Many dog guardians, dog behaviour experts, and dog researchers have a keen interest in village dogs (and other dogs who live at large). Some of the interest is simple: a curiosity about how these dogs live. However, some people suggest that village dogs live a life which is much improved, welfare-wise, over the life of a pet dog. In this webinar, dog trainer and anthropologist Kristi Benson will provide an introduction to village dogs (including definitions and geography). She will also review welfare-compromised and positive aspects of village dogs lives before looking at some of the lessons we can learn for pet dogs: enrichment, foraging, socializing, environmental choices, and so on. She will also comment on some of the potential pitfalls and flaws in the discussions about village dogs. Learning objectives: Evaluate sources of expertise on village dogs and dog welfare Understand the difference between seeking good consequences vs. getting relief, and why those separate motivations matter to this topic Identify the naturalistic fallacy in the context of discussing village dogs Develop new ways to improve pet dog welfare based on lessons from village dogs

Sponsor:The Pawsitive Post/Companion Animal Psychology
Speaker(s):**Kristi Benson

Contact: Zazie Todd
 Email: companimalpsych@gmail.com
 Web: https://www.companionanimalpsychology.com/