Catalog Search Results
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2018.
Language
English
Description
Learn how birds mate; then examine the structure of bird eggs, how they are laid, and how laid eggs develop. Observe how nests are constructed, the diverse materials used to build them, the types and functions of nests, and the range of ingenious avian nesting behavior. Finally, explore how birds incubate their clutch, and study brood parasites, who lay eggs in the nests of other birds.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2018.
Language
English
Description
Husbandry refers to the physical care we give our dogs such as feeding, grooming, health monitoring, medical care, and more. Professor Donaldson shows you how to use training to prep your dog for some of the aspects of care that he may not enjoy.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2018.
Language
English
Description
Examine the difference between tricks and obedience. Explore why teaching tricks can be beneficial to your dog as you work through three types of trick training: non-transitive or simple actions, transitive, and behavior chains. By using the foundation of obedience training you've already established, you can teach old (and young) dogs new tricks.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2018.
Language
English
Description
By now your dog is figuring out that "good things come to those who wait" and is starting to work on impulse control without being told. At this point in training, your dog has also figured out that obedience is the strategy to get what he wants. This empowering realization means your dog understands he can take charge and control the situation.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2018.
Language
English
Description
Professor Donaldson shows various techniques out in the field as she puts the wait command to the test at a dog park. Watch and learn as she adds in distraction, distance, and duration for more of a challenge. She provides valuable tips to help transition practicing the same lessons in an unfamiliar environment.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2018.
Language
English
Description
Get some valuable reassurance and reinforcements about continuing your training in a consistent manner as you take on the challenge of getting your dog to go down from a sit, down from a stand, sit from a down, and sit from a stand. You'll also tackle station and watch and evolve your recall from Pavlovian (rewards) to Premack (positive reinforcement).
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2017.
Language
English
Description
Today, review a range of methods for attracting birds, in the field and at home. In both places, consider the use of stealth and concealment techniques, for observing while remaining unobserved. Study the remarkable ability of sounds to attract birds, and the use of water, plants, and feeders in your yard. Also learn about important ways to record your observations.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2018.
Language
English
Description
Witness the complex nature of competition among birds. Study "display" behavior, which sends a message regarding territory, courtship, or perceived threats. Observe the ways in which birds defend territory, for breeding and feeding, nesting and roosting. Note how territorial defense is highly ritualized and uses a series of recognized signals, and how birds' territoriality enhances survival.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2017.
Language
English
Description
Lay a foundation for fine bird photography, starting with the basics of aperture, shutter speed, ISO (light sensitivity), and focus. Investigate the use of natural light at different times of the day, and the best equipment for photographing birds. Learn how to approach birds and capture them on camera, and consider the advantages of digiscoping (photography through a spotting scope).
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2017.
Language
English
Description
Study the physics and biology of avian sounds, which underlie the rich range of birdsong heard in the field. Discover how birds learn to vocalize, and how bird songs and calls are used for a remarkable spectrum of communication. Look at mimicry in birds, ways to use recordings to attract birds, and how digital technology can teach us more about bird vocalization.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2018.
Language
English
Description
Professor Donaldson explains how to motivate a dog and adjust your rate of reinforcement for these and a number of other common obstacles that may stand in his way. She also provides tips for transitioning out of training mode and into integrating what your dog has learned into common behaviors.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2018.
Language
English
Description
Compare models which may explain female birds' choice of mates. Observe how females "test" potential mates and how males provide a basis for choice, through courtship displays or offering prime territory. Study the intricacies of avian monogamy and polygamy; take account of pair bonding in birds, extra-pair mating, sexual role reversal, and the avian equivalents of "adultery" and "divorce."
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2018.
Language
English
Description
Explore the hatching process and the contrasting conditions for altricial chicks (born naked and helpless) versus precocial chicks (born ready to leave the nest). Delve into how birds feed their young, and the process of educating fledglings for life in the wild. Study the adaptations of siblicide (nestlings killing each other), unmated young who help raise broods, and avian communal breeding.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2017.
Language
English
Description
Plumage variation in a single bird reveals much useful information. First, take account of plumage differences based on sex, and seasonal plumage changes. Then investigate the remarkable range of age-related plumage variation in birds. Learn how birds molt (shed and replace plumage), and how hybrid species, as well as genetic and environmental factors, pose challenges for identification.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2018.
Language
English
Description
Did you know there are five kinds of barking? Professor Donaldson examines the reasons dogs bark and provides suggestions to train your dog out of this behavior. She also explains why this is one of the more frustrating areas to train, but by understanding the motivation for barking and applying consistent methods, you can more effectively and efficiently learn to work with ways to stop it.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2018.
Language
English
Description
Get an introduction to the importance of training dogs, both for owners and the dogs themselves. Through some powerful analogies, Professor Donaldson will put you in the mindset of your dog to show you why certain training methods don't work and others do. Learn the three key principles of dog training that will provide the foundation for every lesson moving forward.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2018.
Language
English
Description
Delve into the fascinating aerodynamics of bird flight. Grasp how a bird's wings operate as an airfoil; study the forces of lift, weight, thrust, and drag; and how birds take off, land, and glide. Then explore the astonishing properties of bird feathers, as they control speed, altitude, and direction. Learn about the structure, the types, and the many roles of feathers in bird behavior.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2018.
Language
English
Description
Start the proofing process, which means your dog will be proving he knows behaviors even in different conditions or environments. Professor Donaldson demonstrates how taking the same training regimen on the road can have different results and what to do to get over obstacles such as competing motivation, distractions, or problems with generalization.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2017.
Language
English
Description
Consider guidelines for ethical birding, based in respect for fellow birders and non-birders alike. Conclude with a far-reaching look at matters affecting bird welfare, at both the individual and species level. Review current environmental factors that endanger birds, and actions you can take, both individually and through organizations, to safeguard our precious bird species.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2018.
Language
English
Description
Professor Donaldson spends an entire lecture demonstrating how to train tricks, including distance drop, fugitive frisk, and sit pretty. She explains that, from here, you can string these tricks together to make a chain of tricks, or use the same principles to train your dog to do any trick he is physically capable of doing.
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