Predatory behavior in livestock guardian dogs focus of Nov. 20 webinar
Leading industry researcher Kathryn Lord to speak on behavioral genetics of predatory motor patterns
The Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at San Angelo will host a free webinar on Nov. 20 at 3 p.m. focused on the importance of predatory motor patterns as it relates to working dog behavior.
Participants must preregister at https://tx.ag/LGDNov25.
The webinar is part of an ongoing livestock guardian dog, LGD, educational series by Texas A&M AgriLife Research, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and industry experts.
Webinar focus and speaker
The featured speaker is Kathryn Lord, Ph.D., postdoctoral associate in the Karlsson Lab at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School.
Lord is a former student of the late livestock guardian dog research professor Raymond Coppinger, Ph.D. Coppinger was responsible for bringing LGDs from Europe to the U.S. in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Coppinger’s research on LGD behavior is still some of the most extensive work ever done, said Bill Costanzo, AgriLife Extension livestock guardian dog specialist, Texas A&M Department of Animal Science, San Angelo.
“This is a great opportunity for producers to learn firsthand about research that Dr. Lord and the late Dr. Raymond Coppinger conducted with LGDs across the U.S.,” Costanzo said. “I am very excited to have Dr. Lord present again to the producers who follow our program.”
Lord’s primary interest is the evolutionary development of animal behavior and its application in the management of domestic and wild species. Her research and publications focus on the evolution, development and genetics of dog and wolf behavior.
Costanzo said he hopes the webinar leads to shared DNA research on LGD behavior that could help answer questions regarding roaming and guarding actions.
For more information, contact Costanzo at [email protected] or 325-657-7311.
