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Coppinger & McCort Demystifying Evo Devo
RAYMOND COPPINGER February 2006
Raymond Coppinger majored in literature and philosophy as an undergraduate at Boston University. His Ph.D. thesis in biology (at the University of Massachusetts) is on the effect of experience and novelty on avian feeding behavior. He joined the founding faculty at Hampshire College in 1969, where he is professor of biology. He teaches and does research on animal behavior, especially the behavior of canids.
Ray's first professional studies of dogs occurred on the runners of a dog sled. During a twelve-year mushing career, he progressed from a five-dog to a sixteen-dog team, won many races on the northeast (USA) circuits, and developed a new strain of fast, responsive sled dogs. Several of these were sold to drivers bound for the Alaskan championship races. His research projects with sled dogs include responses of racing dogs to the stress of heat retention, and the amount of energy required to pull a sled and driver.
In 1976, Ray and his wife Lorna founded the Livestock Guarding Dog Project at Hampshire College. This long-term investigation into the behavior of a new kind of dog for farmers and ranchers in the United States has resulted in greater understanding about early developmental behavior of dogs, and how early experience (or lack of it) can affect their adult behavior.
Recently, Ray has turned his attention to assistance dogs. His first-hand knowledge of harnesses for dogs, the mechanics and physiology of pulling, and the relationship between experience, training and behavior give him a unique insight into the lives of the dogs which are being asked to enhance the lives of people with special needs.
Ray (and his colleagues and students) have published over fifty papers on his dog research. His favorite publication, however, is the book Fishing Dogs, a humorous and iconoclastic look at dogs, fishermen and professors. His latest book, co-authored with Lorna Coppinger, is DOGS: A New Understanding of Canine Origin, Behavior, and Evolution (Scribner, NY, 2001; Univ. Chicago Press, 2002). His lecture trips around the world to talk about dogs are always supplemented by a day or two searching local waters for the perfect fish.
Ken McCort Ken McCort owns and operates “Four Paws” training center in Doylestown, Ohio. Along with his wife, Marilyn, a veterinarian, he lives with 7 dogs, 8 cats, 7 large birds, 2 goats, a pony and a llama. In his profession, he works with animals with behavioral concerns. Most clients and animals are acquired by referrals from veterinarians or other clients. He has been training animals full time and on a one-on-one basis since 1986. Currently, he works with dogs, cats, birds and llamas. In addition to his business, Ken is a certified master instructor with the Delta Society’s Pet Partner program. Not only does he evaluate and certify animal/handler teams to visit in hospitals, nursing homes and many other areas, he helped to develop and also teaches the Licensed Team Evaluator Course given by the Delta Society both nationally and internationally. Currently Ken is working with 15 hospitals that have visiting animal programs including the “Doggie Brigade” at Children’s Hospital Medical Center of Akron, OH. Ken has taught courses on animal behavior at the University of Akron, and presented at Columbus State, the Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine, the Midwest Veterinary Conference, the Society of Anthrozoologists, the Delta Society, Tuft’s University Animal Exposition, and many other animal related groups. He was also involved in developing a dog training program at the Mansfield Correctional Facility that utilizes inmates to train shelter dogs in order to learn a skill and make the dogs more adoptable. In addition, Wolf Park in Battleground, Indiana, which is a research facility that studies wolf behavior, utilizes Ken for some its presentations, and has allowed him to train with their wolves for several years.
Contact Raising Canine 512-916-4007
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