Bella Fiore Lagottos

11/06/2024

11/06/2024

Puppy working with a professional trainer

Meet Sasquatch!! He was born July 8, 2024 and is ready for his forever home. The video shows him working with professional trainer, Katherine, for her certification with the Karen Pryor Academy.
He is a super sweet boy who loves to cuddle. He is very brave and loves exploring.

10/02/2024

This is an excellent program that helps with so many different aspects of training.

Trusted by many 1000's of dog owners & trainers all around the world...

09/27/2024

The Lagotto Romagnolo, Italy’s adorable “truffle dog,” sports a curly coat and lavish facial furnishings.

Why do you love the breed?

09/10/2024

So true

🥹🤍🤌🏽

ShopCanineAesthete.com

09/07/2024

09/07/2024

Adolescence occurs between six months and 18 months of age—a time when guardians typically struggle the most with their dogs. Some guardians are so overwhelmed and underprepared for this developmental stage of their dog’s life, they choose to surrender the dog to a local shelter or rescue group. In a recent study published in the Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science found that the majority of the surrendered dogs (47.7 percent) ) were between 5 months and 3 years of age (M.D. Salman,John G. New, Jr.,Janet M. Scarlett,Philip H. Kass,Rebecca Ruch-Gallie &Suzanne Hetts, 2010)

The neurobiology of adolescence is fascinating, with some key events that alter both the structure and function of the brain.

During canine adolescence, changing s*x hormones effect the animals stress responses. Adolescent dogs have a decreased ability to process information they are receiving from the environment including the presence of dogs, vehicles, people, or really anything around them. They behave in ways that might feel frustrating or upsetting for the dog’s person.

The connectivity between the frontal cortex (responsible for decision making) and amygdala (responsible for emotional processing) decreases, resulting in less behavioral control. We see increased risk taking and more sensitivity to fear.

So what does this mean? This could mean that what was once no big deal to the dog now feels scary; what was once easy to do is now stressful; what once made sense is now confusing. At times, the world can feel like ‘too much’ for the adolescent dog.

As your puppy undergoes this transition into adulthood their inner world is intense, even chaotic. Many pet owners experience an increase in undesirable behavior and find themselves becoming increasingly frustrated. In turn, our own frustration and impatience can cause us to act unpredictably. This adds to our puppy’s inner turmoil. When the inside and the outside are both unpredictable it can be difficult for our dogs to adjust.

If you have an adolescent dog, what can you do? You can give your dog the time and space to observe what is going on around them when on leash at a distance away from the activity when possible. You can give your dog long walks to sniff and explore in nature, giving their brain time to decompress. You can offer your dog a quiet space to sleep so that they can consolidate memories effectively. You can continue training various skills, breaking them down into easier steps that can be generously reinforced.

By understanding what our adolescent dog is experiencing we gain greater compassion and understanding. When we approach adolescence with patience we create a world that is predictable and gentle so our puppies grow up to be their best adult selves.

06/23/2024

It is always a privilege to work with Terry Ryan and the Karen Pryor Academy students.

Karen Pryor Academy student and professional trainer, Seul, was working with our girl, Daisy, while she was here in the US for advanced training with Terry R...

06/22/2024

DOPAMINE does a lot more than reward‼️

🧠 Fast dopamine neurons are involved in the detection of events and ascribing of value. Slow dopamine neurons are needed for movement, behavioural activation, motivation, reward and punishment (yes punishment increases dopamine too). Dopamine concentration outside the neurons is needed for movement control, which is critical for dog sports.

😱 There is so much more than conditioning going on in our dogs' brains when we train them, and understanding the beautiful complexity expands our horizons, and helps us help them.

(Shared with permission by Barking Brains)