Experiencing fear is not pleasant. Any human will tell you this. As one of our most basic emotions, fear functions as a rapid-fire means of communicating to our bodies "DANGER, DANGER - GET AWAY NOW!!" As a physiological state, fear is associated with a set of bodily changes that are decidedly uncomfortable. Respiration and pulse increase, we become … Continue reading Fear Factor
canine behavior
And Your Little Dog Too……
Little dogs often get a bad rap. People who dislike small dogs say that are yappy, hyper-excitable, nippy (reactive), untrained, and often spoiled (whatever that means) . Indeed, it appears that even the Wicked Witch of the West had it in for the wee ones. So, are any of these beliefs true? Are little dogs truly as bratty as some would have us believe? And, … Continue reading And Your Little Dog Too……
Mr. Licks-A-Lot
Do you live with a Mr. Licks-A-Lot? You know what I mean - a dog who, for reasons that he is not readily sharing, will suddenly and obsessively begin to lick the floor, the couch, the wall? Note that I am not referring to the dog who licks you, a behavior that usually communicates appeasement, affection, or in some cases, … Continue reading Mr. Licks-A-Lot
What the Dog’s Nose Knows
In "Thyroid on Trial" we used an evidence pyramid to examine the various types of scientific studies that have been used to examine the hypothesis that there is a connection between hypothyroidism and aggressive behavior in dogs. We followed this example up through most of the levels of the pyramid, finishing at the penultimate level, the randomized, controlled trial. At the tippy … Continue reading What the Dog’s Nose Knows
Thyroid on Trial
Every day, we are bombarded with new information about dogs that arises from a variety of sources - via the internet, through our smart (or not so smart) phones, from our colleagues, friends and family, and of course from our neighbor Joe next door (who happens to know a lot about dogs). In this day and age of information overload, it should … Continue reading Thyroid on Trial
The Kids are Alright
A SAMPLE OF "KIDS WITH DOGS" PHOTOS TAKEN FROM A 30-SECOND GOOGLE SEARCH Disclaimer: If you are not horrified by these photographs (even worse....if you think they are cute), you are probably not going to like what follows. A few statistics: According to the CDC, approximately 4.5 million people are bitten by dogs each … Continue reading The Kids are Alright
Dog Park People
Dog Parks are a relatively new cultural phenomenon, and have increased in both number and popularity over the last 15 years. It is an understatement to say that people are rather polarized in their views of dog parks. Advocates maintain that these designated areas provide invaluable opportunities for dogs to enjoy off-lead exercise, socialization and play with other … Continue reading Dog Park People
Beware the Straw Man
Many animal shelters regularly use standardized tests to assess the behavior of dogs and to determine adoption suitability. However, while the use of these tests has become ubiquitous, there is a distinct lack of research demonstrating their reliability or validity. In other words, while testing a dog's degree of friendliness, aggression and fear prior to adoption makes intuitive sense and feels like a good idea, we do not … Continue reading Beware the Straw Man
Yogi Bear Dogs
Do you live with a Yogi Bear dog? You know what I mean - one of those smarter than the average bear dogs? I am quite certain that I live with several. For example, Chippy my Toller, excels at retrieving rings and carefully placing them over a pylon, riding a skateboard (sometimes recklessly, in my opinion), and playing … Continue reading Yogi Bear Dogs
Speaking of treats…..
Like kids with their Halloween candy, do dogs rank the treats that we provide to them? Many trainers selectively use what we call "high-value treats" for some behaviors and "low-value treats" for others. However, other than subjectively observing the level of our dog's pleasure at receiving different types of treats, do we have actual evidence that treats vary in their influence upon … Continue reading Speaking of treats…..
Your face is gonna freeze like that………(Part 2)
Part 1 of this topic reviewed a bit of research suggesting that emotional states can (rather easily it appears) be manipulated, which in turn influences our perceptions and opinions of unrelated events. In Part 2, we ask how might these results be applicable to dog training. Most trainers are intimately aware of and concerned with the emotional states of our dogs. Our goal … Continue reading Your face is gonna freeze like that………(Part 2)
The Science Dog 