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The Motivated K9 Wholistic, progressive dog training & behavior solutions to enrich the lives of dogs & humans. Having a tough time with training? The Motivtated K9 can help!
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The Motivated K9 provides science based, in-home training for dogs of all ages in the Pierce County area. Primarily focusing on positive reinforcement, we are also versed in lots of tools and methods. However we do not use punishment based techniques or "whispering". The Motivated K9 also offers assistance in adoption transitioning, potty training, behavior modification, nutrition and obedience t

raining. You don't need hurt, punish, intimidate, dominate, or scare a dog to train them! We are, Licensed and insured and a member of the Association of Professional Dog Trainers. We want YOU to be a part of your dog's training success.

Repo! ❤️
30/08/2024

Repo! ❤️

We are being over run with border collies for boarding in July 🥰
26/07/2024

We are being over run with border collies for boarding in July 🥰

Rosie ❤️
17/07/2024

Rosie ❤️

I am so thrilled to see this topic being shared in the mainstream media. We are expecting too much of our animals. http...
26/06/2024

I am so thrilled to see this topic being shared in the mainstream media. We are expecting too much of our animals.

https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/are-we-loving-our-pets-to-death/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=article_inset_1.1&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR2JVcdBPFMeQX0A_g6-RN-4_ACw2DFBSTRAxWlVHRbVb75MMbpgZcA91Cs_aem_vdZr4L1y56LhNcZIw4MwHg

some animal welfare ethicists and veterinary scientists are wondering if, in our efforts to humanize our pets, we’ve gone too far.

Yes, It really is ok to leave your dog in the car....
24/06/2024

Yes, It really is ok to leave your dog in the car....

For those of you who don’t know, I’ve spent the last year of my life (April 2018-March 2019) driving from Denver to Memphis to Wisconsin to Vancouver to Los Angeles to…. Panama. My dog Barley has joined us for that whole trip – 7 countries, an estimated 13,000 miles, and over 200 hours in th...

Indy 🥰
20/06/2024

Indy 🥰

25/05/2024

Fireworks season is coming soon. Is your pet up to date on their tags and appropriately medicated (if needed?)

Repo and Abby
21/05/2024

Repo and Abby

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/LghHE7Uufpf6DqLS/?mibextid=xfxF2i
11/05/2024

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/LghHE7Uufpf6DqLS/?mibextid=xfxF2i

CHEWING BEHAVIOUR: CAN IT BENEFIT LEARNING IN FEARFUL DOGS ?

Anxiety and fear behaviours in social animals is the topic of our generation and much popularised in discussion and modern scientific research. We have seen several studies emerge in the last decade that have strengthened our understanding, which behaviour professionals have applied successfully in improving the affective state and welfare of animals across species. We are so lucky to have access to the work of many incredible minds of the global science community, who are continuing to elevate our knowledge base so we can help animals better.

A recent study by Krichbaum et al, 2023 explores a novel path suggesting that chewing could enhance learning in dogs. This is a first of its kind research looking at a link between chewing and cognitive function, in relation to fearfulness ( link in the comments)

Chewing behaviour in dogs, ranging from puppies to older canines, has been extensively observed throughout history. However, in wild canid species, recreational chewing is less compared to domesticated dogs, likely due to factors such as energy conservation and minimising time near carcasses to reduce risk. A study comparing teeth indentation on bones between wolves and captive wolves suggests that stress from captivity may influence differences in chewing rates.
Mastication, which involves chewing but is different to play or recreational, is a preliminary stage of digestion, and considered a rhythmic behaviour observed in almost all mammals, akin to locomotion and respiration, with the chewing rhythm generated in the brainstem . There is also evidence suggesting that the various functions of chewing support the mechanisms of natural selection in evolution and is widely factored into canid ethograms. Wolves can easily chew through large bones, aiming for quick consumption, while play behaviours among their young can involve chewing sticks.

In contemporary times, pet dogs have access to an array of products designed to alleviate boredom and provide enrichment, with claims to prevent undesirable behaviour and enhance wellbeing. An abundance of chewing options are available, with a recent survey indicating that 94% of dog owners offer edible chews, and 83% provide chew toys, believing that chewing alleviates boredom for their dogs.

Prior research has shown that chewing in pet dogs can alleviate stress ,and also evidence to suggest post learning exercise and play can influence memory in dogs.
However, this new study by Krichbaum et al, focuses specifically on aspects of chewing related to cognition through memory tests and its potential effect on trait-anxiety which is interpreted as fearfulness. Trait-anxiety is a term for anxiety that occurs consistently as part of an individuals’ way of thinking.
The study involved adult working Labradors ( known for their pronounced object play skills) already trained for tasks like scent detection. Nylabones were used as chew toys, provided directly prior to a spatial memory task, as well as a spatial navigation task.
The findings indicated that dogs with higher levels of fearfulness, more frequent chewing was associated with improved spatial memory. The opposite being true for dogs with lower fearfulness, which is interesting as the author suggests this may be due to chewing having a mitigating effect on fear. Whereas for the non-fearful subjects, chewing served more as a distraction. Findings also concluded that chewing during memory consolidation enhanced long-term memory.

This research marks a significant advancement in understanding chewing as a function and paves the way for further exploration, especially in relation to breed specific variations and motivational effects.

However, this new insight may also have implications for all dogs, particularly in how we train unwell, trauma-affected, adolescent as well as dogs exhibiting trait-anxiety. Similarly, it may benefit dogs easily stimulated by play techniques or dogs restricted from physical activity, with potential for faster learning outcomes, in both pre and post, a brief chewing period. Dog professionals might find value in utilising this data to test these new findings while ensuring ethical standards are maintained throughout training practises.

We welcome comments from our readers in relation to this paper, have any of you observed chewing behaviour improve outcomes or the opposite, in your own dogs or in your clients?


Boo Blackhurst CDBC


References:

Krichbaum et Al, 2023, No bones about it: The effect of chewing on cognition in dogs,
Applied Animal Behaviour Science

Arhant et Al, 2021, Chewing behaviour in dogs – A survey-based exploratory study,
Applied Animal Behaviour Science

Courtenay LA, et Al, 2021, 3D Insights into the Effects of Captivity on Wolf Mastication and Their Tooth Marks; Implications in Ecological Studies of Both the Past and Present

Nadja Affenzeller et Al, 2017, Playful activity post-learning improves training performance in Labrador Retriever dogs

Rooney et Al, 2009, A Practitioner’s guide to working dog welfare, Journal of Veterinary Behaviour

Gerstner GE et Al, 2010, Chewing rates among domestic dog breeds. J Exp Biol.

07/05/2024
Diego the Spanish water dog got a new doo and made a friend, Jerry the Wheaton.
30/04/2024

Diego the Spanish water dog got a new doo and made a friend, Jerry the Wheaton.

Sweet handsome Diego. Guess the breed(s)!
23/04/2024

Sweet handsome Diego. Guess the breed(s)!

18/04/2024

Go check out your local Kohls for awesome deals on a TON of food puzzles, and treat hiding toys.

Lila and Khufu
12/04/2024

Lila and Khufu

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Videos

Go check out your local Kohls for awesome deals on a TON of food puzzles, and treat hiding toys.

Enjoy a couple minutes of freyja enjoying finding hidden food on a walk. ( this was preplaced while walking a different dog along the same route before her turn.)

This is Arlo! His mom has worked so hard with him over the last year and half. He started with many struggles, one of which was body handling/husbandry of any kind. Even just touching him was upsetting to him and could cause an aggressive response. Watching how far they have come with nail trims using a start button is incredible. While he is choosing to participate (by offering to get on the bed) can you see the subtle signs of stress?

Lemon wants all the toys.

Hearing its the weekend be like....

Another great one from Five By Five Canine LLC

Arlo and his dedicated mom are doing so well and have worked very hard on his muzzle training! Gorgeous work!

Don't care if you dog begs, gets on furniture, jumps on people, barks, digs? Neither do I! And you don't have to care. 😁

Board and train Juno has gone from high frustration and anxiety in the xpen ( especially seeing or hearing other dogs) to being able to relax in just a few days! Good job buddy! Big thanks to the help of #thepettutor

Great and important information from one of our favorite tiktoks! Thanks! Five By Five Canine LLC

This is a great example of when anything other than an obvious yes, is a no!

Mookie working on some loose leash walking

Card board shredding, good for the soul 🥰

Colt is a very good boy! Squirrels be damned!

And the most enthusiastic recall award goes to TITO! 🤣😂🤣😂

Suka on the beach
Suka on the beach

Somtimes our boarders and board and trains get to go on special field trips. Suka got to practice recalls at the beach today.

Tito!

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