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Post by Tringa on Feb 6, 2024 15:12:40 GMT
When I take our dog for a walk I have some dry dog food with me as a treat for him and I also throw a few bits to the local carrion crows.
They have learned the combination of an upright shape attached to a dog by a long lead means the chance of a few bits of food and everyday they fly in when we appear on the walk.
However, they have translated this observation to others. If my wife or daughter take the dog for a walk, the crows also arrive looking for food.
I haven't seen the crows homing in on other people who have dogs on long leads so I'm guessing they recognise the particular combinations of our dog and a person.
Today I crossed the same bit of land I use when walking the dog, but by myself this time and I had four crows gliding up and landing a few feet away from me.
I might be reading too much into this but it looks as if they can recognise individual people(and a dog).
Dave
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Post by ianr on Feb 7, 2024 8:57:26 GMT
Very smart crows, are local family watch when we go out into the garden they know there's a good chance something will be thrown up onto the flat shed roof. The real smiley bit for me is just how many pieces they try to get in their mouths at once, like greedy puppies  ian |
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Post by Psamathe on Feb 7, 2024 20:06:47 GMT
I frequently remember crucial advice about dog training "be careful what you wish for. There can be consequences" eg Teach your dog to scratch at the back door when he wants to go out for a pee. Come home from shopping to find your back door ruined because he's done what you taught him.
Several years ago after some tragic reports of foxes attacking babies video emerged of some fool demonstrating how readily a fox attacks a push chair - doing it with push chair in his garden with lump of raw meat sitting in it! Guess what that fox learnt about push chairs.
Training wild animals to be tamer around humans might have long term consequences eg the risk they get short of food snd start pestering others, maybe walkers with young children...
That said, a lot of "might"s and "risk" in my concerns.
But un-training a learnt behaviour can be very difficult particularly as intermittent reward is stronger conditioning than every time reward (Lorenz?)
ps Please don't interpret the above as my being dictatorial, just highlighting my personal view about risks.
Ian
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Post by Tringa on Feb 9, 2024 8:52:04 GMT
I frequently remember crucial advice about dog training "be careful what you wish for. There can be consequences" eg Teach your dog to scratch at the back door when he wants to go out for a pee. Come home from shopping to find your back door ruined because he's done what you taught him. Several years ago after some tragic reports of foxes attacking babies video emerged of some fool demonstrating how readily a fox attacks a push chair - doing it with push chair in his garden with lump of raw meat sitting in it! Guess what that fox learnt about push chairs. Training wild animals to be tamer around humans might have long term consequences eg the risk they get short of food snd start pestering others, maybe walkers with young children... That said, a lot of "might"s and "risk" in my concerns. But un-training a learnt behaviour can be very difficult particularly as intermittent reward is stronger conditioning than every time reward (Lorenz?) ps Please don't interpret the above as my being dictatorial, just highlighting my personal view about risks. Ian
No problem, Ian. Fair points.
Dave
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