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You are here: Home / Blog / Archives for Science of dog behavior

Highly sensitive personality and behavior problems in dogs

January 7, 2021 By Kristina Spaulding Leave a Comment

The Question I recently came across a paper (Bräm Dubé et al. 2020) that looked at a characteristic called 'sensory processing sensitivity' or, more informally, 'high sensitivity'. The authors define “high sensitivity” as a personality … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Science of dog behavior

Assessing affiliation between dogs

December 6, 2020 By Kristina Spaulding Leave a Comment

Group cohesion, affiliation, and being in sync This month I'll be focusing on social relationships between dogs, both in this blog post and in the Research Bites webinar. Dogs are social animals. They live in groups - either with other … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Science of dog behavior, Training and Behavior Tips

Celebrating animal behavior

November 3, 2020 By Kristina Spaulding Leave a Comment

The world seems like a very stressful and serious place right now. This month, I wanted to do something a little different and share with you some research that just brings me joy and reminds me why I love animals so much and why I am an … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Science of dog behavior

Embracing the Unknown

October 7, 2020 By Kristina Spaulding 1 Comment

Today, I return to my series on quotes that have inspired me. The first in this series was way back in January of this year when I wrote about the danger of assumptions. This month, I'd like to talk about the value of admitting that we … [Read more...]

Filed Under: General, Science of dog behavior

I challenge you – the relationship between enrichment, challenge, and wellbeing

August 4, 2020 By Kristina Spaulding 4 Comments

The benefits of appropriate challenge We talk about enrichment in the dog world all the time. How important is it, really? It turns out that it’s very important! In fact, the very definition of enrichment states that it improves animal … [Read more...]

Filed Under: General, Science of dog behavior, Training and Behavior Tips

Owner attitudes regarding behavioral medications

July 1, 2020 By Kristina Spaulding Leave a Comment

A heartfelt thank you to two of the researchers—Karen van Haaften, DVM, DACVB and Emma Grigg, PhD, CAAB —for sharing their feedback for this blog article! Behavioral— or psychoactive— medication can be an important aspect of treatment … [Read more...]

Filed Under: General, Science of dog behavior

Impulsivity in Dogs – What Do We Know?

May 1, 2020 By Kristina Spaulding 2 Comments

Impulse control. It’s a hot topic in dog training right now. There are many opinions about what impulse control is, how to improve it, and how it impacts behavior.  Many people associate unwanted behavior with poor impulse control in dogs.  … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Science of dog behavior

Three common misunderstandings about science

April 15, 2020 By Kristina Spaulding Leave a Comment

With the entire world being in the midst of a pandemic right now, many people are turning to scientists for answers.  Now seems like a good time to address some common misunderstandings about science. This applies just as much to dog … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Science of dog behavior

How does past stress impact fear today?

December 17, 2019 By Kristina Spaulding Leave a Comment

Does stress impact learning and memory?  You bet it does! Stress impacts these processes in several different ways. Today I am going to focus on the impact of stress on fear.  First, we need to define some terms. Basic Definitions Stress … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Science of dog behavior

Lost in Translation: Sorting through commonly confused learning terms

November 14, 2019 By Kristina Spaulding Leave a Comment

Leena barks, lunges and generally loses her mind when she sees other dogs on a walk.  Her owner and I are walking in the park so I can teach the owner how to change Leena’s behavior.  When we see another dog at a distance, Leena freezes and … [Read more...]

Filed Under: General, Science of dog behavior, Training and Behavior Tips

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The Smart Dog blog provides practical science-based information on dog training and behavior in addition to personal, heartfelt stories about loving and living with dogs.   For a more detailed summary, take a look at the first blog post here.

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