Reactive or Proactive? What’s Agency Got to Do With It? In my last post, we talked about the use of the word “reactivity” to describe how easily an emotional response is triggered in an individual animal. In this article, I am going to talk about two perspectives on reactive and proactive responding. The most widespread… Continue reading Reactive or Proactive? What’s Agency Got to Do With It?
What Does Reactivity Really Mean? That’s a good question! Depending on where you look, there are many different definitions of the term. If we look at the research on emotion, one definition of reactivity comes from the concept of affective style, originally developed by Richard Davidson. Affective style refers to individual differences in the three… Continue reading What Does Reactivity Really Mean?
Here is a quick little episode for you with a summary of three recent papers that I think you’ll enjoy. As I review each study, I also provide guidance on how to evaluate the design and findings with an open, inquiring and interpretive mind. Each paper is open access, so I hope if you find the topics… Continue reading Mini Episode 1 – Horse Handling, Cat Aggression, and Pandemic Puppies
In this episode, I will be talking to Dr. Erin Hecht about the brains of our best friends! Dr. Hecht received her bachelor of science degree in cognitive science from the University of California, San Diego in 2006, and her PhD in neuroscience from Emory University in 2013. Before moving to Harvard, she was a… Continue reading Episode 18 – Dr. Erin Hecht – Breed Differences in Dog Brains
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 are difficult to change. But, intense emotions are not the only factor that can make behavior change difficult. Habitual behaviors are also very hard to alter. Furthermore, I believe habit… Continue reading Changing habits
