Dogs Behaving Better

05/02/2025

We can influence our dogs’ emotions via scent and emotional contagion. ☺️

I NOSE HOW YOU FEEL
One of the most incredible things about dogs is their ability to recognize and respond to our emotions, but just how do they know how we’re feeling?

They may not understand the emotion we are feeling, but their brains are wired to understand whether that emotion makes them feel safe or not.

From an evolutionary perspective; for their survival, it was and still is, important for dogs to know which humans were safe to be around and which were not.

Dogs recognize the different chemical scents we produce through our skin or breath, our facial expressions or body language and our tone of voice.

Although we’re not aware of it, we emit different scents when experiencing positive emotions compared to when we experience negative emotions. Dogs have an amazing ability to recognize these different scents.

A dog's sense of smell is incredibly powerful and far superior to ours. Dogs have +/- 300 million olfactory receptors in their nose, sometimes more depending on the breed, compared to +/- 5 to 6 million in humans. In addition to this, the part of their brain that processes scent is around 40 times bigger than ours.

Dogs also recognize our facial expressions and body language. Just like we might stay well away from or not want to interact with someone who looks really angry and be more drawn and responsive to a happy, relaxed looking person.

Tone of voice – more info on this in my previous post.

Dogs can be such a comfort to us when we need emotional support or aren’t feeling well, but some of our emotions many have a negative effect on them.

Working with or interacting with a dog when we’re feeling angry, stressed, frustrated or having a bad day is not a good idea. It’s far better to wait until we feel more relaxed and calmer.

Dogs have rich emotional lives – just as we should try to be aware of their emotions, also be aware of how our emotions may affect them.

02/02/2025

Some important points here about preventing dog-dog resource guarding.

Many questions about dog-to-dog resource guarding, lately - here is our global post on the topic:

We do not address dog to dog resource guarding in the original Puppy Culture film http://bit.ly/PCVOD. For two reasons:

1. Dog to dog resource guarding has a much stronger genetic component - dogs that show aggression to humans very rarely make it into the gene pool, but we are more tolerant of dogs who are not indefinitely patient with other dogs. We do give protocols for the basis of dogs getting along together, but in our experience dog on dog guarding will still sometimes emerge and may or may not be modifiable.

2. It's really tough to come up with dog-on-dog RG protocols. If you've ever worked with a resource guarding or reactive dog you know how exquisite your timing and body language has to be. Even when dealing with puppies, Jean Donaldson and I go to great lengths to explain exactly how your posture and body position should be, how and where you should hold the food, timing of events, etc. The problem with dog-on-dog protocols is you really can't control the second dog, so often times that dog is giving the wrong signal at the wrong time and making it worse.

All that having been said, here are five golden tips that I have found helpful:

1. Always make sure that there is way more of whatever food or resource than the puppies could possibly eat or use. Put in double the number of meaty bones. There should always be food left in the dish.

2. When you are holding one puppy on your lap, feed the ones who are not on your lap - Magda Chiarella has a whole protocol for this as she has small dogs who lap guard.

3. I have tried using a manner minder (remote treat dispenser) to create a happy CER to having another dog walk past the puppy's crate. I have to say I had mixed results. In our last litter 8 of the 9 wound up with zero crate aggression but one wound up running into any open crate and guarding it if another dog walked into the room (that dog has ZERO dog aggression, by the way, and accepts any and all dogs into her house without hesitation - it's just the crate she guards). So, once again, genetics probably play a very strong role, and of course the big dogs would sometimes turn and look when the manners minder dropped the treat into the crate so for the more genetically pre-disposed-to-resource-guard puppies, the wrong CER was created.

4. A very wise breeder told me that your dogs should always think you will protect their interests and they will be less likely to squabble amongst themselves. To that end, I take the puppies out individually with my most solid big dogs. The big dog gets a treat, then the puppy gets a treat. The puppy develops a happy CER to seeing another animal get a treat because it predicts that they will get a treat. I throw the last treat for the big dog away, so the big dog moves out of sight range for the puppy and then feed the puppy, so both the puppy and the big dog get the feeling that they have had the last treat. This prevents the big dog from having negative feelings when the puppy gets a treat because it signals the end of treats.

5. The most important thing is to be realistic about expectations. It's not fair to expect dogs to share all the time. We never put down a high value toy or bone when there is more than one dog in the room. We never feed two dogs in the same room. Lots of dogs can't share, and those dogs do great in only dog homes.

If having dogs that never resource guard from each other is of deep importance to you as a breeder, you need to make that a top priority and select for it. I am in NO WAY saying this SHOULD be your top priority - it really depends on your breed and what is available in your breed's gene pool. For many breeds, selecting strictly for lack of dog-to-dog resource guarding would be a foolish waste of animals with excellent type and breed virtue, and for others it would be an absolute "must."

There are no right answers, here, but I will say as a breeder of a breed that is notoriously bad with other dogs and someone who has done rescue in that breed, it's just much easier to place dogs that can get along with other dogs.

So, lack of dog on dog resource guarding is a valuable thing and worth having in your sights as as a virtue.

Photo for attention

02/02/2025

Agency is available in many forms!

Agency means giving your dog the ability to make decisions about their actions and surroundings instead of simply reacting to what us humans dictate.

In humans, agency often involves having autonomy, decision-making power, and a sense of control over one’s life.

For dogs, agency might involve things like being able to decide when and where to rest, how to interact with their environment, or how to respond to certain situations.

Agency is important for every dog's wellbeing because:
-It helps them build their confidence and sense of security
-It can help them feel less anxious and reduce stress
-It helps strengthen the bond between you and your dog

If you'd like to learn more about agency and other ways to improve your dog's life, check out our book: Canine Enrichment For The Real World by Allie Bender and Emily Strong. Available on Amazon and Dogwise.

If reading is not your thing, check out our podcast, Enrichment For The Real World, available on major listening platforms.

25/01/2025

Unfortunately we have no veterinary behaviorists on the Eastern Shore. I'm qualified and experienced with behavior issues as a certified behavior consultant. Let's chat!

January is Train Your Dog Month 🐾—the perfect time to strengthen your bond with your dog through training! But not all trainers are created equal. Choosing a qualified, humane trainer who understands animal behavior is key to your dog’s success and well-being and the ACVB site has resources to help. 🐶💡

✅ How to Select a Trainer: Whether you’re a pet owner or a veterinarian, these guides help you make informed choices:

How to Select a Trainer - A Guide for Owners
How to Select a Trainer - A Guide for Veterinarians

Find them here: https://www.dacvb.org/page/AnimalOwners

If you need advanced behavior support, consider consulting a Board-Certified Veterinary Behaviorist. These are veterinarians certified by the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists (ACVB) with extensive training in behavior medicine and modification. Visit the ACVB site for a Diplomate Directory!

Empower your pup and start their training journey with the right resources! 🦴🐕

25/01/2025

Positive training works better and has so many benefits!

22/01/2025

The free mini-course by ethologist Karolina Westlund on emotions and learning is about to disappear. Watch now!

Limited time access

19/01/2025

Easy and effective way to de-fuse tension, especially on walks!

15/01/2025

If your dog has unwanted behaviors despite your best efforts with traditional methods, consider a new and better approach: positive reinforcement training, management, and enrichment.

🐾 The journey of understanding our dogs opens up a whole new world of connection and possibilities. 🌟 Let’s keep learning together, positively!

12/01/2025

Extremely fascinating video series (in 4 parts) by ethologist Karolina Westlund on how Emotions Matter, for learning, for behavior, for welfare, and for our relationships with animals (all species).

Anyone with pets will understand them better by watching this!!
Available only for a short time.

11/01/2025

Socialization should be called familiarization. It's about feeling safe and making positive associations. It's best done in the first 15 or so weeks of life, when puppies are curious about new things. This is why so many "pandemic puppies" developed reactivity later on.

It's not about interacting with other dogs or people. Also not about exposing them to things they are afraid of in hopes that they'll just get over it eventually.

Need help? Get in touch!

07/01/2025

Holy cow! This dog REALLY enjoys clean dry feet!

06/01/2025

I never met Karen Pryor but have benefited immensely from her teaching, her instructors at the Academy she founded, and the Clicker Expo conference for the past 10 years.

She absolutely revolutionized the field of animal training, moving it away from punitive to positive. And it just keeps evolving in that direction.

With profound sadness and immense gratitude, we honor the life and legacy of Karen Pryor, a true pioneer in the fields of animal behavior and positive reinforcement training. Karen’s groundbreaking work revolutionized how we communicate with animals—and each other—leaving an indelible mark on science, education, and the lives of countless species around the world.

Continue reading: https://bit.ly/4214rRG

05/01/2025

Teddy was one of my first puppy clients, 10 years ago. It was wonderful to see him and his mom today. He is still so smart, funny, and affectionate. ❤️❤️❤️

05/01/2025

Training tips that we can easily incorporate into daily life, to make a difference.

01/01/2025

Observe your dog’s body language before letting strangers pet them.

When strangers touch our dogs without consent, it can be unsettling for them—much like an unexpected touch feels to us. Dogs deserve respect and agency over their bodies. Politely guiding others to wait for the dog’s signals, like approaching willingly or leaning in, helps ensure interactions are safe and comfortable.

01/01/2025

Need professional help for your puppy or dog with training or behavior issues?
End all the trial and error and make real progress toward a better life together!

01/01/2025

Good one!

22/12/2024

A picture is worth 1000 words