Cat Warren—author of “What The Dog Knows: Scent, Science, And The Amazing Ways Dog Perceive The World”—discusses how she approached writing the book, which, it’s observed in the interview, is so skillfully sprawling, it constitutes multiple books, and probably a few magazine pieces, too. 
She also addresses changes she’s experienced since writing the book and now, its paperback release, including initially feeling disinclined to mention in her university world (she’s an associate professor at North Carolina State University) that her avocation was working with cadaver dogs, while in the cadaver dog realm, she was sheepish about mentioning she was an academic. That’s different now: “My cover was blown” by publication of the book, she notes in this conversation. Warren traces the arc of her cadaver dog, 
Solo, from his first days at the house, explaining the implications of his status as a “singleton” (a puppy born without an littermates) through her decision to retire him, and beyond. She outlines some aspects of the training she undertook with Solo, and the importance of ongoing training even several years into the career of a cadaver dog team—and how this structured learning, combined with the years of experience, yields a dog who can successfully execute searches in, say, Year 8 that would be beyond his capability in Year 2. (There’s a parallel in her own seasoning and ongoing training as a handler.) This dovetails with little details and nuances in the search world, gleaned over time—for example, how a right-handed person who gets lost tends to move, contrasting that with the movements of a person suffering from Alzheimers or dementia. Warren discusses the impact on Solo, and herself, of looking for–and often finding–dead bodies. (http://catwarren.com)
ALSO: We spoke briefly with Jody Jorgenson, Executive Director of InStride Therapy, a Nokomis nonprofit that provides therapeutic horseback riding to a variety of young riders with a variety of disabilities. The conversation was specifically tied to InStride then-looming big fundraiser, The Mane Event, to be held Saturday March 28. (www.instridetherapy.org)
COMEDY CORNER: Brian Regan’s “Dog Barking” (http://brianregan.com)
MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” Antsy McClain’s “What I’ve Learned From Dogs,” instrumentals
NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: Duran Duran’s “Hungry Like The Wolf”
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