Speakingdog K9 Behaviour & Discussion Forum

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Speakingdog K9 Behaviour & Discussion Forum

I created Speakingdog K9 Services in 2012 after finishing my Diploma as a Canine Behaviour practitioner at the British College for Canine Studies (BCCS).
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SpeakingDog merges modern principles of neuroscience with canine education; we are the home of S.C.E.N.T (Sensory & Cognitive Enrichment as Natural Therapy); Lead & Harness Fabricator (SpeakingDogGear) Since then I have helped out at a regional kennel, worked and fostered greyhounds, enjoyed puppy classes, behaviour modifications with lovely dogs and their owners and daily walks around Christchurc

h, New Zealand with my four legged friends and clients. I was lucky enough to meet some interesting canine professionals to learn from and share experiences with. I attended the Turid Rugaas Seminar in Perth which was most inspiring and also attend the next one in Brisbane. Since then i attended multiple International Dog Symposiums in Norway and Australia as an attendee and speaker; and since 2018 study various subjects of cognitive neuroscience with special interest in active inference (bayesian inference / predictive coding) as learning hypothesis, and emotional construction theory and its applications. This has impact in the way i work with people and their dogs leaving the outdated days of behaviourism well behind and rethinking pavlovian association hypotheses
I am interested in learning more and more about dogs by observing them, working with them, reading and studying so I can be of help to them and their owners. We use the modern neuroscientific understandings of the brain; not to shape the dog but to let it use its natural abilities to engage and communicate with different behaviours. Which is fancy for; we mold the owner, thus the dog
Apart from sharing information on my canine business, this page is also about sharing experience, studies, articles and knowledge about dogs and the brain, to help dog owners and their four legged friends. Everybody is invited to post

PLEASE BE RESPECTFUL WHEN POSTING AND OF OTHERS HYPOTHESES. OFFENSIVE MATERIAL TOWARDS OTHERS POSTINGS WILL BE DELETED

20/11/2024

13/11/2024

In animal training & behavioural science we always talk about R.E.W.A.R.D.

But what is "REWARD"? Why does what we call a "REWARD" feel good?

Comment below-

11/11/2024

Better make your voices heard!!

We're proposing changes to our Dog Control Bylaw and Policy. Tell us what you think by 15 December 2024.

10/11/2024

⚠️Every pull, twist & turn has an impact⚠️
See Video ⬇️

06/11/2024

This is a new project that involves not just my future egg supply and some new feathery friends- but being an experiment to show how dynamic systems (like animqls) shape themself (autoshaping) by interacting with the immediate environment-> how learning works as an interactive not reactive process;
How nature and nurture are at play.

It will be interesting if they hatch

Stay tuned

19/10/2024

Autoshaping and preparatory (explorative) & consummatory (exploitative) behaviour

In the traditional sense of behaviour science, here (video) the different pecks in relation to the light dot are explained as associations -> meaning the light dot either "representing" food or water.

Now- question: "do we really think the pigeon is so stupid as to think the light dot is water or food (hence repeated pecking of different kind of pecks) or the pigeon is infering action to explore, what will provide for the physical needs, using past experience (regulatities) to behave, to supply the predicted physical needs??!

There is a difference here; one hypothesis needs a cause for an effect- a function / purpose. The other hypothesis simply relies on movement for "interactions" between the organism and the niche, for outcomes to occur

See the difference??

An interesting comparison of a pigeon's keypecking CR following autoshaping with a 5-s grain US compared to a 5-s water US. For each type of US, the video sh...

13/10/2024

The Neuropark Pawzette Winter-Spring 2024 Edition is out now in PDF
Wir reminders, updates, some sciency soggie stuff and pics

https://www.canineneuropark.com/blog

05/09/2024

There are shifting brain stages an animal has;
Exploratory (preparatory) and Consummatory (terminal/ exploitative)
These shifts give the opportunity for specific brain oscillations to occur, during waking shifts in locomotion and pauses tagging important bits to memorize, and during non-rem sleep when those oscillations replay to be consolidated adapting long term memory. This are the ADAPTED or NEW EXPERIENCES I blab on about!!

We have no outside control over these important oscillations which are also involved in metabollic regulation. That's why we NEED to provide a "safe" space for the dog to have agency over movement.

It is so VITAL to let your dog explore through natural movement and pauses and OBSERVE your dog.

Pauses / consummatory behaviours, meaning they terminate the exploritive actions, can last a tenth of a second up to several seconds.

How many intermittent movements and pauses can you observe in the hounds below.

04/09/2024

For those professionals & canine geeks wanting more info on content before signing up to this webinar:

Part 1
Language / Definitions / Paradigm & Intruducing how Canine Neuropark®© came about

Part 2:
Allostasis (metabolic regulation)
Predictive Brain & its entanglement with its body
It deep dives into predictive & efficient energy regulation of organisms (here dogs) beyond homestasis

Part 3
The gist of Neuropark: providing space & agency for exploritary actions, to minimize uncertainty and generate new experiences

The 3rd part links with Part 2

While its sounds difficult, because you probably read these sentences in a new context; what we're trying to do at Neuropark is simplify interactions leading to memory & learning processes that have the power to change affect (mood) & experience

Hope yo see you there
🙋‍♂️🐕🐾

24/08/2024

Understanding how dynamic, predictive systems regulate energy to produce behaviour is the foundation of knowing how to make use of Neuropark. And of course ... what a Neuropark is.
Learn a different way to look at behaviour output of your pup during this deep dive into predictive processes of the brain & it's body to successfully be moving in the world.

Hope to see you there!! 🙋‍♂️🐾🐕

25 Sep 2024 - 10PT

For NZ folks that is I believe that's 5am, 26th Sep 2024

Recording will be available on the Grisha Stewart Acadamy after the live event for attendees or toa purchase through their learning portal

18/08/2024

Great interview with Dennis from Happy Dogs in Christchurch on the proposed dog bylaw changes and dog walking etiquette, especially relating to the attention of the handler / owners / dro walkers

Too often I get replies of "this is a public space" when I ask another dog walker to leash their dog(s)

Public spaces are exactly places where we have to take extra care, be attentive to our dogs in relation to the surroundings, anticipate well and be responsible dog owners and canine professionals

A professional dog walker says pack walkers must be competent at understanding the unpredictability of dogs.

15/08/2024

A special post for the dog trainers, behaviourists,, physios, vets and all other professionals.
A must read article that explains predictive coding / active inference in a simple way, here in regards to "pain perception" as the context dependant "subjective experience of pain".

Understanding an emergent concious experience such as pain, will help us to discuss holistic approaches treating the subjective experience of pain, as well as the physical or / and emotional part

Purpose of Review In order to better treat pain, we must understand its architecture and pathways. Many modulatory approaches of pain management strategies are only poorly understood. This review aims to provide a theoretical framework of pain perception and modulation in order to assist in clinical...

11/08/2024

Behaviour causes...

A lot about behaviour output is to test the brains anticipated reality of the world (the "things" making up the world and the actions in the body) by means of the past, and ground it to the world's regularities (meaning the sensory input confirms the brains guesses and the behaviour / action patterns needed)
or...
the brain learns the world's & bodys' regularities by adapting behaviour- meaning the brain learns through prediction errors integrated by sensory signals by way of action

When you understand that; you will experience your dogs behaviours in a novel way.You will suddenly appreciate the affordances / the opportunities of acting.

Your dog leaping forward and barking can suddenly be experienced as testing its guesses & moving efficiently and learn, rather then a simple threat reflex-

Changes in heart and respiration rates and / or cortisol change can be experienced as actions to ensure energy efficient movement of the body in relation to the world, emerging in an experience, an instant of excitement or fear or anger or frustration or despair or love, etc.

All in the benefit of protecting the body and moving all its parts the most efficient way at all times.

Suddenly YOU will realize the interacting properties, possibilities & impact of YOUR OWN behaviours on the world itself including YOUR dog and anything or anyone else.

You can't change the past, but interact and curate new experiences that will become the past, therefore change actions in the future.

Is it easy- no!

Is it doable- yes!

08/08/2024

I was contacted by the writer of this blog as she tries URGENTLY to find Toby at least a foster place.l to prevent him from being euthanized.

Supposedly he is a Greyhound-Huntaway X, but just from the confirmation, especially the width of his head shape, I doupt he is a greyhound but probably more "working dog" inclined.

He is in Timaru

If you don't have cats and have a spare place please contact the owner of the page

Cheers
Bono

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/THEoF1paM8S6UHUA/?mibextid=oFDknk

23/07/2024

In depth webinar about Neuropark & the predictive brain @ Grisha Stewart Academy 25 Sep 2024

https://school.grishastewart.com/courses/canineneuropark?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR0sngUDzQjFZzm_YtPHRegnJ_vQDUKHTtll5MsQ_zO6qy2pO-118mGEGs0_aem_fYwwgqedkxpeNHES5a1YBg

Join Bono F Beeler as he introduces Canine Neuropark®, details how the idea of Neuropark® came about and discusses the role of the predictive nature of brains and organisms.

13/07/2024

Neuropark's Chatter & Hounds Episode 1

"TALKING REACTIVITY"

questions? Comment below🙋‍♂️🐾🐕

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Videos

Behaviour causes... A lot about behaviour output is to test the brains anticipated reality of the world (the "things" making up the world and the actions in the body) by means of the past, and ground it to the world's regularities (meaning the sensory input confirms the brains guesses and the behaviour / action patterns needed) or... the brain learns the world's & bodys' regularities by adapting behaviour- meaning the brain learns through prediction errors integrated by sensory signals by way of action When you understand that; you will experience your dogs behaviours in a novel way.You will suddenly appreciate the affordances / the opportunities of acting. Your dog leaping forward and barking can suddenly be experienced as testing its guesses & moving efficiently and learn, rather then a simple threat reflex- Changes in heart and respiration rates and / or cortisol change can be experienced as actions to ensure energy efficient movement of the body in relation to the world, emerging in an experience, an instant of excitement or fear or anger or frustration or despair or love, etc. All in the benefit of protecting the body and moving all its parts the most efficient way at all times. Suddenly YOU will realize the interacting properties, possibilities & impact of YOUR OWN behaviours on the world itself including YOUR dog and anything or anyone else. You can't change the past, but interact and curate new experiences that will become the past, therefore change actions in the future. Is it easy- no! Is it doable- yes!

Canine Neuropark®© is a rehab park to let dogs, who are not social due to surgery, illness, "reacyivity" can become more confident and metabollically efficient (resilient) through agency, by freely moving without human manipulation.. You can see the type of random walk (Lévy walk) when standing perfectly still facing away from moving dogs (video) Random walks (Lévy walks) allow for flexible switching between exploritary & exploitative states allowing for higher search & information uptake efficiency -> Learning; memory consolidation; minimizing of uncertainty. Pretty much everthing one wants for adaption to occur At approx 1min 23sec I start moving; watch how it manipulates every dogs random walk, eventually following me in the same direction

Sometimes, the best walks are those where they just stand and observe the world and compare it to ones expectations - there is so much movement there- it is energy spent well because it is an investment for the future in form of experiences

From April 2024 we offer 1hr Neuropark supportive sessions & assessments on specific days - What you can learn: Observe all the Anicipated Movements (active inference) produced by the Spaniel - I simply show the "i have nothing signals" - however, her brain predicts that through showing all sort of behaviour (exploritary behaviour) there will be more food (consummatory behaviour). Understanding your own movements will explain why training can work against us. more info soon.... STAY TUNED

Experiencial Blindness: Archie's brain failing to predict the causes of the sensations (big white bloby stuff Threat, friend or food????), curves & barks (spends energy to explore) no movement occurs from white blob stuff... purple lead in way, attempting to move under lead to investigate. Atomic turns due to lead actions Archie stalks closer, white blob doesn't move, white blob no threat, no food, no friend no further actions needed 36 seconds 1 trial learning. He is now fast asleep and hopefully these actions will be replayed 1000ds of times during non-rem sleep, in form of sharp-wave ripples for this experience to be placed to long term memory actions today's session - done bono - out 🎤🙋‍♂️🐾🐕