57% of pet owners 55 and older say their pets are more likely than their significant other to give them welcome-home kisses

Wolf Fundraising and Awareness Organization

Again thanks to Brandon and Make a Chimp Smile, I want to start my own campaign. I've got the idea, the name, the logo and I've already started raising funds from my own pocket! I'm not sure I want to reveal anything just yet...I think I need it to simmer for a little bit longer, but I will go into how I'm getting money right now.

For every day of the month I will putting away money. Each day will determine how much money goes into the pot. For instance, 1 cent for the 1st of the month, 15 cents on the 15th, 25 cents on the 25th and so on until the end of the month and the cycle will repeat. I realize this doesn't raise a whole lot of money in one month...but for a semi-poor college graduate with a part-time job of $8 an hour and bills to pay...its a lot and every bit helps in the end....I'm also doing the same thing for my graduate school fund right now. I figure though at least every month will have a set amount of money, that way no one month is way lower than the next. To keep myself and everyone updated, I'll have a money count at the end of the month, and then two counts at the end there after (1 for the current and the other for the months combined to record how much was saved).

Currently, I have $0.55....I'm projecting by the end of April (and every month consisting of 30 days), I'll have raised $4.65 ($4.96 for months with 31 days)
It's going to be a long way to graduate school -.-

I'm starting this a little quietly so I can learn more about it before I present it to the masses. This way I'm hoping to work out all the bugs. As Bob would say, "Baby Steps". If you care for more information, shoot me an email.

♥♥WOLF BABIES!♥♥

Just got off the phone with Seacrest; they'll be waiting for our arrival on May 8. The gentleman I talked to, should have got his name, was excited with the date because he said that's when the wolf pups should be out and about. What's more precious the big wolves swarming around you? It is little squirmy and squiggly wolf puppies!! I cannot wait to go to Compass Lakes. This should be just about the best visit yet. One thing I can check off on my "bucket list" of things to do before I die.

"Make a Chimp Smile"

No, you read correctly, Chimps! A young Florida boy featured today in our local paper is hoping to raise awareness about our close relatives, and money to get them moved to a chimp sanctuary in Ft. Pierce. Just click on the page tab "Make a Chimp Smile" for more info or head on over to his blog makeachimpsmile.blogspot.com. He is a great kid!