Dogs
The Origin of the Dogwatch Signal Mirror, and the Inheritance from Uncle George
The Cookie Tin and Signal Mirror. My dad brought the original signal mirror to a family gathering in an old cookie tin. Given what was inside, it is not surprising that the tin looked like it had been through a war. It was April, 2022, and Dad said he would bring the papers and photographs…
Read MoreEp. 64: Inside of a Dog, with Alexandra Horowitz
Alexandra Horowitz is a cognitive scientist who teaches courses like canine cognition and animal behavior at Barnard College in New York. She’s also an acclaimed author, and a sampling of her books include The Year of the Dog, Our Dogs Ourselves, The Year of the Puppy, and Inside of a dog. Suffice it to say…
Read MoreDarwin, Domestication, and Dogs
On this episode of the Dogwatch talk with James Costa and learn about the role of domesticated organisms, like dogs, in the development of Darwin’s theory of natural selection. We range from Down House in England to the Galapagos and discuss how these organisms affected Darwin’s thinking. See Jim’s books: Darwin’s Backyard The Annotated Origin…
Read MoreEp 11: Desert Hounds, The History of Salukis
Today On the Dogwatch we turn our attention to Salukis, a fascinating breed of dogs from North Africa and the Middle East. There is no one better to guide us on a quest to understand these dogs than Brian Duggan, who has been a breeder and judge for these dogs for decades. Our story touches…
Read MoreEp 8: Reid Bryant at Orvis Talks Dogs
Today On the Dogwatch we have a wide-ranging talk with Reid Bryant about the history of Orvis, types of bird dogs and their relative functions, conservation, and his love of fine mechanical objects like shotguns and watches. Along with getting a window on dogs and hunting from New England, and not missing the opportunity to…
Read MoreEp 6: Decoys for Dummies. A Bird Dog Trainer Teaches Us
Today On the Dogwatch we connect with Tom Dokken, who runs Dokken’s Oak Ridge Kennels and has been training dogs for decades. In our conversation we discuss the basics of training bird dogs, the incredible flexibility of the dog as a subject of training, when to start and techniques of training, the significant effort it takes to…
Read MoreEp 5: The Majority of the World’s Dogs Are Free Ranging?
Today we extend our home range significantly by speaking with Anindita Bhadra, a researcher in Kolkata, India. Although difficult to estimate, the world population of free-ranging dogs is likely more than 200 million individuals and composes the majority of all dogs. We discuss with Anindita the nature of free-ranging dogs, their origin, behavior, and how…
Read MoreEp 4: Wolf Expert Dave Mech on Wolves and Dogs
Much like seeing a gray wolf in the wild, a chance to speak with wolf researcher Dave Mech is a rare and inspiring opportunity. Dave’s list of positions include being a Senior Research Scientist with the Biological Resources Division of the USGS, and Adjunct Professor in the Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology, and…
Read MoreEp 52: Baby Talk to Dogs. How? Why?
We’ve all heard people talking to dogs like they are small children. Some people find it cute, others consider it absurd, and there are also those who understand it implicitly. So what do we know about how humans talk to dogs? Today On the Dogwatch we are joined by Bob Mitchell, head of the Animal Studies…
Read MoreWhat is a Dogwatch, Anyway? dogwatch, n.
dogwatch, n. Nautical. A short watch of two hours’ duration instead of the usual four, from 4.00–6.00 p.m. or 6.00–8.00 p.m., that enables the turn of the night watch to be changed every twenty-four hours From 1657 We espied four and thirty ships more, under a Convoye, all coming from Brasil in the first of…
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