From: IN%"kc@synalia.com" 16-APR-2005 16:07:33.89 To: IN%"LNVreeland@aol.com" CC: IN%"applied-ethology@sask.usask.ca" Subj: RE: "Snake proofing" a dog? A query Hi Leslie, I have set out a training program for doing this task without e-collars. However, there is more of an investment in training time involved, and I have not yet worked out the logistics of working with actual poisonous snakes. However, we teach the dogs the concept "careful", and "alert" with various dangerous or delicate animals - before we take the dogs into the woods. The idea is to protect dogs, people, and wildlife. This might be a great thing to do before doing the ecollar training, as the dog would already know what to do, and would only get an ecollar sting if it did not heed its earlier education. You are welcome to contact me for more information. Best wishes, Kayce Kayce Cover Syn Alia Training Systems http://www.synalia.com > Hello, Everyone -- > > I am new to the forum. My name is Leslie Vreeland, and I'm a freelance > magazine writer (my principle interest is science and women's health, > though I've > also written about animals). > > I'd really appreciate some advice. I'm about to move to the high desert, > where rattlesnakes live. My three-year-old male West Highland Terrier > will, of > course, be joining me. I spend a lot of time outdoors and, well, you can > probably imagine my question: how do I protect my terrier from snakes? > (This is the > sort of breed that will try to find one by snooping in small holes, and > then > challenge anything that rattles or strikes by biting back.) I've heard of > an > aversion-therapy technique called "snake proofing," where over successive > sessions (about six in all, from what I understand) the dog is trained to > avoid: > > a) the sight of snakes; > b) the smell of snakes, and > c) the sound of snakes. > > I've been told that "snake-proofing" "can" involve using a shock collar, > something which I have never subjected my dog to and ordinarily wouldn't, > but if I > was persuaded using one to train him to keep away from rattlers would save > his life in the field, I suppose I could accept it. > > What are the alternatives, though? Has anyone here even heard of > snake-proofing? Can anyone recommend an ethical behaviorist in Utah > (where I am now) or > Colorado (where I will soon be living) who can tell me more about how to > train > my dog away from rattlers? Obviously, I would prefer my dog learn to > avoid > snakes as humanely as possible. > > Thanks for your thoughts. > > --Leslie > From: IN%"dorrit.ltd@gmx.de" "Dorit" 20-APR-2005 14:16:46.38 To: IN%"Applied-ethology@sask.usask.ca" CC: Subj: Elk and PHorses Dear all, can anyone help with this situation? Below the letter from the WildlifePark: (the elk are what the americans of you call mousse) Thanks, Dorit We have had severe problems with the mixing of the 3 elk with the = PHorses. The =E2=99=82 stallion had been given 200mg of Pipoliazine = palmitate on the 7th April and it was recommended to leave him to settle = for four days before moving him. In fact due to the bison day and = staffing levels they were not mixed until 15th April. The =E2=99=82 = stallion and all the mares=E2=99=80 were introduced at 0930hrs and they = explored the main reserve. The elk stayed away from them and all seemed = quite. At 13.45hrs the =E2=99=82 stallion charged the elk and split the = youngest female Lisa from the group. The other two ran into the lower = pasture (gates all open). The =E2=99=82 stallion continually chased Lisa = at times nearly catching her. Then for less than an hour things settled = down the elk got back together. =20 The =E2=99=82 stallion led the attack again and split the group of elk = chasing Hilma the big cow. Again mortal injury was avoided by the elk = outrunning the horses.=20 =20 We secured the PHorses in the bison paddock and then left Hilma in the = lower pasture and the other two in the main reserve overnight. =20 Saturday morning the elk were together in the main reserve. PHorses are = still confined to Bison paddock. =20 Any ideas for slowing down the =E2=99=82 stallion? The Pipoliazine = palmitate just seems to have made him worse.=20 =20 Kind regards =20 Jeremy =20 Jeremy Usher Smith Park Manager Royal Zoological Society of Scotland Highland Wildlife Park=20 Kincraig Kingussie PH21 1NL =20 Tel: 01540 651270 Fax: 01540 651236 =20 jushersmith@rzss.org.uk =20 www.highlandwildlilifepark.org =20 THE ROYAL ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF SCOTLAND =20 Charity Reference No. SC 004064 Our mission is to inspire and excite our visitors with the wonder of = living animals, and so to promote the conservation of threatened species = and habitats. CONFIDENTIALITY=20 This message is sent in confidence to the addressee only. It may = contain legally privileged information. The contents are not to be = disclosed to anyone other than the addressee. Unauthorised recipients = are requested to preserve this confidentiality and to advise the sender = immediately of any error in transmission. From: IN%"johva@ifm.liu.se" "Johanna =?UNKNOWN?Q?V=E4is=E4nen?=" 21-APR-2005 10:08:58.16 To: IN%"applied-ethology@sask.usask.ca" CC: Subj: Importance of social and physical environment (its familiarity) on recovery after surgery in small domestic animals Dear All, I am interested in this subject, concerning particularly dogs and cats. Do you know if there are any publications etc. reference material on this? I remember reading that familiar conditions (the pets home, familiar people, odors and sounds) after surgery such as for instance sterilisation is promote the recovery of many pet animals compared to unfamiliar environment (such as animal hospital) during the first days after operation. Many thaks already! Johanna _______________________________________________________ Johanna Väisänen, PhD student in Ethology Department of Biology, IFM University of Linköping SE-581 83 Linköping Sweden Phone: +44-13-282611 Mobile: +358-440-172428 Email:johanna.vaisanen@ifm.liu.se ________________________________________________________ From: IN%"clare@amerion.com" "Clare Lewandowski" 22-APR-2005 12:10:42.81 To: IN%"Applied-ethology@sask.usask.ca" CC: Subj: coloring and behavior Is there any correlation in cattle or horses with coat color and behavior? I have a reference by Temple Grandin to piebald and reactivity. On a canine genetics list, some discussion of red colors from phaeomelanin are more likely to have hearing damage from sound levels that do not damage animals with eumelanin. I recall some years ago finding a website that mentioned some trainers thought chestnuts and sorrels were more likely to spook than other horses. The same site mentioned differences in copper levels between coats and had some other data that wasn't simply anecdotal but I lost the link. Is there any good data on how coat coloring might indicate behavior, nutritional needs and nerve pathways? Clare From: IN%"clare@amerion.com" "Clare Lewandowski" 22-APR-2005 19:52:48.72 To: IN%"Applied-ethology@sask.usask.ca" CC: Subj: RE: coloring and behavior Janice, Is there any information on how this affects the nervous system? The original reference I found and lost the link to mentioned I think hair analysis on different coat colors showed tendencies for different levels of copper and other minerals. Conclusion was that hair color affected nutritional needs in some way and that had a direct affect on either nerves or neurotransmitter. Also a mention of some unusual hair analysis in gray horses that might be a link to the tendency towards melanomas. In animals like foxes or the gophers that are more tolerant of human disturbance, is the white or lighter coloring something that happens at the same time another process goes on with development or a direct effect on behavior due to influence on nutrition or perhaps neurotransmitter levels or receptors? Clare ----- Original Message ----- From: Janice Koler-Matznick To: Clare Lewandowski Sent: Friday, April 22, 2005 3:00 PM Subject: Re: coloring and behavior Clare, Coat color has some effect on many mammals. I have no info on horses. Melanocytes develop from the same embryonic tissue as the central nervous system, thus the linkage of mutation in coat color to temperament. In farmed red foxes (Vulpes vuples) fear/wildness go down scale in order of: normal (wild) red; silver; pearl; amber; glacier. Relative adrenal weights decreased in the same order. It was found that the color varities produce less coritsol under stress and recover more quickly physiologically. Easy Ref: Keeler, Clyde, 1975. Behavior variations in color phases of the red fox. pp 399-413 in M. W. Fox, ed., The Wild Canids. Robert E Kreiger Publishing. Albino animals are usually much less fearful/easier to handle than colored ones. In areas where there is heavy disturbance by humans, even gopher populations show an increase in their color mutations and show a higher percentage of white markings (failure of melanocytes to migrate to the end points of belly, toes). Jan Janice Koler-Matznick, MS, CPDT The Dog Advisor Behavior Service The New Guinea Singing Dog Conservation Society The Primitive and Aboriginal Dog Society IUCN Canid Specialist Group member 5265 Old Stage Road Central Point, OR 97502 USA Phone/fax: 541-664-4023 Cell: 541-621-9290 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.0.308 / Virus Database: 266.10.2 - Release Date: 4/21/2005 From: IN%"ravenslore@hotmail.com" "Raven Lore" 23-APR-2005 07:16:53.55 To: IN%"Applied-ethology@sask.usask.ca" CC: Subj: RE: coloring and behavior I would think that any connection between light colored hair and melanoma are probably the result of increased skin exposure to UV radiation. However, I have observed, and spoken to animal shelter workers who observed, that piebald and calico cats usually exhibit temperament problems. They are twitchy, hyperactive, and unpredictable. I have also heard from these same people that black and white colored dogs have a much higher incidence of extreme aggression that is not responsive to socializing. I owned one such dog who I had to euthanize because of this exact problem. I'm certain it wasn't his training or socialization because I also have a pit bull I trained from the same age who is exceptionally friendly.This may correlate with Temple Grandin's observations, or it may be a genetic or environmental factor that is local. I'm not sure. Raven "What lies behind us and what lies before us are small matters compared to what lies within us." -Ralph Waldo Emerson- _________________________________________________________________ Express yourself instantly with MSN Messenger! Download today - it's FREE! http://messenger.msn.click-url.com/go/onm00200471ave/direct/01/ From: IN%"LyndhurstPark@aol.com" 23-APR-2005 07:27:31.06 To: IN%"applied-ethology@sask.usask.ca" CC: Subj: RE: Colour pigmentation in Canines Following on from the topic of colour pigmentation contributing to canine aggression. A fine example is the Black and Golden Labrador. The black labrador is known to show heightened dominance aggression towards other dogs. In Hong kong the police use them as general purpose police dogs which involves attack techniques. The golden labrador on the other hand shows no such innate traits. Gordon Butcher Canine Ethology Student and SAR Dog Handler. From: IN%"csmith35@nycap.rr.com" "Cynthia Smith" 23-APR-2005 10:54:54.76 To: IN%"Rexxie1@aol.com", IN%"applied-ethology@sask.usask.ca" CC: Subj: RE: milking parlor design with welfare in mind Hi Marlene, I wonder if you might get some ideas of authors to contact if you browse through the "Husbandry" section of a dairy bibliography that I put together in 2002 Information Resources on the Care and Welfare of Dairy Cattle 1996 - 2002 http://www.nal.usda.gov/awic/pubs/dairy/dairy2.htm#husbandry It looks like there are a number of papers in which milking machines, behavior and/or welfare are listed in the keywords. Here are a few examples. Ohnstad, I. (1998). Machine milking and the well-being of the dairy cow. In: British Mastitis Conference 1998, Axient Information Services: Crewe, UK, p.62-67. Keywords: cows, dairy cows, machine milking, animal welfare, animal behavior, milking machines, milking, milking parlors, dairy farming, United Kingdom. Paranhos da Costa, M.J.R. and D.M. Broom. (2001). Consistency of side choice in the milking parlour by Holstein-Friesian cows and its relationship with their reactivity and milk yield. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 70 (3): 177-186, ISSN: 0168-1591. NAL Call No.: QL750.A6 Keywords: dairy cows, Holstein-Friesian, breed, behavior, temperament, milking, milking parlors, milk yield, animal welfare, milking side preferences. Stefanowska, J., N.S. Tiliopoulos, A.H. Ipema, and M.M.W.B. Hendriks (1999). Dairy cow interactions with an automatic milking system starting with "walk-through" selection. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 63(3): 177-193, ISSN: 0168-1591. NAL Call No.: QL750.A6 Keywords: dairy cows, milking parlors, milking interval, automation, behavior, gates, gait, duration, automatic feed dispensers, concentrates, urination, defecation, animal welfare, efficiency Rushen, J., A.M.B. de Passille, and L. Munksgaard (1999). Fear of people by cows and effects on milk yield, behavior, and heart rate at milking. Journal of Dairy Science 82(4): 720-727, ISSN: 0022-0302. NAL Call No.: 44.8 J822 Keywords: handling, fear, heart rate, kicking behavior, milk yield, milking. I could run an update search for you as well. Regards, Cynthia Smith, USDA/ARS/NAL, Animal Welfare Information Center www.nal.usda.gov/awic ----- Original Message ----- From: Rexxie1@aol.com To: applied-ethology@sask.usask.ca Sent: Monday, April 11, 2005 1:04 PM Subject: milking parlor design with welfare in mind Hello, There are a number of milking parlor designs available in various publications and they seem to function pretty well, but I'm wondering if there are any that have incorporated specific knowledge about dairy cow behavior and welfare. Any help on available designs or on welfare parameters that should be particularly considered in milking parlor design will be appreciated. Marlene Halverson Animal Welfare Institute From: IN%"securtis@uiuc.edu" "Stanley Curtis" 23-APR-2005 11:14:28.91 To: IN%"csmith35@nycap.rr.com" "Cynthia Smith", IN%"Rexxie1@aol.com", IN%"applied-ethology@sask.usask.ca" CC: Subj: RE: milking parlor design with welfare in mind Marlene- You might check with the Dutch, who have done some work along this line- Jos Metz would be a good contact- Also, there is a division for milking research at Moorepark Research Centre at Fermoy, Cork, Ireland- They specialize in milking-machine technology, but probably would have milkin-parlor design information, as well- You could contact Dr. P. Brendan Lynch- He's a pig man but could transfer you to the milking people- NRAES (headquartered at Cornell) conducted a symposium on milking-parlor design a few years ago- The proceedings of that meeting are available- Marty Sailus is the director of NRAES- Finally, scientists affiliated with milking-machine manufacturing companies undoubtedly keep up on the international literature on milking-parlor design- You might contact Stephen Spencer to get hold of contact information- He's a long-time expert on milking management, now retired (but still active) from Penn State's Department of Dairy and Animal Science- -Stan Curtis ----- Original Message ----- From: Cynthia Smith To: Rexxie1@aol.com ; applied-ethology@skyway.usask.ca Sent: Saturday, April 23, 2005 11:49 AM Subject: Re: milking parlor design with welfare in mind Hi Marlene, I wonder if you might get some ideas of authors to contact if you browse through the "Husbandry" section of a dairy bibliography that I put together in 2002 Information Resources on the Care and Welfare of Dairy Cattle 1996 - 2002 http://www.nal.usda.gov/awic/pubs/dairy/dairy2.htm#husbandry It looks like there are a number of papers in which milking machines, behavior and/or welfare are listed in the keywords. Here are a few examples. Ohnstad, I. (1998). Machine milking and the well-being of the dairy cow. In: British Mastitis Conference 1998, Axient Information Services: Crewe, UK, p.62-67. Keywords: cows, dairy cows, machine milking, animal welfare, animal behavior, milking machines, milking, milking parlors, dairy farming, United Kingdom. Paranhos da Costa, M.J.R. and D.M. Broom. (2001). Consistency of side choice in the milking parlour by Holstein-Friesian cows and its relationship with their reactivity and milk yield. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 70 (3): 177-186, ISSN: 0168-1591. NAL Call No.: QL750.A6 Keywords: dairy cows, Holstein-Friesian, breed, behavior, temperament, milking, milking parlors, milk yield, animal welfare, milking side preferences. Stefanowska, J., N.S. Tiliopoulos, A.H. Ipema, and M.M.W.B. Hendriks (1999). Dairy cow interactions with an automatic milking system starting with "walk-through" selection. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 63(3): 177-193, ISSN: 0168-1591. NAL Call No.: QL750.A6 Keywords: dairy cows, milking parlors, milking interval, automation, behavior, gates, gait, duration, automatic feed dispensers, concentrates, urination, defecation, animal welfare, efficiency Rushen, J., A.M.B. de Passille, and L. Munksgaard (1999). Fear of people by cows and effects on milk yield, behavior, and heart rate at milking. Journal of Dairy Science 82(4): 720-727, ISSN: 0022-0302. NAL Call No.: 44.8 J822 Keywords: handling, fear, heart rate, kicking behavior, milk yield, milking. I could run an update search for you as well. Regards, Cynthia Smith, USDA/ARS/NAL, Animal Welfare Information Center www.nal.usda.gov/awic ----- Original Message ----- From: Rexxie1@aol.com To: applied-ethology@sask.usask.ca Sent: Monday, April 11, 2005 1:04 PM Subject: milking parlor design with welfare in mind Hello, There are a number of milking parlor designs available in various publications and they seem to function pretty well, but I'm wondering if there are any that have incorporated specific knowledge about dairy cow behavior and welfare. Any help on available designs or on welfare parameters that should be particularly considered in milking parlor design will be appreciated. Marlene Halverson Animal Welfare Institute -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: IN%"saluqi@ix.netcom.com" "John Burchard" 23-APR-2005 12:20:16.07 To: IN%"applied-ethology@sask.usask.ca" "Applied ethology list" CC: Subj: RE: coloring and behavior Clare Lewandowski wrote: > Is there any correlation in cattle or horses with coat color and behavior? I > have a reference by Temple Grandin to piebald and reactivity. On a canine > genetics list, some discussion of red colors from phaeomelanin are more likely > to have hearing damage from sound levels that do not damage animals with > eumelanin. Hm, I would like to know more about that. I've been on the canine genetics lists for years and don't remember it. AFAIK the only dogs with phaeomelanin and NO eumelanin are the e/e "extension red" (or "extension yellow") animals. Most, or at least many, "red" dogs are actually A^y sables and do have eumelanin, though its distribution in the adult animals may be rather limited. Dogs with extensive white areas, particularly on the head, are rather likely to be deaf, but that is a matter of missing neural crest cells during embryological development of the inner ear, not of damage from sound levels. > I recall some years ago finding a website that mentioned some > trainers thought chestnuts and sorrels were more likely to spook than other > horses. The same site mentioned differences in copper levels between coats and > had some other data that wasn't simply anecdotal but I lost the link. If you find it, I would be grateful if you could tell me. > Is there any good data on how coat coloring might indicate > behavior, nutritional needs and nerve pathways? Wow, a rather large subject . In wild animals, at any rate, coat color seems to be controlled primarily by adaptive needs, for instance avoidance of predation. The classical work of Dice on Peromyscus polionotus comes to mind ... John -- Dr. John Burchard Tepe Gawra Salukis http://saluqi.home.netcom.com/ saluqi@ix.netcom.com From: IN%"saluqi@ix.netcom.com" "John Burchard" 23-APR-2005 12:24:07.51 To: IN%"applied-ethology@sask.usask.ca" "Applied ethology list" CC: Subj: RE: coloring and behavior > Clare Lewandowski wrote: > > Janice, > Is there any information on how this affects the nervous system? The original > reference I found and lost the link to mentioned I think hair analysis on > different coat colors showed tendencies for different levels of copper and > other minerals. Conclusion was that hair color affected nutritional needs in > some way and that had a direct affect on either nerves or neurotransmitter. Hm, I did not see Jan's post, perhaps it was private? I would be grateful for the link if you can find it. > Also a mention of some unusual hair analysis in gray horses that might be a > link to the tendency towards melanomas. That too would interest me. > In animals like foxes or the gophers that are more tolerant of human > disturbance, is the white or lighter coloring something that happens at the > same time another process goes on with development or a direct effect on > behavior due to influence on nutrition or perhaps neurotransmitter levels or > receptors? > Clare > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Janice Koler-Matznick > To: Clare Lewandowski > Sent: Friday, April 22, 2005 3:00 PM > Subject: Re: coloring and behavior > > Clare, Coat color has some effect on many mammals. I have no info > on horses. Melanocytes develop from the same embryonic tissue as the > central nervous system, thus the linkage of mutation in coat color > to temperament. In farmed red foxes (Vulpes vuples) fear/wildness > go down scale in order of: normal (wild) red; silver; pearl; amber; > glacier. Relative adrenal weights decreased in the same order. It > was found that the color varities produce less coritsol under stress > and recover more quickly physiologically. > > Easy Ref: Keeler, Clyde, 1975. Behavior variations in color phases > of the red fox. pp 399-413 in M. W. Fox, ed., The Wild Canids. > Robert E Kreiger Publishing. The work of Curt Richter, long ago, on adrenal weights etc. in domestic vs. wild Norway rats must also be of interest in this context. > Albino animals are usually much less fearful/easier to handle than > colored ones. In areas where there is heavy disturbance by humans, > even gopher populations show an increase in their color mutations > and show a higher percentage of white markings (failure of > melanocytes to migrate to the end points of belly, toes). I have a photo album of gophers (Thomomys bottae) from the Central Valley of California, showing wide variation in the amount of white spotting. This is, like white spotting in dogs, and as Jan mentions, a failure of melanocyte precursors to reach the end points of their migration. I wonder, though, whether that is related to disturbance by humans. Gophers seem rather oblivious of human disturbance. Since they are rarely seen above ground, one might be tempted to think that cryptic coloration doesn't mean much to them (in animals which do appear above ground, predators exercise strong selection against white markings which make their owners more conspicuous). Where I live, gophers are preyed on heavily by Barn Owls (Tyto alba) but since the Barn Owl hunts mostly by sound, that may not bear on the cryptic coloration issue ... ? Some of the gophers I photographed (all trapped in the same location, to wit, my yard and garden , total area about 10,000 square feet) have large irregular white patches on belly and/or throat, and/or smaller white patches on chin and/or paws. This is farmland with only one other habitation closer than 1/4 mile, and only five others altogether closer than one mile. The only disturbance these animals experience is by agricultural machinery. In dogs at least, the failure of melanocyte precursors to reach their migratory end points is largely genetically determined. There is a series of what are thought to be four alleles at one locus, controlling the amount of "white spotting" or in other words the amount of interference with neural crest cell migration. I can't see any reason to think it is otherwise in gophers. Nutritional or environmental factors appear to play at most a very minor role in this phenomenon. John -- Dr. John Burchard Tepe Gawra Salukis http://saluqi.home.netcom.com/ saluqi@ix.netcom.com From: IN%"jhaskins@tpg.com.au" "Jenny Haskins" 23-APR-2005 20:51:37.52 To: IN%"applied-ethology@sask.usask.ca" "Ethology" CC: Subj: RE: coloring and behavior Jenny Haskins Family Dog Training Coffs Harbour, Australia ----- Original Message ----- From: "Raven Lore" To: Sent: Saturday, 23 April 2005 11:16 PM Subject: Re: coloring and behavior > However, I have observed, and spoken to animal shelter workers who observed, > that piebald and calico cats usually exhibit temperament problems. They are > twitchy, hyperactive, and unpredictable. I have also heard from these same > people that black and white colored dogs have a much higher incidence of > extreme aggression that is not responsive to socializing. > Raven I have not noticed any problem with tortoiseshell cats (the calico is merely a tortoiseshell with more distinct patched of black and ginger). In fact I prefer the tortoiseshells as I've found them in general more amenable than the tabbies. I cannot believe that there is a problem with black and white dogs -- remember Belyaev and his foxes. Breeding for temperament and easy handlability got him piebald black and white foxes. I know thar Border Collies seem to have a problem -- and they are the definitive black and white dog. But it is with 'getting attacked' by other dogs (especially by German Shepherds) rather than being aggressive. And it is due to their 'eye' behaviour, not their colour that seems to cause this. I suspect that regionally you might find colour correlated with temperament, but I suspect that this is probably more due to inbreeding effects and gene-linkage or increased indidence of particular genes in that smaller population. I have found with my own German Shepherds that Sables tend to have more allergy and food tolerance problems than the Black and Golds. I also believe that allergies and food intoleranced affect behaviour. I understand that allergies and food intolerances are part of the spectrum of symptoms seen with Asberger's Syndrome -- a behavioural problem. But whether or not the correlation I've seen with Sable and allergies would hold up with a broad study I do not know. In Australia the red Cattle Dog is generally more likely to be aggressive than the blue. But there are lots of blues and only a few reds, so it might just be a coincidental thing with all the reds possessing a common ancestor who also pased on a greater tendency to show aggression (or possibly more dingo showing up??) I have trained rats -- and found that the Japanese hooded rats (white and another colour) become tame much more easily than rat-coloured rats (just as with the Arctic Foxes). Jenny From: IN%"jhaskins@tpg.com.au" "Jenny Haskins" 23-APR-2005 21:02:18.61 To: IN%"applied-ethology@sask.usask.ca" "Ethology" CC: Subj: RE: Colour pigmentation in Canines But this difference between black and yellow Labs could still be due a common ancestor or that particular population. I've known somm awfully laid-back blacks, and some difficult yellows. I believe that the Department of Primary Industried in Queensland found in general the blacks better as sniffer dogs, but their top dog was a yellow. I suspect that this is because the yellow is now the 'popular colour' and is being bred in large numbers as pets, while the black has lost popularity and is now more common with people who breed for working qualities. It could also be explained by the reaction that all-black dogs get from other dogs and from people. Was it the Coppingers who pointed out that an all-black face masks facial expressions and signals? I know that talking to people with all-black dogs they tell me that many people react very badly towards them. Jenny Haskins Family Dog Training Coffs Harbour, Australia ----- Original Message ----- From: LyndhurstPark@aol.com To: applied-ethology@skyway.usask.ca Sent: Saturday, 23 April 2005 11:27 PM Subject: Re: Colour pigmentation in Canines Following on from the topic of colour pigmentation contributing to canine aggression. A fine example is the Black and Golden Labrador. The black labrador is known to show heightened dominance aggression towards other dogs. In Hong kong the police use them as general purpose police dogs which involves attack techniques. The golden labrador on the other hand shows no such innate traits. Gordon Butcher Canine Ethology Student and SAR Dog Handler. From: IN%"ravenslore@hotmail.com" "Raven Lore" 24-APR-2005 06:39:46.51 To: IN%"Applied-ethology@sask.usask.ca" CC: Subj: RE: coloring and behavior (also Autism) This is very interesting: > >I have not noticed any problem with tortoiseshell cats. In fact I >prefer the tortoiseshells as I've found them in general more amenable than >the tabbies. > >I cannot believe that there is a problem with black and white dogs -- >remember Belyaev and his foxes. Breeding for temperament and easy >handlability got him piebald black and white foxes. because I live in a sparsely populated mountain area where there are a lot more "backyard breeders" per capita than you might normally find in an area. It is likely that that does result in more inbreeding; and it's likely that a certain breeding animal with very poor temperament could cause a problem through out the area. What is even more interesting to me is your mention of behavioral problems related to food allergies which can cause things like Asperger's Syndrome. This is a topic I've studied because I have been diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome. In my case it was caused by genetic factors and mild brain damage during birth. However, I am curious how any Autism Spectrum Disorder might manifest itself in an animal. Environmental factors contributing to Autism might be even more likely to have a Neurological effect on animals since their food and vaccines aren't required to be as clean and regulated. I'm not saying animals could have Autism. But an animal's brain would likely respond similarly to these factors, and there are some Asperger's behaviors (Intense focus, heightened sensitivity to certain stimuli, etc.) that could be considered desirable to a breeder who might compete with Border Collies for example. Particularly if temperament is not a priority to the breeder. Sounds kind of far fetched. I'm just speculating. Does anyone have any thoughts or information on this subject? Raven "What lies behind us and what lies before us are small matters compared to what lies within us." -Ralph Waldo Emerson- _________________________________________________________________ Express yourself instantly with MSN Messenger! Download today - it's FREE! http://messenger.msn.click-url.com/go/onm00200471ave/direct/01/ From: IN%"zentrainer@hotmail.com" "Zen Trainer" 24-APR-2005 09:24:26.68 To: IN%"applied-ethology@sask.usask.ca" CC: Subj: RE: Colour Pigmentation in Canines I think a lot of the difference in human reaction to black dogs comes just from prejudice. In a shelter black dogs (and cats) are always the hardest to adopt. But now, brown labs...they are quite interesting. They are the only type of dog that I will NOT board. I have tried again and again but they all seem to be nervous ninnies. I remember a source that cited that the gene for brown was linked with the nervous gene. Has anyone else read that? Tracy B Ann www.zenpaws.comGet more from the Web. FREE MSN Explorer download : http://explorer.msn.com From: IN%"M.Schilder@las.vet.uu.nl" 25-APR-2005 05:06:56.81 To: IN%"saluqi@ix.netcom.com" CC: IN%"applied-ethology@sask.usask.ca" Subj: RE: coloring and behavior dear all, In: Domestication, by H. Hemmer (Cambridge univ press, 1990), one can find an interesting link between coat colour and behaviournamely that the pathways that lead to catecholamines are partly shared with the pathway leading to melanin (p 117 , see also chapter 8 in this book. regards, Matthijs From: IN%"johnsona@iastate.edu" "Anna Johnson" 25-APR-2005 07:12:37.77 To: IN%"Applied-ethology@sask.usask.ca" CC: Subj: New Post Dear All, Just to update members of ISAE. As of April 15th 2005 I have taken up my new position at ISU (details below). This new position will allow me to conduct research, teaching and to dabble in some extension work as well all pertaining to farm animal behavior and welfare. I look forward to working with some of you in the future, All the best Anna Assistant Professor Iowa State University Department of Animal Science 2356G Kildee Hall Ames IA 50011-3150 Phone: (515) 294-2098 Fax: (515) 294-4471 E-mail: johnsona@iastate.edu From: IN%"johnsona@iastate.edu" "Anna Johnson" 25-APR-2005 07:15:20.86 To: IN%"Applied-ethology@sask.usask.ca" CC: Subj: Rodent information Dear All, Can anyone suggest a detailed resource that works through wild and lab mouse behavior. Thanks Anna Assistant Professor Iowa State University Department of Animal Science 2356G Kildee Hall Ames IA 50011-3150 Phone: (515) 294-2098 Fax: (515) 294-4471 E-mail: johnsona@iastate.edu From: IN%"Moira.Harris@bristol.ac.uk" "Moira Harris" 25-APR-2005 07:43:05.81 To: IN%"applied-ethology@usask.ca" CC: Subj: RE: Rodent information Dear Anna, I'm not sure exactly what you mean by a detailed resource -- but you could try Latham, N. and Mason, G., 2004. From house mouse to mouse house: the behavioural biology of free-living Mus musculus and its implications in the laboratory. Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci. 86, 261-289. It's a very detailed review of mouse behaviour and biology. Best wishes, - Moira Harris --On 25 April 2005 08:15 -0500 Anna Johnson wrote: > Dear All, > > Can anyone suggest a detailed resource that works through wild and lab > mouse behavior. > > Thanks Anna > > Assistant Professor > Iowa State University > Department of Animal Science > 2356G Kildee Hall > Ames > IA > 50011-3150 > > Phone: (515) 294-2098 > Fax: (515) 294-4471 > E-mail: johnsona@iastate.edu > > ------------------------------------- Dr. Moira Harris Dept. Clinical Veterinary Science University of Bristol moira.harris@bristol.ac.uk 0117 928 9404 From: IN%"cristina.giacoma@unito.it" "Cristina Giacoma" 25-APR-2005 09:39:18.76 To: IN%"applied-ethology@usask.ca" CC: Subj: cat behavior do you know a detailed description of free-ranging and house cats or dogs to be useful as a base for student practicals? thanks a lot Cristina -- new phone 011-670 4558 and Fax 011-670 4508 -- Prof. Cristina Giacoma Dip. Biologia Animale e dell'Uomo V. Accademia Albertina, 13 10125 Torino Italy Telephone: Giacoma's Office +39 011 670 4558 collaborators' office +39 011 670 4557 or 4560 laboratory +39 011 670 4559 or 4561 Fax +39 011 670 4508 e-mail: cristina.giacoma@unito.it From: IN%"hilit@teldan.com" "Hilit Finkler" 25-APR-2005 09:41:25.46 To: IN%"cristina.giacoma@unito.it" "'Cristina Giacoma'", IN%"applied-ethology@sask.usask.ca" "'Applied ethology list'" CC: Subj: RE: cat behavior What do you mean exactly? Can you elaborate? -----Original Message----- From: Cristina Giacoma [mailto:cristina.giacoma@unito.it] Sent: Monday, April 25, 2005 5:38 PM To: applied-ethology@usask.ca Subject: cat behavior do you know a detailed description of free-ranging and house cats or dogs to be useful as a base for student practicals? thanks a lot Cristina -- new phone 011-670 4558 and Fax 011-670 4508 -- Prof. Cristina Giacoma Dip. Biologia Animale e dell'Uomo V. Accademia Albertina, 13 10125 Torino Italy Telephone: Giacoma's Office +39 011 670 4558 collaborators' office +39 011 670 4557 or 4560 laboratory +39 011 670 4559 or 4561 Fax +39 011 670 4508 e-mail: cristina.giacoma@unito.it From: IN%"saluqi@ix.netcom.com" "John Burchard" 25-APR-2005 11:50:53.10 To: IN%"applied-ethology@sask.usask.ca" "Applied ethology list" CC: Subj: RE: Colour pigmentation in Canines Jenny Haskins wrote: > But this difference between black and yellow Labs could still be due a common ancestor or that particular population. I've known somm awfully laid-back blacks, and some difficult yellows. I believe that the Department of Primary Industried in Queensland found in general the blacks better as sniffer dogs, but their top dog was a yellow. I suspect that this is because the yellow is now the 'popular colour' and is being bred in large numbers as pets, while the black has lost popularity and is now more common with people who breed for working qualities. Sounds reasonable to me. The difference between black Labs and yellow ones is a single gene. Yellow Labs are homozygous for the recessive "extension yellow" allele "e" while black ones are not (they are either E/e or E/E at that locus). > It could also be explained by the reaction that all-black dogs get from other dogs and from people. Was it the Coppingers who pointed out that an all-black face masks facial expressions and signals? I know that talking to people with all-black dogs they tell me that many people react very badly towards them. The Prophet Muhammad is reported to have said "the black dog is a devil" which led, in the early days of Islam, to a campaign of extermination against black dogs. Surprisingly, a considerable proportion of Salukis (the indigenous hunting dog of Arabia) are nevertheless black (or rather, black and tan, which is genetically something else altogether ). None of the Muslims with whom I associated, during 15 years of living in Saudi Arabia, regarded tan-point Salukis as more objectionable than those of other colors (for the most part, town-dwelling Muslims regard all dogs with suspicion, while the desert nomads appreciate the virtues of hunting Salukis, regarding them as something apart from other dogs; Salukis are exempt from the stigma of ritual uncleanliness which adheres to dogs in general). Dogs of course perceive the reactions of humans and adjust their behavior accordingly. Salukis come in a great variety of colors and patterns, more than most other dog breeds. After more than 30 years I can't say I have observed any consistent behavior or temperament difference associated with particular colors or patterns. Consistent behavioral styles are, however, quite obvious in particular families or lineages of Salukis, and may persist over many generations. Certain little behavioral quirks of my original foundation animals are still noticeable, six generations later, in their by now numerous descendants in Arabia, several European countries, Britain and the U.S. John -- Dr. John Burchard Tepe Gawra Salukis http://saluqi.home.netcom.com/ saluqi@ix.netcom.com From: IN%"saluqi@ix.netcom.com" "John Burchard" 25-APR-2005 12:38:41.06 To: IN%"applied-ethology@sask.usask.ca" "Applied ethology list" CC: Subj: RE: Colour Pigmentation in Canines Tracy B. Ann wrote: > I think a lot of the difference in human reaction to black dogs comes just from prejudice. In a shelter black dogs (and cats) are always the hardest to adopt. But now, brown labs...they are quite interesting. They are the only type of dog that I will NOT board. I have tried again and again but they all seem to be nervous ninnies. I remember a source that cited that the gene for brown was linked with the nervous gene. Has anyone else read that? I'd be interested to know about that source. I was not aware there was any such thing as "the nervous gene." "Brown" Labradors are usually called "chocolate" and are just black Labs homozygous for the "liver" gene which turns black eumelanin into brown-looking "liver" or "chocolate." Again, this is a single gene difference. "Chocolate" or liver is quite common in many breeds of dogs and is not AFAIK associated with any particular features of temperament. Most gundog breeds, for example, come ONLY in liver pigment. I have bred a couple of liver pigmented Salukis; their behavior was not noticeably different from that of their non-liver littermates. Liver pigmented dogs have lighter colored eyes than dogs with black eumelanin. People tend to react badly to a light colored eye; so here again we may have an example of self-fulfilling expectation based on how people react to the dogs ... John -- Dr. John Burchard Tepe Gawra Salukis http://saluqi.home.netcom.com/ saluqi@ix.netcom.com From: IN%"saluqi@ix.netcom.com" "John Burchard" 25-APR-2005 16:46:31.87 To: IN%"applied-ethology@sask.usask.ca" "Applied ethology list" CC: Subj: RE: coloring and behavior Jenny Haskins wrote: > > Jenny Haskins > Family Dog Training > Coffs Harbour, Australia > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Raven Lore" > To: > Sent: Saturday, 23 April 2005 11:16 PM > Subject: Re: coloring and behavior > > However, I have observed, and spoken to animal shelter workers who observed, > > that piebald and calico cats usually exhibit temperament problems. They are > > twitchy, hyperactive, and unpredictable. I have also heard from these same > > people that black and white colored dogs have a much higher incidence of > > extreme aggression that is not responsive to socializing. > > Raven > > I have not noticed any problem with tortoiseshell cats (the calico is merely > a tortoiseshell with more distinct patched of black and ginger). In fact I > prefer the tortoiseshells as I've found them in general more amenable than > the tabbies. > > I cannot believe that there is a problem with black and white dogs -- > remember Belyaev and his foxes. Breeding for temperament and easy > handlability got him piebald black and white foxes. Well, not exactly. He started with "silver" foxes - bred for many generations in captivity for a certain color variation which is at least uncommon in wild populations - so those animals while not "tame" were already strongly selected for adaptation to life in captivity. He ended up with animals which showed some white spotting ... something whose genetics are fairly well understood in dogs, and unlikely to be different in foxes. > I know thar Border Collies seem to have a problem -- and they are the > definitive black and white dog. But it is with 'getting attacked' by other > dogs (especially by German Shepherds) rather than being aggressive. And it > is due to their 'eye' behaviour, not their colour that seems to cause this. > > I suspect that regionally you might find colour correlated with temperament, > but I suspect that this is probably more due to inbreeding effects and > gene-linkage or increased indidence of particular genes in that smaller > population. I think that is indeed the most plausible explanation of any apparent correlations which may actually exist. > I have found with my own German Shepherds that Sables tend to have more > allergy and food tolerance problems than the Black and Golds. I also > believe that allergies and food intoleranced affect behaviour. I understand > that allergies and food intolerances are part of the spectrum of symptoms > seen with Asberger's Syndrome -- a behavioural problem. But whether or not > the correlation I've seen with Sable and allergies would hold up with a > broad study I do not know. > > In Australia the red Cattle Dog is generally more likely to be aggressive > than the blue. But there are lots of blues and only a few reds, so it might > just be a coincidental thing with all the reds possessing a common ancestor > who also pased on a greater tendency to show aggression (or possibly more > dingo showing up??) One of the problems with this sort of thing is that there is no standardized color terminology in dogs, so the same color term can in different breeds refer to entirely different genetic conditions. "Red" in various dog breeds can refer to "extension red" (animals homozygous for the recessive "e" extension allele which suppresses deposition of eumelanin in the hair), or to A^y sable, or to b/b liver pigmentation (another homozygous recessive condition). There actually does exist a semi-standardized terminology, based on Clarence Little's 1957 book "The Inheritance of Coat Color in Dogs." A few of Little's ideas have had to be revised in light of later knowledge, but his book is still a good starting point. Unfortunately, the fanciers of many popular breeds refuse to adapt their terminology, so the discussion of canine color inheritance remains a source of frustration even among relative experts in the field. > I have trained rats -- and found that the Japanese hooded rats (white and > another colour) become tame much more easily than rat-coloured rats (just as > with the Arctic Foxes). Belyaev's foxes were not Arctic Foxes, but domesticated color-variant Red Foxes (Vulpes vulpes). There is some old and very interesting work by Curt Richter on rats, showing that wild Norway rats ("rat colored rats") are very much more reactive - and have very much larger adrenal glands - than their albino, domesticated laboratory cousins of the same species. Your "rat colored rats" are presumably not actually wild Rattus norvegicus, but it would be interesting to look at their physiology, catecholamine hormone levels, etc. and compare with those of the hooded strain. Your hooded rats are not albinos, but represent a particular form of white spotting (mentioned above in connection with Belyaev's foxes). Nevertheless, the depigmentation of large parts of the body surface is probably not without some physiological as well as behavioral consequences ... John -- Dr. John Burchard Tepe Gawra Salukis http://saluqi.home.netcom.com/ saluqi@ix.netcom.com From: IN%"jhaskins@tpg.com.au" "Jenny Haskins" 25-APR-2005 20:28:19.95 To: IN%"applied-ethology@sask.usask.ca" "Ethology" CC: Subj: RE: Rodent information Not mice, but a good book on Rats is "The Story of Rats:their impact on us and our impact on them" S Anthony Barnett, Allen & Unwin, 2001 He does touch on the difference in behaviour between laboratory norvegicus and wild norvegicus. Whch brings to to another rodent query. On another list I'm on there was a query about the difference observed in male and in female rat behaviour. I promised to pass the query on to this list -- and also details about how to get onto the list himself (I keep losing the details about how I joined :-( Here are Piotr's enquiries -- he had a very bad reception from the Rat Training list. Unfortunately he only replied to me on list, so I do not have his e-mail addy. Please reply to me if you can help him, and I'll pass your address or information on. Thanking you all, Jenny Jenny Haskins Coffs Harbour, Australia From: Piotr Kosiorek Date: Wed Mar 30, 2005 2:52am Subject: Introduction / rat testing piotkos Offline Send Email Hi, I am working in lab on learning and memory. I am interested to PPI (pre-pulse inhibition) tests. Could anyone give me direction to people doing such rat tests? I need a simple model of discrimination. I am looking for those tests because I am trying to assume it is possible for any drugs to change the level of discrimination recognition to better. Can anyone deal with it? Thanks a lot, piotkos Med Univ Bialystok Poland From: "piotkos" Date: Tue Apr 12, 2005 10:22pm Subject: Female rat behaviour piotkos Offline Send Email Hi, I am a doctor working on rat behaviour.I need help. I am looking for a publication concerning female rats to my science work. Above all I found in medline data including mostly male rats. Mainly, I am interested in locomotion (ambulation), exploring activity (rearings, bar approaches, grooming, defecation), time of sexual grow up or even level of rat age to estimate memory and learning conditions. I hope smb of you to hear soon. Sincerely, piotkos From: "piotkos" Date: Tue Apr 19, 2005 10:43pm Subject: Rat behaviour and science piotkos Offline Send Email Hi, Some said: -Why am I asking you (Rat Training Behavuior group)? I am sending this mail because I feel that somebody of you may can help us. As I said I am working on rat behavior in part of my laboratory academic job, besides my hospital duties. Our research group study effects of synthetic analogs of marihuana (CP 55940, HU 210, WIN 55212 and others)on rat psychomotor behavior in some behavior test called (open field, Ennaceur learning memory test, lab +, DNMS, DMTS etc). Why are we testing? We doing this because we are looking for new mechanism od cannabinoid (named THC analogs) action in CNS. Nowdays THC, CBD, CBN analogs are testing to proove its medical action in such CNS diseases as Huntigton, Perkinson, Scerosis multiplex, addiction to drugs, obesity even in nicotynismus. A strong evidence of medical cannabis use is its benefits in analgesy(cancer, chemiotherapy, AIDS) and movement (Tourette, Parkinson, SM). What Am I looking? An information about female rat behavior with comparision to male. In our pre-test research there is too many conditions which interfer with (and disrupt) female behavior in lots of rat groups. I think I need a basis information about female behavior. That information may be inside a book, listed below: --- In Rat_Training_Behavior@yahoogroups.com, "Jenny Haskins" wrote: > Have you heard of the book "The Story of Rats: Their impact on us, and > our impact on them" by S Anthony Barnett, Allen & Unwin, 2001 > ISBN 1 86508 5197 For sure I do not find there information how much they walk on 100cm x 100 cm ground in 5 minutes (open field test), but it may help us in preparation test how to explain their behavior. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Anna Johnson" To: Sent: Monday, 25 April 2005 11:15 PM Subject: Rodent information > Dear All, > > Can anyone suggest a detailed resource that works through wild and lab > mouse behavior. > > Thanks Anna > E-mail: johnsona@iastate.edu From: IN%"jhaskins@tpg.com.au" "Jenny Haskins" 25-APR-2005 20:51:37.39 To: IN%"applied-ethology@sask.usask.ca" "Ethology" CC: Subj: RE: coloring and behavior Jenny Haskins Family Dog Training Coffs Harbour, Australia > > I cannot believe that there is a problem with black and white dogs -- > > remember Belyaev and his foxes. Breeding for temperament and easy > > handlability got him piebald black and white foxes. > > Well, not exactly. He started with "silver" foxes - bred for many generations > in captivity for a certain color variation which is at least uncommon in wild > populations - so those animals while not "tame" were already strongly selected > for adaptation to life in captivity. He ended up with animals which showed some > white spotting ... something whose genetics are fairly well understood in dogs, > and unlikely to be different in foxes. . . > Belyaev's foxes were not Arctic Foxes, but domesticated color-variant Red Foxes > (Vulpes vulpes). Thankyou for that. My problem is relying too much on secondary, tertiary or worse sources of information (and I've got his paper too :-( > One of the problems with this sort of thing is that there is no standardized > color terminology in dogs, so the same color term can in different breeds refer > to entirely different genetic conditions. . . Unfortunately, the fanciers of many popular breeds refuse to adapt their> terminology, so the discussion of canine color inheritance remains a source of> frustration even among relative experts in the field. Too true. As they say -- there's now't so queer as folk, except for dog breeders/dog show folk :-) > > I have trained rats -- and found that the Japanese hooded rats (white and > > another colour) become tame much more easily than rat-coloured rats (just as > > with the Arctic Foxes). > There is some old and very interesting work by Curt Richter on rats, showing > that wild Norway rats ("rat colored rats") are very much more reactive - and > have very much larger adrenal glands - than their albino, domesticated > laboratory cousins of the same species. Your "rat colored rats" are presumably > not actually wild Rattus norvegicus, but it would be interesting to look at > their physiology, catecholamine hormone levels, etc. and compare with those of > the hooded strain. I'll try and chase that up! I did suspect that my 'rat coloured rats' might have been a result of a mating between a wild rat and a domestic rat. This is not unknown, in mice as well if the cages have large enough spaced wire. I knew I had a wild mouse visiting one of my pet mice as there were mouse droppings on the top of the cage -- unfortunately the wild mouse seems to have passed on a disease, which means I no longer have mice. (At the moment, wild mice included.) Talking of colour variants, in mice the 'tigers' (black/brown brindle) have a reputation for being highly aggressive -- more so than wild mice. I only tried one female, and she proved to be untameable, by me at any rate. Jenny Haskins, Coffs Harbour Australia > -- > Dr. John Burchard > Tepe Gawra Salukis > http://saluqi.home.netcom.com/ > saluqi@ix.netcom.com > > From: IN%"jlanier@hsus.org" "Jennifer Lanier" 26-APR-2005 07:33:13.45 To: IN%"applied-ethology@sask.usask.ca" "Ethology" CC: Subj: RE: coloring and behavior In the horse slaughter industry, all grey horse carcasses are required to undergo greater inspection than non-grey horses. This inspection includes cutting into the ribs to look for melenoma. I forget the percent of grey horses that have melenomas, but it is significantly higher than non-greys, and thus the requirement for further inspection. Jennifer Jennifer L. Lanier Director of Scientific Programs Farm Animal Welfare The Humane Society of the US 2100 L Street NW Washington, DC 20037 jlanier@hsus.org (301) 548 7787 From: IN%"whitebird@xtra.co.nz" "Whitebirds" 26-APR-2005 15:04:22.14 To: IN%"applied-ethology@sask.usask.ca" "Applied ethology list" CC: Subj: RE: Colour Pigmentation in Canines ----- Original Message ----- From: "John Burchard" > "Brown" Labradors are usually called "chocolate" and are just black Labs > homozygous for the "liver" gene which turns black eumelanin into brown-looking > "liver" or "chocolate." Again, this is a single gene difference. Hi there, I have heard (anecdotally :) that chocolate labradors descended from an outcross to German Shorthaired Pointers, so the more hyper behaviour isn't so much because of their 'colour', rather the working breed they came from. Cheers Diana From: IN%"johnsona@iastate.edu" "Anna Johnson" 27-APR-2005 11:38:59.17 To: IN%"Applied-ethology@sask.usask.ca" CC: Subj: Location Dear List Serve Does anyone have E-mails for the following three individuals, Jon Cooper - UK Marie Christine-Salun - France Marc Bracke - The Netherlands Thanks Anna Assistant Professor Iowa State University Department of Animal Science 2356G Kildee Hall Ames IA 50011-3150 Phone: (515) 294-2098 Fax: (515) 294-4471 E-mail: johnsona@iastate.edu From: IN%"jlanier@hsus.org" "Jennifer Lanier" 27-APR-2005 19:44:10.10 To: IN%"johnsona@iastate.edu" "Anna Johnson", IN%"Applied-ethology@sask.usask.ca" CC: Subj: RE: Rodent information I would recommend The UFAW Handbook on The Care and Management of Laboratory Animals (7th ed) You may find additional info at the following links http://www.nal.usda.gov/awic/pubs/oldbib/qb9704.htm http://www.awionline.org/lab_animals/index.htm Hope this helps! Jennifer Lanier HSUS jlanier@hsus.org -----Original Message----- From: Anna Johnson [mailto:johnsona@iastate.edu] Sent: Mon 4/25/2005 9:15 AM To: Applied-ethology@sask.usask.ca Cc: Subject: Rodent information Dear All, Can anyone suggest a detailed resource that works through wild and lab mouse behavior. Thanks Anna Assistant Professor Iowa State University Department of Animal Science 2356G Kildee Hall Ames IA 50011-3150 Phone: (515) 294-2098 Fax: (515) 294-4471 E-mail: johnsona@iastate.edu From: IN%"saluqi@ix.netcom.com" "John Burchard" 28-APR-2005 11:53:49.47 To: IN%"applied-ethology@sask.usask.ca" "Applied ethology list" CC: Subj: RE: Colour Pigmentation in Canines Whitebirds wrote: > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "John Burchard" > > > "Brown" Labradors are usually called "chocolate" and are just black Labs > > homozygous for the "liver" gene which turns black eumelanin into > brown-looking > > "liver" or "chocolate." Again, this is a single gene difference. > > Hi there, > > I have heard (anecdotally :) that chocolate labradors descended from an > outcross to German Shorthaired Pointers, so the more hyper behaviour isn't > so much because of their 'colour', rather the working breed they came from. That would more or less imply that the different color varieties of Labradors are kept separate in breeding. I don't know enough about Labs to venture an opinion on that one, except to note that from the point of view of color there would be no need to maintain such separation ... the differences are single gene differences and would segregate cleanly no matter how much you tried to mix them. I do gather that the Labrador, in spite of its name, is a rather modern breed "made in England" and not in the New World. Anyway, your point would fit in with my not noticing any marked difference in behavior between "chocolate" individuals and those of other colors, within a particular strain of Salukis. I don't select for color, particularly, and didn't set out to breed "chocolate" individuals ... they just happened, in a line which hadn't produced any in at least four, and probably eight or more, previous generations. John -- Dr. John Burchard Tepe Gawra Salukis http://saluqi.home.netcom.com/ saluqi@ix.netcom.com