Biography
Dorit Urd Feddersen-Petersen is a veterinary specialist in animal behaviour lore and animal protection lore at the zoological institute – bureau of pet lore – at Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel working with Prof. Dr.Dr. Wolf Herre.
She established a research group on the „animal model“ wolf/domestic dog. Using this model, ethologic observations are carried out in the animal park of the zoological institute with wolves, coyotes, golden jackals, red foxes and domestic dogs of various breeds as well as Dingos (Australia/New Guinea).
Focus of her scientific work:
Behavioural evolution of various wild canid species and dog breeds, sensitive phases, social communication (in particular bioacoustics analysis of the wolf and various dog breeds), aggressive behaviour in wolves and dogs, fighting-dog problems, social playing between dogs and between humans and dogs, human-dog-communication, -relationships and -bond, cognitive behaviour of wolves and dogs and many more.
Books:
- Expressional behaviour of the dog: facial expression and body language, communication and understanding (“Ausdrucksverhalten beim Hund, Mimik und Körpersprache, Kommunikation und Verständigung.”) Franckh-Kosmos, Stuttgart, 2008, 496 S.
- Dog Psychology (“Hundepsychologie”), Franckh-Kosmos. New edition with DVD 2013, 496 S.
- Dogs and their people (“Hunde und ihre Menschen”), Franckh-Kosmos, 2nd 2001.
- Reproductive behaviour of the dog (“Fortpflanzungsverhalten beim Hund”), Gustav Fischer Jena, 1994 (out of print, new edition 2017, Franckh-Kosmos)
Numerous book contributions, e.g.
- Communication in Wolves and Dogs. In: Encyclopedia of Animal Behavior, pub. Marc Bekoff 2005,
- Social Behaviour of Dogs and related Canids, in: The Behavioural Biology of Dogs. CAB International (ed. P. Jensen))2007,
- The smiling dog. A mimic analogy to social communication with humans? (“Der lächelnde Hund. Eine mimische Analogie sozialer Kommunikation mit dem Menschen?”) In: Ich, das Tier.
- Dogs as personalities in cultural history (“Tiere als Persönlichkeiten in der Kulturgeschichte”), pub. Ullrich, J.; Weltzien, F.; Fuhlbrügge 2008).H.
1992-94: teaching assignment at the University of Leipzig
1992, Felix-Wankel-Animal-Welfare-Research-Award
Officially retired in 2013.
Lecture:
Why Resaerch in wolves and other canines benefits dogs