Bark of Duty

24/04/2025

Having a baby soon or just had one? Teach both kids and dogs to respect each others’ boundaries. That doesn’t mean they won’t bond. That doesn’t mean they won’t take care and look out for each other. That doesn’t mean they can’t play together. But it does mean you could keep them safe.

I recently read an article about a tragic situation. A 7 month old baby, who lived with her family’s 3 dogs, was attacked and killed by one of them.

An interview with the mother had her reiterating that she didn’t know what happened, as her baby had been around the dogs with no problems since they brought her home.

Sadly, as someone knowledgeable about dog behavior and dog bite prevention, I immediately knew exactly what happened, why it happened, and that this death was sadly very preventable.

1) (and most extremely important) The mother stated they didn’t even know which of the dogs was responsible, which means THE DOGS AND BABY WERE TOGETHER, UNSUPERVISED. When I say never, ever leave a baby and dog(s) unsupervised, I mean this: do you need to p*e, run out and grab the mail, go move the laundry to the dryer? ALWAYS separate the dog and baby. Put the dog into the backyard, have baby gates ready to separate, or bring one of them with you. It’s like leaving a mobile baby alone next to a pool. Not for 2 seconds. Not ever. And I really don’t recommend leaving any child under the age of 8 unsupervised for a minute, even with a single, trusted dog. Not even YOUR dog (who is the most likely dog to bite your child). Not even your gentle, dog-saavy kid.

2) The mother stated these dogs were “always with” the baby from the time she came home. In animal behavior/dog bite prevention, we call this “magnetizing” the dog and baby to one another. Kids should not be petting and interacting with dogs until they can follow simple directions - not for worry they’ll hurt or bother the dog, but because it is teaching them that dogs are for touching. A toddler who sees a dog and automatically moves to pet it is a danger to themself, and that behavior comes from parents acting excited whenever a dog approaches.

Letting a dog sniff, lick, cuddle up to your baby the minute you bring them home is teaching the dog that they’re entitled to the baby’s space. They learn they get praise, attention, etc from interacting with the baby in that way…which becomes a problem if the dog is later made uncomfortable and struggles to put space between themselves and the baby because they are “magnetized”. A dog that rushes to be with/near a baby the minute they’re set down is not cute, or their first “bestie”, they’re a liability.

3) 7 months old is an age where baby becomes more mobile, more vocal, and more aware of their surroundings. A newborn can’t pull fur or ears or use the dog to stand and cruise. They can’t squeal like a prey animal in a dog’s ear. They can’t come rapidly crawling, face level, towards a relaxing dog. That is why a vast majority of bites from familt dogs occur shortly after a baby becomes mobile - either learning to crawl, learning to walk, or starting to run and climb. Many dogs are fine with a newborn or infant…until that infant can approach the dog, touch them, or move suddenly, startling the dog. These times in a baby’s development require extra close supervision - I’d argue an adult should be in arms length.

4) The mother stated this attack came out of nowhere. Sadly, I’d be willing to bet everything I have that someone educated in canine body language and behavior would have seen this coming. Unfortunately, there are an excessive amount of myths and urban legends regarding dog training and behavior, and many dog owners have very little education or exposure to current, science-backed information on the subjects. “It came out of nowhere” is translated by dog trainers as “I wasn’t aware of what the warning signs looked like.”

~~~ so what could have prevented this tragic death? A combination of proper supervision (and making it known to parents to NEVER leave a baby and dog alone together), a more appropriate standard approwxh to introducing dogs and young children, combined with education for dog owners and young children on canine body language and stress signals.

18/04/2025

💭🐾 It’s Think Tank Thursday!
This week, we’re putting our dogs’ noses AND our minds to the test, with a little fun!

We marvel at the incredible abilities of odor detection dogs, but did you know that ALL dogs possess more than a powerful sense of smell? Many dogs are great problem solvers too.

This week on Think Tank Thursday, we're tapping into that hidden superpower – and challenging your creativity along the way!

It's Time for... The Great Doggy Scent Games!

This isn't just about hiding treats (though, let's be honest, treats are always a win!). We're designing engaging, brain-boosting scent games that will:

Stimulate your dog's natural instincts.
Strengthen your bond through teamwork.
Provide a fun and rewarding outlet for their energy.

Your Design Challenge:
Choose Your Scent-sational Theme: What will be the focus of your game?

The Case of the Missing Toy: Can your dog sniff out their favorite plushie?

Dinnertime Detective: Hide dinner in various spots (with permission!) and let your dog track it down.

Odor Discrimination Challenge: Can your dog differentiate between smells (like different types of treats, toys, or essential oils)?

Craft the Game Mechanics:
Will it be a timed trial? A multi-step puzzle? A search-and-rescue mission?

Get creative! Use household items, outdoor spaces, and your imagination to build the game. Share the Fun (and Photos/Videos!)

Post a description of your game, photos or videos of your dog in action, and the results in the comments!

Bonus Round: Film your dog playing the game and share the video for extra bragging rights (and adorable sniffing footage)!

Let's unleash the power of odor AND creativity together! ⬇️

Pro-Tip: Start with simple games and gradually increase the difficulty as your dog masters each level. Remember, positive reinforcement and praise go a long way! Have fun, and a Scent-sational time.

This Thursday let's have some fun!

Moving forward, each Thursday I want to dig into into real-world problem solving in odor detection—because great Scent WORX doesn’t happen by accident.

Each week we'll discuss topics like:

Detection Dog Training Focus
“Why Your Dog Isn’t Failing—You’re Just Not Measuring the Right Thing”
“The Myth of the Perfect Hide”
“Reinforcement Isn’t a Treat—It’s a Strategy”

Trainer Mindset & Growth
“The Science of Second-Guessing Yourself”
“Let the Dog Show You”
“Learning in Public: The Power of Saying ‘I Don’t Know’”

Also I want all of you to come up with questions, and we can group think to solve them.

Together we can discuss and solve training problems, putting our dogs noses and our minds to the test. Teaching Training and Proofing on three levels; Dog, Handler, and overall Team!

11/04/2025

Let’s go!

📣 𝗦𝗼𝗳𝘁 𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴❗
𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗕𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗲𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝗖𝗮𝗳𝗲 🍲🍞🍪☕ Singapore’s first-of-its-kind pet café and grooming centre empowering persons with disabilities.

A cosy space where pets are welcomed, talents are celebrated, and community support makes all the difference.

Drop by for a treat, a coffee, and a cause — because every visit helps us build a more inclusive tomorrow, one paw at a time.

01/04/2025

Before you keep those 🎾 away…

Recent social media discussions have ignited discussions about whether you should continue playing 'fetch' with your dog.

31/03/2025

Playing fetch every day to tire your dog out? Think again.

There is a question I get asked constantly:

“Bart, should I play fetch with my dog every day? He LOVES it!”

And my answer is always the same:
No. Especially not with working breeds like the Malinois, German Shepherd, Dutch Shepherd, or any other high-prey-drive dog, like hunting dogs, Agility dogs, etc.

This answer is often met with surprise, sometimes with resistance. I get it—your dog brings you the ball, eyes bright, body full of energy, practically begging you to throw it. It feels like bonding. It feels like exercise. It feels like the right thing to do.

But from a scientific, behavioral, and neurobiological perspective—it’s not. In fact, it may be one of the most harmful daily habits for your dog’s mental health and nervous system regulation that no one is warning you about.

Let me break it down for you in detail. This will be long, but if you have a working dog, you need to understand this.

Working dogs like the Malinois and German Shepherd were selected over generations for their intensity, persistence, and drive to engage in behaviors tied to the prey sequence: orient, stalk, chase, grab, bite, kill. In their role as police, protection, herding, or military dogs, these genetically encoded motor patterns are partially utilized—but directed toward human-defined tasks.

Fetch is an artificial mimicry of this prey sequence.
• Ball = prey
• Throwing = movement stimulus
• Chase = reinforcement
• Grab and return = closure and Reward - Reinforecment again.

Every time you throw that ball, you’re not just giving your dog “exercise.” You are triggering an evolutionary motor pattern that was designed to result in the death of prey. But here’s the twist:

The "kill bite" never comes.
There’s no closure. No end. No satisfaction, Except when he start chewing on the ball by himself, which lead to even more problems. So the dog is neurologically left in a state of arousal.

When your dog sees that ball, his brain lights up with dopamine. Anticipation, motivation, drive. When you throw it, adrenaline kicks in. It becomes a cocktail of high arousal and primal intensity.

Dopamine is not the reward chemical—it’s the pursuit chemical. It creates the urge to chase, to repeat the behavior. Adrenaline and cortisol, stress hormones, spike during the chase. Even though the dog “gets the ball,” the biological closure never really happens—because the pattern is reset, again and again, with each throw.

Now imagine doing this every single day.
The dog’s brain begins to wire itself for a constant state of high alert, constantly expecting arousal, movement, and stimulation. This is how we create chronic stress.

The autonomic nervous system has two main branches:

• Sympathetic Nervous System – “Fight, flight, chase”

• Parasympathetic Nervous System – “Rest, digest, recover”

Fetch, as a prey-driven game, stimulates the sympathetic system. The problem? Most owners never help the dog come down from that state.
There’s no decompression, no parasympathetic activation, no transition into rest.

Chronic sympathetic dominance leads to:
• Panting, pacing, inability to settle
• Destructive behaviors
• Hypervigilance
• Reactivity to movement
• Obsession with balls, toys, other dogs
• Poor sleep cycles
• Digestive issues
• A weakened immune system over time
• Behavioral burnout

In essence, we’re creating a dog who is neurologically trapped in the primal mind—always hunting, never resting.

Expectation Is a Form of Pressure!!!!!!

When fetch becomes a daily ritual, your dog begins to expect it.This is no longer “fun.” It’s a conditioned need. And when that need is not met?

Stress. Frustration. Obsession.

A dog who expects to chase every day but doesn’t get it may begin redirecting that drive elsewhere—chasing shadows, lights, children, other dogs, cars.
This is how pathological behavior patterns form.

Many people use fetch as a shortcut for physical exercise.

But movement is not the same as regulation.
Throwing a ball 100 times does not tire out a working dog—it wires him tighter.

What these dogs need is:
• Cognitive engagement
• Problem solving
• Relationship-based training
• Impulse control and on/off switches
• Scentwork or tracking to satisfy the nose-brain connection
• Regulated physical outlets like structured walks, swimming, tug with rules, or balanced sport work
• Recovery time in a calm environment

But What About Drive Fulfillment? Don’t They Need an Outlet?

Yes, and here’s the nuance:

Drive should be fulfilled strategically, not passively or impulsively. This is where real training philosophy comes in.

Instead of free-for-all ball throwing, I recommend:
• Tug with rules of out, impulse control, and handler engagement

• Controlled prey play with a flirt pole, used sparingly

• Engagement-based drive work with clear start and stop signals

• Training sessions that integrate drive, control, and reward

• Activities like search games, mantrailing, or protection sport with balance

• Working on “down in drive” — the ability to switch from arousal to rest

This builds a thinking dog, not a reactive one. The Bottom Line: Just Because He Loves It Doesn’t Mean It’s Good for Him

Your Malinois, German Shepherd, Dutchie, or other working dog may love the ball. He may bring it to you with joy. But the question is not what he likes—it’s what he needs.

A child may love candy every day, but a good parent knows better. As a trainer, handler, and caretaker, it’s your responsibility to think long term.
You’re not raising a dog for this moment. You’re developing a life companion, a regulated athlete, a resilient thinker.

So no—I don’t recommend playing ball every day.
Because every throw is a reinforcement of the primal mind.

And the primal mind, unchecked, cannot be reasoned with. It cannot self-regulate. It becomes a slave to its own instincts.

Train your dog to engage with you, not just the object. Teach arousal with control, play with purpose, and rest with confidence.

Your dog deserves better than obsession.He deserves balance. He deserves you—not just the ball.


Bart De Gols

05/03/2025

How smart is your dog?

A new study has put the cognitive abilities of dogs to the test, revealing significant differences in how various breeds process information and solve problems.

So, which breed is the smartest?

Unsurprisingly, it's complicated. Border collies have long been believed to be the smartest breed. However, the study shows various breeds actually excel in different areas of intelligence.

Researchers at the University of Helsinki evaluated around 1,000 dogs from 16 breeds using the smartDOG cognition test, which measured problem-solving, impulse control, memory, and human communication skills.

The results showed that while each breed had its own strengths and weaknesses, certain cognitive traits appeared to be hereditary.

For example, Labrador Retrievers excelled at reading human gestures but struggled with spatial problem-solving, while Shetland Sheepdogs performed consistently across all tests. One standout breed was the Belgian Malinois, a popular working dog, which demonstrated strong problem-solving skills and responsiveness—key traits for security and police work.

However, the study also highlighted some surprising findings. Despite being highly intelligent working dogs, Belgian Malinois and German Shepherds struggled with the cylinder test, which measures impulse control. This could be linked to their high responsiveness, a trait essential for their roles in law enforcement and security.

The research suggests that a breed’s historical function influences cognitive traits, yet some results, such as the Finnish Lapphund’s unexpected difficulty with human-directed tasks, indicate that additional factors may be at play.

learn morehttps://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-26991-5

05/02/2025

Sound buttons to teach your dogs a human language: yay or nay?

Why not spend the looonggg time you need to teach your dog to associate the word/button to learn your dog’s (body) language instead?

A viral, online phenomenon claims to have further opened the door to human-canine communication. Buttons allow dogs to seemingly talk with their humans, but ...

05/02/2025

回首旧岁，感恩满怀，
展望新年，希望常在。
愿岁月静好，心常安，
前路光明，福相伴。

Looking back on the past year, my heart is full of gratitude.
Looking ahead to the New Year, hope is always with us.
May the days be peaceful, and your heart always at ease.
May the path ahead be bright, with blessings by your side.

Have a blessed lunar new year! 🧧 🧨🍊🍊

18/01/2025

Don’t just keep your new puppy at home until all vaccinations are completed! Training starts on Day 1.

25/12/2024

Cool evening breeze, the fairy lights aglow. 🎄
Happy families, where Christmas blessings flow.
May their furry presence be the greatest gift.
A joyous Christmas, hearts with love uplift. ♥️

Merry Christmas!

24/12/2024

If only it can be this easy to get a dog to workout!

18/12/2024

What was your dog bred for?

23/11/2024

😍

19/11/2024

12/11/2024

While dogs do so much for us, we also have a duty to them. It’s just as important for owners to take care of themselves so that they can take care of their dog.

For many owners, dogs are more than just pets—they’re members of our family, part of our social circles, and a source of strong emotional support in times of need. But what many owners don’t know is that their emotional well-being can have a measurable impact on their dog’s health and behavior.

https://bit.ly/4fdlF29

21/10/2024

Check out the latest studies on Psychiatric Assistance Dogs.

A new study providing proof of the power of service dogs for veterans with PTSD could lead to more people benefiting from these positive partnerships.

17/10/2024

Baymax the assistance dog in training showing off our new Assistance Dog patch! Here he is working on his Search and Rescue Trailing task in the forest.🌳 🐕‍🦺🐾