Blog — Prey Threshold

One of the most common recommendations people receive for fearful dogs is to have strangers offer the dog treats in order to “build positive associations.” And while the intention behind this is usually compassionate, it can actually create a tremendous amount of nervous system conflict for many dogs. Especially dogs who already feel wary, pressured, hypervigilant, or uncertain around people. From the outside, it can appear successful because the dog approaches and takes the food. Humans naturally interpret this as comfort, progress, or social willingness. But taking food is not always the same thing as feeling safe. A nervous system...

What Is Leash Reactivity, Really? Leash reactivity is one of the most commonly discussed behavior challenges in dogs, but it is also one of the most misunderstood. People often use the term as a diagnosis or label for barking, lunging, growling, or over-excited behavior on leash. While these are the visible expressions, they are not the root of the issue. Leash reactivity is not a single behavior pattern, and it is not a personality trait. It is a nervous system response that emerges under specific conditions. To understand leash reactivity, we have to look beyond what the dog is doing...

  Why Temperament Matters and How It Shapes Personality When we talk about dog behavior, we often default to describing what we can see: whether a dog is friendly, reactive, confident, sensitive, or anxious. These descriptions are usually grouped under the idea of “personality.” But personality does not emerge randomly. It is built on a deeper biological foundation: temperament. Temperament is the underlying template that shapes how a dog is likely to respond to the world. It influences thresholds for arousal, sensitivity to threat, intensity of drive, and the speed at which the nervous system activates or recovers. Personality then...