Blog

As I’ve been reading Dr. Stephen Porges’ work on the autonomic nervous system, I’ve become increasingly interested in the relationship between behavioral medication and the nervous system of the dog. This is not an argument against medication. Behavioral medications can be extremely valuable, particularly when a dog is experiencing so much fear or anxiety that learning, rest, exploration, and relationship-building are difficult. Veterinary behavior medicine recognizes medications such as fluoxetine, trazodone, gabapentin, and clonidine as useful tools for different behavioral and situational problems in dogs. But medication does more than change what we can see on the outside. It changes...

When we talk about leadership in the human-dog relationship, the word can sometimes bring up outdated ideas about dominance, control, or being the “alpha.” For many years, dog owners were taught that they needed to establish themselves as the leader by controlling their dog's behavior, correcting unwanted behaviors, or making sure the dog understood who was in charge. Even as training philosophies have evolved, the idea of leadership is sometimes reduced to getting a dog to listen or comply.

The word enrichment has become increasingly popular in the dog world, but it is also one of the most misunderstood. Food puzzles, snuffle mats, lick mats, flirt poles, hiking, agility, swimming, and scent work are all commonly described as enrichment, even though they are not all the same thing. While these activities may all improve a dog's quality of life, they fulfill different biological and psychological needs. Understanding the distinction between enrichment, breed fulfillment, and biological fulfillment helps us make more intentional choices about how we care for our dogs. Rather than viewing them as interchangeable, it is more helpful...

A dog fight is one of the most frightening and emotionally overwhelming experiences that many of us dog lovers will experience. Even when the physical injuries are minor, the emotional impact can be significant. The sounds, the intensity, and shock of watching two dogs you love inflicting violence on each other can leave you feeling disheartened, scared, and uncertain about what to do next. Many people immediately want to solve the problem. They want to know why it happened, whether it will happen again, and how they can make sure their dogs are safe together in the future. Those questions...

When someone reaches out to me about their dog's behavior, they are usually looking for a training solution. They want to know how to stop the barking, the reactivity, the jumping, the pulling, or the anxiety. They are understandably focused on the behavior they can see because that is what is affecting their daily lives. However, behavior is rarely the first thing I look at. A dog's behavior is the outward expression of everything happening beneath the surface. It is influenced by their physical health, their nervous system, their emotional experiences, their daily lifestyle, and whether their biological needs are...