Lessons from the Streeties. An on-line course with Sindhoor Pangal

LESSONS FROM FREE-LIVING DOGS AND THEIR RELEVANCE TO THE WELLBEING OF PET DOGS 

In recent years, free-living dogs have become an invaluable source of knowledge about the natural behaviour, communication, lifestyle, and preferences of dogs. We consider them to be masters of sociability and emotional regulation, serving as a benchmark against which we compare our family dogs when analysing their behaviours and quality of life.

Dog behaviour consultant Sindhoor Pangal comes from India, a country with a vast population of free-living dogs known as "streeties." These animals have adapted to the specific conditions of Indian cities and culture, developing unique skills that make them evolutionary winners. These Indian street dogs will be our teachers in this 12 hours course!

Using her talents for keen observation, critical thinking, and captivating storytelling, combined with her extensive scientific knowledge, Sindhoor will take us into the exotic world of free-living dogs, existing right beyond her garden gate. We will deep-dive into lives of street dogs to find out how this knowledge can help us build better relationships with our pet dogs and help them navigate the challenges of living with us.

Throughout the course, we will watch numerous videos showcasing the daily lives and interactions of Indian free-living dogs.

The content of this course was recently presented by Sindhoor with great success during weekend seminars in Europe - in the Netherlands and Spain. It is, therefore, an even greater honor for us to offer it as an online event for the first time.

PROGRAMME

Part 1 

• Streeties - who are they, who are they not and why are they important.
• Popular misconceptions about free-ranging dogs.
• Importance of slowing down and observing.
• How to study dog communication?
• How can we help dogs get better at communication?
• Free-ranging dogs as a source of ethogram.
• Presentations of two ethograms of dogs.
• Structures of dogs: living in groups, hierarchies, culture.
• Cultural biases in how we view dogs.
• Anthropocentrism and it’s impact on dog training.
• The nature Vs. nurture debate.

Part 2

• Body Language Study.
• Conflict resolution - how street dogs avoid fights.
• The role of agency in conflict resolution.
• How can we help our dogs with emotional regulation and learning the skills of conflict resolution.
• Care for adopted “ex-street dogs”.
• Care for dogs on streets.
• The "rights" of dogs in our homes.
• Do dogs value freedom?
• What are our expectations of dogs and how can we reframe them?

MEET THE SPEAKER

Sindhoor Pangal is a canine behaviour specialist, a canine myotherapist (a form of manual therapy), and an engineer. She is a TEDx speaker and the author of the book "Dog Knows."

Many years ago, Sindhoor decided to leave the corporate job after her dog, Nishi, had an accident and needed specialised physical and emotional care. Since then, she has dedicated her life to working with dogs. It was then that Sindhoor discovered her passion for observing and studying the behaviour of street dogs.

Her work was quickly recognised and published in the IAABC journal, as well as on the Pet Professional Guild blog in the USA. Sindhoor was also invited to give a lecture at the PDTE conference in the UK. Her observations were referenced in Dr. Marc Bekoff's book "Canine Confidential" and in the National Geographic publication "Genius of Dogs."

Currently, Sindhoor is completing her master's degree in Anthrozoology at the University of Exeter (UK) and is the director of BHARCS, a school offering diploma studies in canine behaviour and applied ethology.

Despite her many responsibilities, Sindhoor's favourite role is being a dog mom. She considers her dogs her greatest inspiration and best teachers.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

• This on-line course consist of 4 recorded ZOOM webinars in English. Each webinar lasts 3 hours.
• Total educational hours: 12.
  
• Ticket price: $129
• The recordings from the event are available via a private Facebook group, from 31st August to 27th October 2024.
• Important: make sure you have access to your Facebook account before purchasing ticket.
• The agreement with the speaker excludes the possibility of purchasing access to the recordings after August 30 2024, as well as extending access beyond the set date of October 27 2024.
• Certificates of participation will be issued in electronic format, sent out via email, within 2 weeks after the publication of the last recording.
• If you prefer to use a payment method that is not available on this, please contact the organiser.
• Tickets are non-refundable.
• This website is for international audience. If you are Polish, go to: https://psiawachta.pl/lekcje-od-psow-ulicznych/
• Contact Magda, the Organizer, if you have any questions: https://m.me/magdaurbangray/