SFSPCA Academy for Dog Trainers graduate releases trailer for Pit Bull movie on You Tube. A short trailer for The Pit Bull Hoax DVD. Dispelling myths about Pit Bulls and educating the public and polliticians on why BSL is not a good way to address concerns about dogs. Features Dr. Ian Dunbar, Dr. Nicholas Dodman and Jean Donaldson, Jane Berkey and Diane Jessup. Check out The Pit Bull Hoax DVD at www.pitbullguru.com/hoax Produced by K9 SON MEDIA

Drayton Michaels, CTC.

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Or maybe the magic of neurscience? Our brain makes up much of what we think we see, simplifying a complex reality into a form we can digest. Magicians Penn and Teller discuss how magic works at their show in Las Vegas.

Pen starts with the "Seven basic principles of magic. Palm, ditch, steal, load, simulation,misdirection, and switch."

Our brains don't see everything—the world is too big, too full of stimuli. So the brain takes shortcuts, constructing a picture of reality with relatively simple algorithms for what things are supposed to look like. Magicians capitalize on those rules. "Every time you perform a magic trick, you're engaging in experimental psychology," Teller says. "If the audience asks, 'How the hell did he do that?' then the experiment was successful. I've exploited the efficiencies of your mind." says Teller.

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Mikkel Becker is blogging her San Francisco SPCA Academy for Dog Trainers experiences at http://www.petconnection.com/blog/ . She is a student of the Academy's April 2009 class.

Mikkel is an evaluator for national Disaster Search Dog Foundation's Washington branch, where she tours shelters looking for homeless dogs to turn into lifesaving search dogs.She is also involved with training shelter dogs and with serving as the education coordinator for the Whitman County Humane Society. Mikkel has been a contributing author to Knight Ridder newspapers, House and Home, Cat Fancy Magazine and her work has appeared in Chicken Soup for the Horse Lover's Soul II. She coauthored the three books in the Ultimate Pet Lover series with part of the Pet Connection team,.

Remember the correlation between Pirates and Global Warming from the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster? Always a favorite of mine to demonstrate a meaningless correlation. And the case of Stephen Gould's age having a perfect correlation with the price of butter?

A new one:  Reduced importing of lemons from Mexico are nearly perfectly coordinated with the decline in US highway fatalitie (R=.97).

From Megan McCardle and Atlantic Business contributor Derek Lowe.

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This article describes how newborn neurons are put to use to add new details to existing memories. The technique marked untethered neurons in mice, expose the mice to a new situation, and found the newborn (untethered) neurons had attached themselves to others, adding details to previous learning. The control group of mice was NOT exposed the new situation and the untethered neurons died off.

So close to knowing how we know!

Science News

The San Francisco Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is increasing its presence in social networking and blogs.

• The San Francisco SPCA Facebook page is being promoted.
• You can follow the SFSPCA on Twitter. (Or me.)
• The Academy also has Facebook page for graduates.
• The SPCA has a Cat Behavior Blog.

Please contact me or see the SFSPCA Facebook Page for more information about any aspect of this effort.

Academy grad Joan Mayer has a weekly column on NoozeHawk. Joan earned her CTC and was an active participant in the SFSPCA Academy intern progah. Her columns subjects ranging from health to aggression. Here's a link to a recent column about a rude and jumpy dog; and a link to an index of the columns.

Mayer  has a great article that answers the question: Can affection confuse the family pet?

This article corrects the misinformation spread by some popular trainers that affection will harm the pet's home situation.  Her answer is to the point and right on target.

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The latest edition of the CHACO Chimes is available. The Chimes is published by SF/SPCA Academy Grad Almudena Ortiz Cué.This issue features training tips, article about Canine Freestyle, as well a nutritional information.

Cesar Millan provides generic advice for first dog Bo.