Blog — The Polyvagal Dog

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...

Most dog training focuses entirely on the dog. This conversation with Bianca Low Kum takes a different approach and looks at the relationship between the dog’s nervous system and the human’s nervous system. One of the biggest takeaways is that dogs are not just reacting to the environment. They are constantly reading the person handling them. They don’t need to understand your thoughts to know something is off. They are reading tension, posture, breathing, and movement. If you are tight, bracing, or mentally somewhere else, your dog will pick up on that and start scanning for what might be wrong....

Many dogs labeled as reactive, anxious, or difficult to settle are not misbehaving—they are overwhelmed. If your dog barks, lunges, shuts down, or struggles to relax, it can feel confusing and discouraging. In many cases, these behaviors are not training issues. They are signs of a nervous system under strain. Rather than focusing only on behavior, we look at what is driving it. This approach allows for more meaningful and lasting change. Dog Behavior Reflects Nervous System State Reactive and anxious dog behavior is often a response to too much stimulation, stress, or unpredictability. Dogs, like people, have limits to...

When a dog is in an appeasement state, they are essentially saying: “I’m not a threat. Please don’t hurt me. I’m safe.” This can look like licking, yawning, rolling over, crouching, soft eye contact, or submissive urination. While these behaviors might look “calm” to us, the dog’s body is working overtime behind the scenes. 1. Stress hormones are running the show Even if a dog looks relaxed, the sympathetic nervous system or dorsal vagal system may be activated. This keeps adrenaline and cortisol circulating, which burns energy quickly. The dog is expending calories just to maintain a posture of “I’m safe,”...

  How movement and joy build ventral vagal engagement When most people think about a regulated nervous system, they imagine stillness. A quiet dog lying calmly at their feet. Slow breathing. Minimal movement. A kind of subdued composure that looks peaceful from the outside. But safety is not the same thing as stillness. According to Polyvagal Theory, developed by Stephen Porges, our autonomic nervous system moves through different states depending on whether we perceive safety or threat. The ventral branch of the vagus nerve supports connection, social engagement, curiosity, and flexibility. When this system is active, we feel safe enough...