Confidence vs Defensive Aggression Interactive Chart
This is not a perfect representation, but the basic concept is accurate. The more confident a dog is, the more their facial features pull forward.…
Author: Michael D'Abruzzo
Differential Reinforcement
Purpose Differential reinforcement is a training procedure that helps a dog learn which behaviors are worth repeating and which behaviors no longer work. It is…
Loyalty or Lunch? Testing Your Dog’s Protective Instincts
In a world where our dogs are treated like family, a pressing question remains: if an intruder burst into your home while your dog was…
Timing of Spay/Neuter and Cruciate Ligament Disease Risk: New Evidence from 20,590 Dogs
Article summary of:Low, D. (2025). Cumulative gonadal hormone exposure is nonlinearly associated with risk of canine cranial cruciate ligament disease: a generalised additive model analysis…
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Clinical Signs Caused by the use of Electric Training Collars on Dogs in Everyday Life Situations
The study by Schalke et al. (2007) investigated the stress effects of electric training collars on dogs by measuring salivary cortisol levels and heart rate.…
Neuroscience Is Changing How We Think About Humane Animal Training
For many years, animal training was judged by simple labels. Experts often claimed that training with positive reinforcement—rewarding animals for good behavior—was the kindest method…
The Hierarchical Organization of Cynopraxic Interests
Introduction Cynopraxic training is a structured method that aligns human and canine interests in a cooperative, ethical, and mutually beneficial manner. Steven Lindsay’s six levels…
The Concept of “Exchange” Between Person and Dog in Steve Lindsay’s Training Approach (2 articles)
Steven R. Lindsay, in his Handbook of Applied Dog Behavior and Training, discusses the nature of interaction between a person and a dog as an…
Charles Sanders Peirce’s Semiotic Theory as it Applies to Dog Training and Welfare
1. Overview of Charles Sanders Peirce’s Semiotic TheoryCharles Sanders Peirce (1839–1914) was an American philosopher, logician, and scientist whose work on signs—often called semiotics or…
Latent Learning and Its Relevance to Dog Trainers
Latent learning is a fascinating concept in behavioral psychology that holds significant implications for dog training. This form of learning, where knowledge is acquired without…
The Rescorla-Wagner Model: A Quantitative Perspective on Learning and Its Relevance for Dog Training
The Rescorla-Wagner Model, developed by Robert Rescorla and Allan Wagner in 1972, introduced a mathematical framework to predict how associations between stimuli develop or diminish…
Tolman’s Expectancy Learning Theory: A Comparative Analysis and Its Relevance for Dog Training
Edward C. Tolman’s expectancy learning theory, also referred to as purposive behaviorism, introduced a significant shift in psychological thought by emphasizing the cognitive processes underlying…
Rethinking Positive and Negative Reinforcement in Dog Training: Jack Michael’s Argument for Simplified Terminology (1975)
Jack Michael’s 1975 article, “Positive and Negative Reinforcement: A Distinction That Is No Longer Necessary,” argues for simplifying operant conditioning terminology to avoid common misinterpretations,…