I don’t know about you guys, but I adore TED talks. They are my go-to YouTube binge on Friday nights (because I’m so cool). There are so many amazing talks, and I love to watch a wide variety–lately I’ve been watching a ton of child development, and I spent a whole night of watching TED talks about cults (SO CRAZY, y’all), and I try to watch all things animal-related.
I struggled to pick three to share, so this may end up being a part one, but these three are SO good. All told, they total 35 minutes combined, so you can sit and devour these with a glass of wine in hand this evening (my usual Friday night routine). I’d love to hear what you think of these three and the concepts presented, and if you have other favorite TED talks–dogs or otherwise–please do share in the comments!
How do dogs “see” with their noses? | Alexandra Horowitz
Quick and fascinating. You’ll love this one!
What every person can learn from dog training | Noa Szefler
Note: Don’t read the comments on this one unless you’re a glutton for punishment…
The Problem with Treating a Dog Like a Pet | Kim Brophey
Powerful and important. A must-watch and must-share. If you only watch one of these three, watch this one. (The first couple minutes: tissue alert.)
There you have it: the best TED talks about dogs! (For now…)
Please do share your favorites in the comments! Whether they’re dog-related, cult-related (seriously, you guys… crazy…), or anything else under the sun, I’d love to see your recommendations!
Happy watching, everyone!
Photo cred: Joyful Exposures
Well, my Friday night is planned! Though I might go with some beers 🙂
For some reason, my comment keeps refusing to go through cyberspace, so I’ll try one more time.
All three of these are great! Especially the last one. I have some friends who still seem to think that you can’t expect a dog to behave “properly” unless you use harsh voice tones and domineering methods. So to them I just say “fine. Let’s agree to disagree” Because they’re as thick-skulled as some people in DC. Personally, I prefer treating dogs with the same respect I want for myself.
With Ducky, I prefer rewarding her for “good” behavior; especially after hubby, in a fit of OCD impatience, yells at her for trying to get our attention. I’m certainly not perfect, and hubby’s impatience makes me boil over at times.
When I first arrived at my brother’s home, he was waiting for a call from a “board and train” place to send Boozy to, sight unseen. I was totally against it. As it turned out, the owner never called back. So I took it upon myself to work with Boozy myself. I spent a week just observing him to see how he reacted in certain situations. Then I started playing focus games with him, and just “testing” his basics. We bonded pretty quickly and soon his attitude was improving daily. While I waited for my ride to the airport to return home, I gave big bro two pieces of advice. One, give Boozy more happy attention on a daily basis. And, two, work on his basics but turn it into a game and only do it for 5 or 10 minutes at a time. He just wants to feel loved by those he loves unconditionally. Reward him when he does what you want him to do instead of getting upset with him when he’s doing something you don’t want him to do. And instead of yelling at him to be quiet, just let him get it out of his system and reward him when he quiets down. Boozy’s a guard dog, so he barks to alert bro to strangers. But he quiets down pretty quickly most times. I’m hoping bro is mostly doing what I suggested. I know he saw for himself how good a dog Boozy really is when he’s treated with love and respect.
Never heard of TED talks before but I will definitely check them out! Thank you for introducing them to me!