I offer insights, a-ha’s, and inspiration to feed your inner science & training geek here…
I offer insights, a-ha’s, and inspiration to feed your inner science & training geek here…
In this episode, I speak with Dr. Sasha Protopopova. She is an Assistant Professor and Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Chair
In this episode, I use my own dog Finn as a case study for discussing several different aspects of behavior. I talk about emotional reactivity,
It’s time for a change. I started (consistently) publishing this blog about two years ago, maybe a little longer. As many of you know, I
Last month I wrote about what is meant when we use the term reactivity and some of the different factors that influence reactivity. This month
We spend a lot of time talking about reactivity in dogs. But what is reactivity? It seems there are many different definitions in the dog
As trainers and behavior consultants, our job is to change behavior. Some behaviors are harder to change than others. Obviously, behaviors driven by strong emotions
I have written before about the relationship between emotional state and the ability to cope with stress. Stress resiliency is so important because the inability
Working with animals that suffer from high levels of anxiety and fear is heartbreaking. They are suffering in a very real way and, as much
Ethology is the study of animal behavior in the natural environment. It examines animal behavior from an evolutionary perspective. That means there is a focus
For this month’s blog post, I am sharing the most recent summary of a Research Bites webinar. Normally, these are exclusively for members, but I
Adolescence. We all know what it’s like. Raging hormones, wanting to be the center of attention, rebellion, risk-taking behavior–and those all-important social relationships. I’m talking
Thank you to everyone for the wonderful feedback about the first installment in this series! I am thrilled to hear that so many people found
There has been a huge increase in the number of studies being conducted on applied animal behavior, which is great news for those of us
Why Does Learning About Science Matter? This is an article I wrote awhile back, but I never posted it on my blog and I’d like
Over the years, I have been increasingly interested in adolescent dogs for a number of reasons. First, this is a hugely challenging period of time
Stress resilience is the ability to effectively respond to stress. In humans, higher levels of stress resilience are associated with decreased susceptibility to mental health
This month we’re going to take a look at fear learning. Fear and anxiety underly many of the behavior issues in dogs. Understanding the subtleties
Currently, the primary way of addressing fear in dogs is through the use of desensitization and counter conditioning. For this month’s blog post, I
Trainers are well-versed in learning theory. This is for good reason because a strong foundation in instrumental conditioning is essential for being able to
Most experienced trainers are fairly well-versed in the basic principles of instrumental learning. Primarily, that means the antecedent-behavior-consequence sequence and the four types of instrumental
The Question I recently came across a paper (Bräm Dubé et al. 2020) that looked at a characteristic called ‘sensory processing sensitivity’ or, more informally,
Group cohesion, affiliation, and being in sync This month I’ll be focusing on social relationships between dogs, both in this blog post and in
The world seems like a very stressful and serious place right now. This month, I wanted to do something a little different and share with
Today, I return to my series on quotes that have inspired me. The first in this series was way back in January of this year
This week is crazy with coming back after a week of vacation (staycation), having Research Bites on Tuesday and our big Power of Choice seminar
The benefits of appropriate challenge We talk about enrichment in the dog world all the time. How important is it, really? It turns out that
A heartfelt thank you to two of the researchers—Karen van Haaften, DVM, DACVB and Emma Grigg, PhD, CAAB —for sharing their feedback for this blog
Health, welfare, and emotional wellbeing are intimately and inextricably connected. An animal’s health impacts their emotional state and their emotional state impacts their health. The
Impulse control. It’s a hot topic in dog training right now. There are many opinions about what impulse control is, how to improve it, and
Hello everyone! I hope you are are staying safe and healthy! This is a reposting of an article I wrote quite some time ago about
With the entire world being in the midst of a pandemic right now, many people are turning to scientists for answers. Now seems like a
Think of the last time you felt stressed. Perhaps it was something as simple as running late for work, or something more serious, like being
We never arrive where we’re at on our own. My current knowledge and perspectives have been shaped by others in the field. The ability
Does stress impact learning and memory? You bet it does! Stress impacts these processes in several different ways. Today I am going to focus on
Leena barks, lunges and generally loses her mind when she sees other dogs on a walk. Her owner and I are walking in the park
Hello everyone! It’s been quite some time since I’ve posted, but I have been busily working on a new project behind the scenes. I am
You may have heard that dogs “lip lick” or “tongue flick” when they are stressed. A recent study by Albuquerque et al. (2018) used lip
Hello everyone! Just a quick update that the blog is still active! After the holidays, we were hit with a variety of health issues that
As a field, we’ve done a pretty good job of teaching dog owners that they need to give their dogs physical exercise. However, we haven’t
Usually, I try to focus my blog posts on applied research. But a study came out recently that has gotten enough press that some of
Finn is finally back! The blog had an unexpected hiatus because my mother was in the hospital for several days at the beginning of
The blog is on summer vacation this week. We will be back next week with an update on Finn. In the meantime, you may be
“He pees in the house every time we leave. I know why he’s doing it. He’s angry with us and wants to punish us for
This week, Finn found his teeth. That means we’ve been doing some work on settle and impulse control. I am also continuing to work on
Hello again! We have spent the last week getting to know Finn and working on teaching him essential life skills. My primary focus is on
Finn McCool We have a new puppy! His name is Finn McCool (named after the Irish folk hero). He’s a red bi Australian Shepherd and
Our summer newsletter is now available! Articles on shy and anxious dogs, considering a new puppy, animal assisted therapy and more! Click on the link
This is just a quick little post to update you on the results of the survey on future Smart Dog services that I posted last
Hello everyone! I have been doing a lot of thinking lately about how best to serve my clients – both dogs and humans. I have
I finally got around to uploading our fall newsletter to the website (technically it’s still fall!). There are articles on picking out a new puppy,
(I am taking a break this month from talking about getting a new dog. Instead, I’m going to use this time to talk about my
Our summer newsletter is now available! Articles on managing indoor energy, dog-child etiquette, running with your dog and more! Click on the link below to
Last month, I talked about choosing the right breed in part 1 of my series on “Starting off on the Right Paw”. This month I
There is so much that’s exciting about bringing home a new dog. For me, the best part is anticipating the new bond and complex relationship
It’s been awhile since I posted Episode 1 in this series. I thought this time I’d focus on interactions between dogs and kids. Test Yourself
One of the most common complaints I get from clients is that their dog is constantly pestering them for attention. Picture the scene – you
I started my professional dog career as a shelter volunteer, then as a shelter staff member. For many years, my mantra has always been to
One of the things I love about living where we do is that there are so many interesting places to visit within a few hours’
My dog, Darwin, is one of the most laid back dogs I’ve ever known. With the exception of tracking (he is mostly beagle), he doesn’t
Have you ever considered using an electronic collar (aka e-collar or shock collar) to train your dog? Perhaps you advocate against their use or feel they
Would you like to improve your understanding of your dogs’ behavior? What about the behavior of your family, friends and co-workers? If you really want
If you’re like me, you drink up as much quality programming on dog behavior as you can find. I recently learned of a new show
What does it take to make your dog happy? For one thing, lots of free treats, right? Maybe not. A recent study by Swedish researchers
Starting in September, Smart Dog Training and Behavior is welcoming a new training and behavior intern, Melanie Dean. Melanie is a Psychology student at the
Looking for dog-friendly activities in the Adirondacks? If you have friends or family members on the more adventurous side, Adirondack Extreme (caution: website has audio effects) is
How many times have you looked at your dog and wondered what’s going on in her head? My husband frequently asks me if I think
Does your dog get upset when you pay attention to someone else? Have you ever talked about your dog being jealous or wondered what’s going
“Quiero hacer lo que tú quieres, pero no entiendo lo que estás diciendo.” Do you understand what you just read? Perhaps you’re able to recognize
Do you wish your dog would walk calmly by your side past other dogs? Or that she would sit and stay when guests come to
In early June, we spent a few days in Portland, ME with our dog. It is a wonderful place to be with a dog. It’s the type
This Friday is the 4th of July. For many dogs, this is not a time of fun, but one of fear, or even terror. Here
As soon as I stepped out of the humid salty air and saw the displays of brightly colored toys at Planet Dog, I knew I had
Welcome to the Smart Dog blog! I have been thinking of writing a blog for some time now. Initially, it was just a simple marketing
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