One of the first memories Patricia McConnell can still recall vividly is of her as a young girl. She was lying on the living room floor of her childhood home with Fudge, the familyâ??s terrier.â??I wondered, â??What is she thinking?â??â? McConnell says. â??â??â??How could I ever know what sheâ??s thinking?â?? In many ways, thatâ??s still what Iâ??m doing.”
Now sheâ??s one of the worldâ??s foremost experts in pet behavior, particularly dogs. The subject is the crux of her research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and of the conversations sheâ??s had for the past 14 years on her weekly syndicated radio program â??Calling All Pets,â? which airs locally from 7 to 8 a.m. each Saturday on WGCU, 90.1 FM.