Today, we knock on the door of James Serpell, the Marie A. Moore Professor of Ethics & Animal Welfare at the School Veterinary Medicine and the Director of the Center for the Interaction of Animals in Society. Serpell studies behavioral phenotypes of dogs and cats, a specialty study in the world of veterinary medicine as veterinary behavior itself is a rare expertise to have, with only about 70 veterinarians board certified in the specialty in the United States. Serpell works to broaden access to that well of knowledge while deepening our understanding of our companion's behaviors.

Here, Serpell discusses the origins of his interest in animal behavior starting with a parrot and what he's working on right now; plus, his knack for cooking, an odd interaction during a behavior consult involving a dog and a TV, and why we can all stand to be a little less idealistic.