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 it’s very important! In fact, the very definition of enrichment states that it improves animal welfare and wellbeing. Today I am going to focus on the topic of cognitive enrichment,… Continue reading I challenge you – the relationship between enrichment, challenge, and wellbeing
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 article! Behavioral— or psychoactive— medication can be an important aspect of treatment for behavior issues in dogs. Many of the readers are probably more familiar with the term ‘behavioral’ medication… Continue reading Owner attitudes regarding behavioral medications
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 how it impacts behavior. Many people associate unwanted behavior with poor impulse control in dogs. For example, trainers often attribute difficultly learning stay, jumping on people, or running through doors… Continue reading Impulsivity in Dogs – What Do We Know?
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 good time to address some common misunderstandings about science. This applies just as much to dog training and behavior as infectious diseases! When our field first began, there was very… Continue reading Three common misunderstandings about science
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 the impact of stress on fear. First, we need to define some terms. Basic Definitions Stress occurs when an animal experiences a challenge to the status quo. This triggers a… Continue reading How does past stress impact fear today?
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 so I can teach the owner how to change Leena’s behavior. When we see another dog at a distance, Leena freezes and her head comes up, mouth closed. She’s about… Continue reading Lost in Translation: Sorting through commonly confused learning terms
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 thrilled to announce the launch of Research Bites this coming January 2020! What is Research Bites? Finding, reading and interpreting current journal articles can be overwhelming and frustrating. Research Bites… Continue reading Research Bites – Coming in January!
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 licking in dogs to assess their ability to respond to emotional cues in humans and dogs. Previous research suggests that dogs can differentiate between happy and angry facial expressions in… Continue reading How do your emotions affect your dog?
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 my clients have asked me about it, so I decided to focus on that study for this post. I hope it will help some of you with that ever elusive… Continue reading Not just testosterone? Hormones and aggression
“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 leaving him alone. I know he knows it’s wrong too, because he looks guilty when we come home.” (Looking for Finn? Don’t worry, he’ll be back, we’re just taking a… Continue reading Read My Mind – What is Theory of Mind and Why Should You Care?
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