If you’re a dog lover attend this educational talk regarding research on Dog Empathy. Julia Meyers-Manor says research shows that dogs respond with comfort to an individual who was crying whether that person was their owner or a complete stranger. The results suggest empathy for the person crying because this attention from the dog did not happen when the owner or stranger were laughing.

“Lending a helping paw: Dogs will aid their crying human” was written with Emily M. Sanford of John Hopkins University. It describes an experiment run by Meyers-Manor, wherein 34 sets of dogs and their owners were recruited. Each owner sat in a chair behind a clear door that the dog could easily push open. Half the people were assigned to cry loudly for help, and the other half were told to hum “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” and say “help” in a calm voice.

An article co-written by Julia Meyers-Manor, Ripon College assistant professor of psychology, has garnered widespread attention nationally and internationally, including coverage from Time, NBC News, Inside Edition, the Daily Mail, The Conversation, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. and numerous other print and broadcast outlets.

Highly trained service dogs can be a tremendous help for people who have PTSD. Journey Together Service Dog works in partnership with inmates at the Oshkosh Correctional Institute and community volunteers to train the dogs, which are then placed free of charge with qualified Wisconsin residents.

Come and meet one of the service dogs and find out how you can help get the dogs ready for their important job.

Highly-trained service dogs can be a tremendous help for people suffering from PTSD. Working in partnership with with inmates at the Oshkosh Correctional Institute and community volunteers, Journey Together Service Dog, Inc. trains service dogs that are placed free-of-charge with qualified Wisconsin residents. In this program, you’ll meet one of these service dogs and find out how you can help get these program dogs ready for their important job. In addition, you’ll learn how the service dog application process works.

This program is offered free-of-charge, and made possible by the generous supporters of the Town Square Community Center.

About the Instructor: Patty Miner is a volunteer and dog handler for Journey Together Service Dogs.

How does your dog express and regulate his emotions? Professor Julia Meyers-Manor, a specialist in emotion and cognition in animals, will introduce you to her new research on dog aggression and empathy. All ages welcome.

This free program is made possible by the generous supporters of the Town Square Community Center.

About the Instructor: Professor Julia Meyers-Manor received her bachelor’s in Psychology from Macalester College and her doctorate in Cognitive and Biological Psychology from the Univeristy of Minnesota. Now an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Ripon College, she previously worked as the dog training school director at the Animal Humane Society in the Twin Cities and as a Visiting Assistant Professor at Macalester College.

What is your dog saying? Does he understand you? Join Professor Julia Meyers-Manor to learn about the common signs and signals of dog communication. You’ll leave knowing about how dogs communicate through a variety of body parts, and how to read the signals of stress, fear and happiness in your dog. All ages welcome.

This free program is made possible by the generous supporters of the Town Square Community Center.

About the Instructor: Professor Julia Meyers-Manor received her bachelor’s in Psychology from Macalester College and her doctorate in Cognitive and Biological Psychology from the Univeristy of Minnesota. Now an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Ripon College, she previously worked as the dog training school director at the Animal Humane Society in the Twin Cities and as a Visiting Assistant Professor at Macalester College.