Dr. Karolina Westlund

It could be someone that you want to fight with. It could be someone you want to have sex with. You need to assess the situation. And I think that dogs are quite unique in that respect in that they have a high tolerance for strangers because many other animal species do not have And I think that we tend to forget that sometimes that we introduce animals to animals that they don't know.

We expect them to get along and they don't. That type of introduction needs to be done really carefully. Typically, we might start with just exchanging scents. So if you're If you have one cat and want to get a second cat, for instance, they typically won't just accept the other the way that two dogs might do, for instance.

We expect them to get along and they don't. That type of introduction needs to be done really carefully. Typically, we might start with just exchanging scents. So if you're If you have one cat and want to get a second cat, for instance, they typically won't just accept the other the way that two dogs might do, for instance.

We expect them to get along and they don't. That type of introduction needs to be done really carefully. Typically, we might start with just exchanging scents. So if you're If you have one cat and want to get a second cat, for instance, they typically won't just accept the other the way that two dogs might do, for instance.

So then you might have them in different rooms and you might rub one cat with one towel and rub the other cat with another towel and then exchange towels. And then you might want to gradually incorporate other sensory modalities too so that they'll start hearing each other and finally that they start seeing each other. And then at the end, the tactile, so the actual physical contact.

So then you might have them in different rooms and you might rub one cat with one towel and rub the other cat with another towel and then exchange towels. And then you might want to gradually incorporate other sensory modalities too so that they'll start hearing each other and finally that they start seeing each other. And then at the end, the tactile, so the actual physical contact.

So then you might have them in different rooms and you might rub one cat with one towel and rub the other cat with another towel and then exchange towels. And then you might want to gradually incorporate other sensory modalities too so that they'll start hearing each other and finally that they start seeing each other. And then at the end, the tactile, so the actual physical contact.

And if you do it that way, you reduce the risk that they'll actually start fighting when you do the introduction. Because if you just put them together, they might just escalate to aggression right away. But if you do it gradually... they, that exchange of information will help them sort of figure out who the other is and reduce the risk of aggression.

And if you do it that way, you reduce the risk that they'll actually start fighting when you do the introduction. Because if you just put them together, they might just escalate to aggression right away. But if you do it gradually... they, that exchange of information will help them sort of figure out who the other is and reduce the risk of aggression.

And if you do it that way, you reduce the risk that they'll actually start fighting when you do the introduction. Because if you just put them together, they might just escalate to aggression right away. But if you do it gradually... they, that exchange of information will help them sort of figure out who the other is and reduce the risk of aggression.

For most species. There's actually a few exceptions being... What comes to mind is certain waterfowl birds where... Female, and I can't say which species now, but some species of water bird. The female recognizes the male innately, but the male learns through sexual imprinting when they're young to sort of be attracted to females that resemble the female that reared them.

For most species. There's actually a few exceptions being... What comes to mind is certain waterfowl birds where... Female, and I can't say which species now, but some species of water bird. The female recognizes the male innately, but the male learns through sexual imprinting when they're young to sort of be attracted to females that resemble the female that reared them.

For most species. There's actually a few exceptions being... What comes to mind is certain waterfowl birds where... Female, and I can't say which species now, but some species of water bird. The female recognizes the male innately, but the male learns through sexual imprinting when they're young to sort of be attracted to females that resemble the female that reared them.

And essentially this is because in those species, the males are typically very ornamented and sort of really fabulous looking. And the females are cryptic. They're like camouflaged. So they're like brown. So the males need to learn what mom looks like. And when they grow up, they'll start courting. that look like mum.

And essentially this is because in those species, the males are typically very ornamented and sort of really fabulous looking. And the females are cryptic. They're like camouflaged. So they're like brown. So the males need to learn what mom looks like. And when they grow up, they'll start courting. that look like mum.

And essentially this is because in those species, the males are typically very ornamented and sort of really fabulous looking. And the females are cryptic. They're like camouflaged. So they're like brown. So the males need to learn what mom looks like. And when they grow up, they'll start courting. that look like mum.

And so if you raise such a male with the wrong species, they'll start courting the wrong female. And of course she won't be interested because he doesn't look like her golden standard of what a male of that species is supposed to look like.

And so if you raise such a male with the wrong species, they'll start courting the wrong female. And of course she won't be interested because he doesn't look like her golden standard of what a male of that species is supposed to look like.

And so if you raise such a male with the wrong species, they'll start courting the wrong female. And of course she won't be interested because he doesn't look like her golden standard of what a male of that species is supposed to look like.

So there's something really powerful there. There's inbreeding avoidance. It's sort of a mechanism that prevents many animal species from mating with someone who's too genetically similar to yourself since we get this inbreeding depression. But there's also sort of don't waste your time mating with someone that you can't even produce offspring with.