Have you ever opened a packet of chips, and your dog, sleeping two rooms away, stares at you and slowly approaches you with their puppy eyes to have a bite? Cute, right? Dogs display multiple such behaviours and try to communicate in their manner. Hence, this is called Dog Psychology. It is defined as a study of learning how dogs think, behave, interact and are trained by humans.

Despite thousands of years of domestication, the psychology of modern domestic dogs still reflects many characteristics derived from their wild predecessors, especially wolves. They might, for instance, act submissive or dominant towards humans or other dogs to fit into a supposed "pack." Domestic dogs do not need to hunt in packs to survive, unlike wolves which depend on pack cooperation to survive.



Wolves are fiercely territorial in the wild. Domestic dogs still exhibit signs of territoriality, such as marking their territory with urine or acting protectively towards their owners and home. This territorial tendency manifests as guarding property or barking at outsiders. Wolves have complex hunting techniques that include collaboration, stalking, and pursuing their prey. Domestic dogs may hunt in the form of fetching or tugging, or they may exhibit prey-drive behaviour such as chasing after small animals. These behaviours are more recreational than survival-based for many dogs, though.

Howling, growling, barking, and scent marking are some of the vocalizations and body language used by wolves to communicate. Both voice and physical language are important forms of communication for domestic dogs. To communicate with people and other dogs, they employ verbal cues like barking or whining, as well as tail movement and ear posture. Dogs engage in fetching, playfighting, and chasing as forms of interaction with people and other animals. Dogs can also decompress and pass the time through play, which is less typical in natural environments when energy is saved for survival tasks.

Fostering happier and healthier connections between people and their canine friends requires an understanding of dog psychology. Dogs never stop surprising us with their complexity, from ancient characteristics like territoriality and pack behaviour to contemporary emotional intelligence and attachment. Dogs and human culture are inextricably linked, as evidenced by the development of dog psychology from early studies of conditioning to contemporary methods emphasizing emotional and cognitive well-being.



Bonding Between

Dogs and Humans

Dogs and humans create strong emotional relationships, much like with newborns. According to attachment theory, dogs view their humans as "safe havens," just like children turn to their parents in times of fear or confusion. Have you ever been followed by your dog like a fuzzy shadow? They are speaking from a secure attachment! While some dogs, the worried ones, go full soap opera when left alone, others are like, "Calm down, human, I know you will come back." Less drama is produced with training. The love hormone, oxytocin, is released when you look into your dog's eyes. It is a loving, trust-building feedback loop. Your dog may adore you for the kibble, but oxytocin is what keeps them coming back for longer after the treats run out.



Emotion and Cognition

in Dogs

A vast array of emotions is felt by dogs, including happiness, fear, worry, love, and even jealousy. Research indicates that canines possess emotional intelligence comparable to that of a human kid between the ages of two and three. Dogs use their body language and facial expressions to convey their feelings. For example, they may wag their tails in happiness, growl in fear or rage, or twitch their ears in obedience. Dogs are sensitive to human emotions, according to research. They can sense our emotions and react appropriately, offering consolation in times of sadness or exhilaration in times of happiness. This capacity to "mirror" human emotions implies that dogs have some level of empathy for humans.

Dogs are remarkably adept at solving puzzles. They learn about their environment through observational learning - observing and imitating others, as well as trial-and-error learning. They are better at following human gestures than chimps, according to studies. Dogs learn by doing and receiving positive rewards, and they can recall individual events of episodic-like memory. They have highly developed emotional intelligence if they can sense human feelings and modify their behaviour accordingly. Dogs' ability to comprehend and respond to a wide range of cues, scenarios, and human emotions demonstrates the close relationship between emotions and cognition in canine behaviour.

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It is not easy to understand another species. Therefore, it can be very difficult to make sense of your dog's behavior. This lack of understanding can cause problems. We "humanize" our pets too much. This can have fatal consequences. Because your pet communicates with you as the owner just as much as with other dogs. This misunderstood communication can have various consequences.

Dogs primarily learn through associations. Dogs do not think about the world the same way we humans do. Our canine companions primarily learn through association. Researchers are coming to believe they do have episodic memories - the ability to recall a specific past event, but probably not to the degree of our own. That means your pup does not spend time reliving their most embarrassing moments like you might. Domestic dogs also have poorer short term memories that might prevent them from clearly remembering what happened even just a few minutes ago. Instead, our canine companions develop new behaviors and form habits through the principles of both operant conditioning and classical conditioning. Almost all dog training is based on these two common learning theories!



Dogs experience the world

differently than humans do


Dogs have extremely sensitive noses and ears
Canines have highly developed senses of smell. It is natural for them to want to experience the world through sniffing, especially in environments that have seen lots of other dogs or people, like public parks. Think about the way you can not help but visually look at interesting things around you. That is what it might be like for your pet with their nose! Dogs also have a broader hearing range than humans, both in terms of frequency and volume. This can help explain some confusing canine behavior, like when our pets bark at "nothing" or show reluctance to enter a loud environment.

Dogs might have an episodic memory but are believed to live more in the moment than people
Episodic memory refers to the ability to remember specific events and experiences. While dogs may not have the same level of episodic memory as humans, some studies suggest that they can remember and recall certain events, especially if they were emotionally significant or involved a strong sensory experience. Dogs have a relatively short-term memory compared to humans. They can remember recent events or commands for a short duration, typically ranging from a few seconds to a few minutes.


Operant Conditioning

Operant conditioning is a learning theory developed by B.F. Skinner. It is sometimes called "trial and error" or "consequence" learning. At its simplest, operant conditioning is what happens when our dogs learn to associate their behavior with certain consequences. If a behavior leads to good things? Dogs will perform it more frequently. If a behavior leads to something unpleasant or aversive? Dogs will perform it less often and perhaps develop fearful emotions - more on that in the classical conditioning section below. There are four quadrants of operant conditioning, divided up on two dimensions:

1. Whether the consequence is the addition of something - like giving a treat or toy, or the removal of something - like taking away your attention

2. Whether the behavior increases or decreases

If you add something, that is called "positive". If you remove something, that is called "negative". We know this can be confusing! Try not to think of it in terms of "positive being good" and "negative being bad". Instead think of it like math class. Positive means addition. Negative means subtraction. If the behavior increases, that is called reinforcement. If the behavior decreases, that is called punishment. Again, try not to think in terms of good and bad. Reinforcement and punishment, in an operant conditioning sense, simply describe whether the behavior has gotten more or less frequent.

Positive Reinforcement

The positive reinforcement quadrant of operant conditioning is where you add something to increase a behavior. This is where you should focus most of your training! Force free or reward-based dog training tries to use as much positive reinforcement as possible to show our dogs what we want them to do. It uses lots of food lures and favorite toys to motivate dogs.This way we can increase behavior we like without creating unpleasant emotions - it is a highly motivating, low conflict way to train.

Negative Punishment

The negative punishment quadrant of operant conditioning is where you remove something to decrease a behavior. Most good trainers try to avoid the use of punishment. After all, it is better to teach our dogs what to do instead of what not to do! That said, negative punishment can be unavoidable in our lives with dogs and it can also be an effective part of training when paired with positive reinforcement for the behavior we do like. Here is an example:

If your dog jumps on you to be pet, you might turn away to remove (negative) your attention in hopes that they jump on you less frequently (punishment). Then you might ask your dog to sit instead of jumping, at which point you give (positive) them affection in hopes that they sit more often to greet you (reinforcement).

Negative Reinforcement

The negative reinforcement quadrant of operant conditioning is where you remove something to increase a behavior. This might seem confusing, but you are probably pretty familiar with negative reinforcement in your own life, even if you have never heard the scientific terms before. If you buckle your seatbelt so that your car stops beeping at you? That is negative reinforcement. The removal negative of the annoying seatbelt alarm sound increases reinforcement the behavior of you buckling up. Generally, good dog trainers avoid negative reinforcement in their training because it requires an aversive stimulus like leash pressure to be present at the start of a behavior. We want to minimize our dogs’ unpleasant emotions as much as possible.

Positive Punishment

The positive punishment quadrant of operant conditioning is where you add something to decrease a behavior. This is punishment in the most familiar sense that we think of. Though try to remember to keep your personal associations out of it at this point - again, we are simply focusing on a decrease in behavior when we talk in an operant conditioning sense and we will talk more about emotions in classical conditioning below). In positive punishment, you add something that your dog finds aversive in that moment to decrease the behavior they performed right before the consequence.

It is important to remember that if we aren’t thoughtful, even things we want to be reinforcing can inadvertently be punishing! A great example of this is a dog who does not enjoy being patted directly on top of the head. A doting pet parent might think they are rewarding their pet for coming when called when they pet them between the ears, but the dog might actually dislike the sensation and decrease their behavior moving forward.

Generally, the use of aversives in dog training, and especially aversive-based training where punishment or corrections are used regularly, has fallout. This is because the dog often starts to associate the unpleasant consequences with their owner, trainer, or the environment itself. This process is called classical conditioning.

Classical Conditioning

Pretty much everyone has heard of Pavlov's dogs. The scientist taught his dogs to salivate at the sound of a bell that always predicted food. But technically, "taught" is not quite the right word. While operant conditioning deals with behavior (things your dog is aware of and actively chooses to do) classical conditioning deals with reflexes and emotions, things your dog can not control. Pavlov’s dogs did not drool on purpose. They had just come to associate the sound of a bell with the arrival of food. Their bodies began to treat the unrelated stimulus - the bell, as a biologically relevant one (food) and have the same response to it.

Classical conditioning happens all the time with our dogs. We can never just "turn it off!" This means it is important to be aware of what emotions we are creating in our pets as we train them. One common classical conditioning example is dogs getting excited when they hear the doorbell ring. They have come to associate the noise of the bell with the arrival of guests who give them affection, which increases their arousal in anticipation. They aren’t thinking about their behavior at this moment. They know the doorbell predicts visitors regardless of what they do.

Dogs are Social Animals

Dogs are highly social by nature. Domestic canines have a long history of living and working closely with humans! Like us, our pets have an inherent need for social interaction and companionship. They thrive when they have opportunities for socialization with other dogs and people. Lack of socialization can lead to behavioral issues and adversely affect their well-being, while positive interaction, especially from humans, can help them feel secure. In fact, research is showing that dogs care so much about engaging with us that they are able to interpret human body language from a very young age.

Scientists like Brian Hare and Clive Wynne have been on the forefront of figuring out how puppies know to follow cues from humans, like pointing or directing attention with our eyes. It is important to note that this does not mean your canine companion is a mind reader. The next section talks about some of the ways dogs experience the world differently from us and the confusion that can create on both ends of the leash!

HOW DOGS LEARN

Did you know that people have been studying dog behavior since the 1800s? There have been hundreds of studies done around the world with a variety of pooches for people to understand a dog's behavior and how their mind works. "Dog psychology" research includes learning how dogs think, social interactions between dogs, and how dogs bond with each other and humans. But even with tons of scientific research, there is still a lot of conflicting and confusing information about how dogs behave. Animal behaviorists have a lot of perspectives on how dogs think and bond with their owners.

Let's start with the big picture first. There are three main theories related to dog psychology:

1. Schenkel’s pack mentality concepts

2. Pavlov's dog psychology with classical conditioning

3. Skinner's operant conditioning & positive reinforcement

Each theory comes with its own set of pros and cons and practical applications to dog behavior and training. So, let's see what's in!



Theory 1:

Pack Mentality, Dominance, and the Alpha Dog Psychology Theory
In 1947 a researcher named Rudolph Schenkel announced the results of a long study he did observing the behavior of wolves in captivity. Schenkel noticed that groups of captive wolves established a social hierarchy. They competed constantly through aggression to determine a rank of which wolf was leader of the pack. Many other researchers, zoologists, and animal behaviorists have since observed the same social hierarchy. From there, it was only a short leap to think that our pet dogs behave the same way. So, the earliest dog psychology theories said that:

Because dogs are genetically related to wolves, their behavior patterns and how they bond with each other are the same.

Domestic dogs will bond with humans living together in a household in the same way: dogs consider the human members of a household part of their pack.

Within a human-pet household, a dog owner should establish him or herself as the "alpha" animal over the dog in order to bond well with their pets and to create harmony in the home.

Does it Work?
Many dog owners have been quite successful establishing firm boundaries with their dogs to correct problematic behavior at home. However, many modern behaviorists and trainers say that there were too many flaws in this original theory and the study from which they were derived. For example, a wolf behavior expert named David Mech showed through several series of studies that there were problems with the observations from Schenkel and others' research.

Mech said - "Attempting to apply information about the behavior of assemblages of unrelated captive wolves to the familial structure of natural packs has resulted in considerable confusion. Such an approach is analogous to trying to draw inferences about human family dynamics by studying humans in refugee camps. The concept of the alpha wolf as a "top dog" ruling a group of similar-aged compatriots is particularly misleading."




Theory 2:

Pavlov's Dog Psychology – Classical Conditioning
His work demonstrate that dogs can be conditioned to make a firm connection, even subconsciously, between two completely unrelated events together in their mind. Every day before feeding the dogs, Pavlov would ring a buzzer, or metronome, depending on your Russian translation preferences. After just a few days, the dogs would begin salivating at the sound of the buzzer, subconsciously expecting food to come next. Even when food was not present, the dogs would salivate heavily at the sound of a buzzer. Since then, there have been endless repetitions and variations that support this psychological phenomenon happening with many animals and humans in many different types of situations.

The style of learning is now called "classical conditioning" or “Pavlovian conditioning.” It is the basis for training dogs and other animals with "clicker training." In zoos and even for the military, animals are trained using whistles in the same way! Classical conditioning is also the reason dog trainers know that dogs can be conditioned or "trained" to relax comfortably in their bed or crate by using yummy treats and fun toys anytime the dog is in his or her crate. The technique is even able to be used to "unlearn" something. For example, dogs that have traumatic fear or aggression can be somewhat "retrained" using “counter-conditioning” to re-associate negative triggers with positive experiences or rewards. Seems easy enough, right? Use treats to train a dog to do whatever you want using reflexive associations? Almost! But of course, there’s a lot more to dog psychology that we know now.




Theory 3:

B.F. Skinner's Operant Conditioning & Positive Reinforcement
In the 1900s, a scientist named B.F. Skinner decided to study dog behavior in a more complex way than had been done previously. His research led to our understanding of something called "operant conditioning." Operant conditioning is the idea that an animal or human can be 'trained" by applying positive or negative stimuli after specific behaviors. The idea is that if there’s always a wonderful reward directly after an animal does something, he is going to want to do that thing again and again to get more rewards.

And in the opposite contest, if an animal experiences a punishment after doing something, he or she won’t want to do that behavior again! This is the reason so many venomous and poisonous animals and plants have bright coloration - an animal learns that after eating something brightly colored, they get very, very sick! They learn to avoid bright colored prey. Operant conditioning is applied to dog psychology by understanding that in addition to certain behaviors that are instinctive and subconscious, dogs also have behaviors that they choose to do in order to earn/avoid reward or punishment. Some of the applications of operant conditioning in how we bond with our pets include:

If we want our dog to act in a certain way, we can reward those behaviors with treats, toys, or affection. For example, let's say we want our dog to sit for us to put his leash on him. We can train him to do so by giving him a treat every time he sits and repeating the behavior/reward system every time we get the leash out.
(Positive reinforcement)

If we want to discourage our dog from doing certain things, we can remove any reward from the situation. For example, if we do not want our dog to jump up on us when we’re trying to feed her a meal, we can withhold the food bowl until the dog stops jumping.
(Negative punishment)

If a dog experiences something negative after doing something, he will try to avoid that situation again. Such as if his owner purposefully hits him on the nose with a newspaper when she catches eating out of the garbage can.
(Positive punishment)

If a dog is experiencing something negative that suddenly goes away after doing a particular behavior, the dog learns to continue to do that behavior in order to prevent the negative stimulus from returning. A traditional way of teaching hunting dogs to retrieve and carry game utilized this concept. A trainer would apply painful pressure to a dog’s ear, then physically insert a dummy game item into the dog's mouth, then immediately remove the pressure from its ear. The dog would learn that it was best for him to pick up and hold any dummies or game he saw.
(Negative reinforcement)



Behavioral Science

is not Perfect!

Dog trainers do not agree on everything yet. And not all psychology theories work perfectly for all dogs. There are some flaws with each of these theories, such as:

Captive animals and wild animals do not always act the same.

Wolves and dogs are not the same animal – we cannot assume that the behavior patterns of dogs mimic those of wolves.

Domestic dogs and wild dogs have different behavior patterns as well.

Humans are not dogs, so we cannot assume that dogs view us as members of their "pack."

We cannot assume that pet dogs act the same as dogs or other animals in laboratory settings.

Even within the domestic dog species, there is a wide range of personality traits and instincts from breed to breed and individual to individual.

It is not scientifically reasonable to attribute human behavior traits to any animal, including dogs. It is called anthropomorphism, and it is one reason why dog psychology discussions can get so controversial.




Some Things We CAN Agree On:

1. Dogs have adapted many behaviors unlike other wild animals as a result of living so closely with humans for so long.

2. Dogs have adapted an extremely strong ability to observe and learn from gestures and verbal cues from humans – even more so than primates!

3. Dogs are remarkable (relative to other animals) at copying behaviors from each other to learn new tasks.

DOG TRAINING PSYCHOLOGY:
WHAT MY DOG IS THINKING?
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One of the most common dog training and dog care mistakes is that we communicate and relate to our dogs using human psychology. Typically, we view them as young children. This is where everything goes wrong because using human psychology on our dogs can only lead to misunderstandings. By understanding dog psychology, you can help identify the reasons for certain dog behaviors such as non-stop barking, running away episodes, and unexplained aggression. With dog psychology, you will find faster solutions to their behavioral issues because you finally "get" your dog.

1.The central theme is that owners need to shift from human interpretations and understand how dogs perceive the world based on their instincts and pack mentality. Correctly interpreting behavior requires understanding the dog's psychological motivations, not just reacting to the action itself.

2. Many common dog behaviors (digging, barking, protectiveness, burying items) are not random or malicious but stem from deep-seated natural instincts related to survival, communication, pack dynamics, and breed-specific predispositions (e.g., hunting or herding traits). Recognizing this helps owners address behaviors more effectively.

3. By understanding a dog's mindset, instincts, and communication (like body language), owners can use more effective, tailored training methods - like establishing clear leadership, using positive reinforcement, providing appropriate stimulation, which leads to better results, less frustration, and a stronger bond built on trust and mutual understanding.



Dog owner, it is important to understand the what is going on in your dog's mind before you start training them. This effort includes knowing the psychology of dogs, honoring their natural state, and respecting how THEY see the world.

You should acknowledge how your dog sees the world BEFORE you impose your human interpretation. Only by doing so can you make a real relationship with your dog built on trust and understanding. Relying on dog psychology over our human emotions and interpretations can help improve dog behaviour fast. Here are some basic information to remember when it comes to learning how dogs think:

1. Dogs Act on Instinct and What's Natural to Them
Dog behavior such as barking, or aggression, or even restlessness can be attributed to a dog's instinctual reactions, NOT just because they're acting up. Same with other animal behavior, dogs act on natural instincts that are there to help them survive. A dog's instinctive animal behaviour is passed down through genetics and is usually a result of what their breed is genetically-engineered to do. Even as domesticated breeds, dogs will naturally engage in various activities such as hunting, digging holes, shepherding, and barking, all of which serve a purpose and remain part of their inherent behavior. Dogs pee everywhere because that's what they feel is natural; when they feel the need to pee, they will pee. Can you imagine how frustrating it would be for you and your dog if you interpreted everything through the lens of human psychology?

2. Some Dog Breeds Are Predisposed To Do Things Differently Than Others
Dog instinct is part of a dog's innate behavior, it is built into them. Some breeds, despite being domesticated, have it in them to exhibit unique behavior. For example, beagles tend to run around a lot because they were previously used for hunting rabbits. Greyhounds are hunters, so they can still show signs of this through their high-speed running. Border Collies love shepherding because that is what they are predisposed to do.

3. Dogs Do not Speak Our Language But There Are Ways That Can Help Them Understand Us
Here is an important fact: dogs don't speak English. They do not speak the language of humans. HOWEVER, dogs can interpret what you are trying to say through assessing your body language, the tone in your voice, and association with rewards and punishments.


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DOG PSYCHOLOGY = TRAINING SUCCESS

DOG TRAINING PSYCHOLOGY:
6 DOG BEHAVIORS EXPLAINED
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Through learning dog psychology, dog owners can feel less frustrated, and smarter in addressing dog behavior issues. To our human eyes, some of these behaviors can appear as odd, weird, or not making sense. However, the natural instincts that cause odd dog behavior serve a purpose: to protect, feed, and keep them alive. Dogs act on what's natural and instinctual to them. As you observe these behaviors, remember that they are rooted in evolutionary history. While dogs have become beloved companions in your homes, the instincts of their wild ancestors still run through their veins. Embracing these unique behaviors with understanding and patience will make their bond with you even stronger.

Factors Influencing Dog Behavior

Genetics - Breed-specific traits and individual variations influence a dog's behavior.

Health - Physical conditions, pain, or illness can significantly alter a dog's behavior.

Environment - Stressful environments, toxins, and even everyday household items can impact a dog's behavior and health.

Human Interaction - Early socialization, education, and consistent training, as well as how owners respond to behavior, all play a role in shaping a dog's behavior.

Nutrition - A dog's diet, from puppyhood to adulthood, is crucial for their overall behavior and health.



Let's take a look at six unique dog behaviors through the eyes of our dogs.

1. Why Do Dogs Dig Holes?

It's an age-old habit that's deeply ingrained in dogs. In the wild, dogs used to dig to create safe and comfortable dens for themselves or to hide food from potential scavengers. Even though they might have cushy beds now, the urge to dig is just too hard to resist sometimes.

2. Why Do Dogs Bark?

Barking is their way of communicating with the world. Dogs may bark to alert humans of potential threats, to express excitement or anxiety, or simply because they heard something intriguing. Sometimes, your dog just wants to get your attention and make sure you know they're there and ready for some fun!

3. Why Are Dogs So

Protective of Food?

Dogs might be social animals, but they're not always about sharing. In fact, some dogs can be aggressive in protecting their food. Food is precious to dogs, just like it is to most living beings. Dogs need food to survive, so food is like GOLD to them! All a dog needs to feel rich is to have a full tummy. It is EVERYTHING to most of them. In the wild, resources can be scarce, so dogs learned to guard their food to ensure their survival. Even though their bowls are filled regularly now, that instinct to protect what's theirs still remains.

4. Why Do Dogs Bury

Toys and Food?

It might seem odd to you, but it stems from a dog's ancestry. In the wild, dogs used to bury excess food to keep it safe for later. It's like a built-in pantry for the future. Even though they no longer need to store food this way, old habits die hard! They will bury their bones, rawhide and pigs ears, then dig it up whenever they want - often to express their leadership in front of others in the family. Similar to hiding food, dogs who control the toys are also displaying their household leadership. By displaying YOUR slipper or the dog's favorite toy in front of you, in THEIR possession, it shows you they have a firm grasp of who's in charge and it's NOT you!

5. Carrying Things

You might have noticed how dogs love carrying random objects around, like your shoes, socks, or toys. It's a throwback to their ancestors, who would carry prey or other items in their mouths. To dogs, it's like a game and a way to bond with you, after all, sharing experiences is what companionship is all about.

6. Licking

Licking is one of the versatile behaviors in dogs. It's how they groom themselves and show affection to both humans and other dogs. In the wild, licking also played a role in social bonding among pack members. So, next time your dog gives you a good lick, know that it's their way of saying "you are part of our pack !"

HOW TO IMPROVE DOG TRAINING
WITH USING DOG PSYCHOLOGY
AND NATURAL BEHAVIORS
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One of the biggest frustrations in dog training comes from wanting to change our dog completely. But here is a beautiful fact: you can actually use your dog's natural behaviors to your training advantage. In dog training, tapping into dog psychology, embracing their innate behaviors, and getting in tuned with how dogs think can unlock the key to effective and harmonious training methods. Instead of attempting to reshape a dog entirely, aligning training techniques with their natural instincts proves immensely beneficial. Here are some ways how understanding dog psychology and their natural instincts can help in dog training:

1. Through Dog Psychology, You Build Understanding and Trust Which Are Important to Dog Training
By understanding and respecting their unique behaviors, we create a bridge of communication that fosters a deeper connection. This approach empowers both the dog and the owner, paving the way for successful training experiences based on trust and mutual understanding.

2. With the Help of Dog Psychology, You Will Know How to Teach Your Dog Best
With dog psychology, you'll learn how to teach your dog in a fascinating way. By understanding their instincts and behavior, you will tailor your training methods effectively. This helps you communicate with them better, creating a strong bond based on trust. Armed with this knowledge, you will find the best approaches to guide your furry companion's learning and growth, forming a lifelong connection.

3. You will Find the Best Ways For Mental and Physical Stimulation
If your dog is not that enthusiastic with the games and exercises you have prepared for, do not fret. Your dog might not be a runner or a walker, and they might prefer another activity for physical and mental stimulation. By knowing dog psychology and how dog's instinct works, you can come up with better activities that both you and your dog can enjoy.

4. You will Train With Love and Understanding
By comprehending their emotions and innate communication signals, you can adapt your training methods to resonate with their unique perspective. Replacing harsh discipline with positive reinforcement and patience fosters a bond built on love and trust. This mutual understanding creates a safe environment where your dog feels secure, motivated, and eager to learn. With each training session, your connection deepens, resulting in a well-behaved and emotionally fulfilled companion that brings immeasurable joy to your life.

5. Provide Mental Stimulation
Just like humans, dogs benefit from mental challenges. Training sessions, puzzle toys, and interactive play can help keep your dog mentally sharp and engaged.

6. Socialization
Exposing your dog to a variety of people, animals, and environments at a young age can help them develop better coping mechanisms for new or stressful situations.

7. Learn from Professionals
Sometimes, understanding the deeper aspects of dog psychology requires professional help. Don’t hesitate to consult a dog behaviorist if you notice any sudden changes in your dog's behavior.

Dog Psychology is One

of Your Biggest Tools

in Dog Training!


DOG PSYCHOLOGY

FUNDAMENTALS


UNDERSTAND YOUR DOG

BETTER

DOG PSYCHOLOGY:
DOGS ARE NOT FURRY HUMANS
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Dog psychology is a popular field. For good reason: Almost half of all households in the United States share life with a four-legged companion! It's no wonder we want to know what's going on in that canine mind. "Dog Psychology" is often used synonymously with behavior or behavior modification or behavior rehabilitation in the sense that it involves more than just standard obedience or trick training protocols.

Clearly psychology (thought) is involved in those protocols as well but, typically, if the term Dog Psychology is being used there are complex or problematic behaviors such as fear, aggression, anxiety, etc. being dealt with. Dog Psychology also goes beyond the scientific principles of behaviorism or learning theory (aka classical and operant conditioning) which can be applied to any animal, regardless of species, and which are not concerned with what the animal is thinking.



For example: In Dog Psychology one might say, "The dog growls when you approach his food because he is dominant, shy, afraid, etc." This suggests an understanding of what the dog is thinking which is hard to prove. Scientists absolutely hate that! A behavioral scientist would prefer something quantifiable like, "The dog growls if you get within 62 inches of him while he is eating." Clearly one is a measurable fact and the other is not. However, from a Dog Psychology perspective, it might be helpful to understand WHY the dog growls in that situation. A balanced perspective would be to realize you are making "educated guesses" about what the dog may be thinking or feeling, find various ways of testing your theory and be open to changing your mind or admitting you were wrong. Hmmm, maybe it is not fear or dominance, maybe it is just a conditioned response?



Dogs are a unique and amazing species with their own particular psychology, language and instincts. Because we invite dogs into our families and societies, much of what we want from them runs counter to their instincts and must therefore be taught, trained or conditioned. In order to do that in the best way possible, we need to understand how dogs take in and process information. In other words, dogs can not learn from us if they can not understand us. So let's see if we can clarify the conversation by taking a look at what a dog really is and, perhaps more importantly, what a dog is NOT.

Dogs Are Not Humans!

Because we adore them so much, we tend to humanize dogs. They feel so much like family it is easy to assume that dogs can, or should, understand things the same way humans do. This is so common that psychologists have a fancy word for it, they call it anthropomorphism. Fancy words aside, this inaccurate way of thinking is more than just a cute mistake, it causes a lot of stress, miscommunication and, in some cases, abusive treatment of dogs.

There are many ways but here are eight important things to realize about dogs that make their psychology different from that of humans.

1. Their Brains

Are Different

Dogs do not have the rational, intellectual or problem solving capacity of a human. A leash getting wrapped around a tree is as perplexing to a dog as a rubix cube is to the average human. Dog's also do not generalize very well. For example: they might not understand a command you taught in the house when you give the same command at the park. This is where people get angry and say the dog is stubborn or stupid when it is actually the human who is unaware of the psychology of the animal they are attempting to train.

2. All 5 Senses

Are Different

Most notable is dogs' amazing sense of smell which is a million times stronger than ours - ok, not a million but enough to basically say we are "scent-blind" in comparison. Dogs also hear frequencies we can not hear, have better night vision, are somewhat color blind, have wider peripheral vision and clearly find things delicious that we find disgusting such as cat poop. Yummy! They also do not seem to feel temperature or certain types of pain the same as humans. For example: Some dogs run around in the snow without boots or jackets and do not appear to be cold at all. On the other hand, dogs do not sweat, so they can overheat more easily than humans in the summertime. Dogs also do not seem to mind cuts and punctures very much and are often up and running the next day after being castrated. Obviously, these things can vary greatly from breed to breed and individual to individual.

3. Dogs Do not Have

Verbal Language

Dogs bark, whine, yelp, growl, howl, etc. but they do not use words. Dogs vocalize but do not verbalize. What would your thoughts be like if you did not have verbal language? It is hard to imagine, right? Keep that in mind as you "talk" to your dog.

4. Dogs Communicate

Primarily

Through Body Language,

Scent and Energy

You can learn a lot by watching dogs interact. You will see a wide range of postures and movements and a fair amount of sniffing each other and each other's urine and feces. They may vocalize but, relative to humans, there is very little sound in dog-dog communication. This is why dogs tend to respond better to body language and hand signals than to words. Tone of voice is also generally more important than the words themselves. Dogs also seem to somehow communicate through and pick up on mysterious forces, which Cesar Millan has popularly called "energy."

Ethologists and biologists don’t like to speak in vague or mystical terms like energy but they do find themselves baffled at times by the way animals seem to communicate and maintain hierarchies in unobservable ways. I personally have no problem embracing the mystical, I do not need a scientific label for everything, I just need to communicate well with the dogs I work with. From personal observations, I have no doubt in my mind that dogs can pick up on how people feel inside, so I definitely believe it is important to be aware of the energy we bring to the conversation. If you prefer scientific language, be aware of your emotions, which affect your physiology, which can be detected by dogs on ultra-subtle levels. So, do dogs have a sixth sense or are they simply keen observers with amazing sniffers? I do not know... does it matter? Try this - speak less, feel more and see what happens.

5. Dogs Do Not

Have Hands

Because they do not have hands, dogs tend to use their mouths a lot. They may paw or scratch at things but, mostly, they use their mouths for things a human would use their hands for. Even when just being friendly, licking and mouthing can be interpreted by humans as “bad behavior” because it can be painful or annoying.

6. Dogs Have Fangs

You will be reminded whenever dogs snarl or bite that they are not human and that they come equipped with weapons in their mouths. Sure, humans can bite too but it is not quite the same. Our jaws are small, less powerful and we do not have fangs. Our go-to fight instinct is to grab, hit or kick, a dog’s is to bite.

7. Dogs Are

Carnivorous Predators

Because of this they have what is called "Prey Drive" which is a strong desire to chase and kill things. Sometimes the "kill" is only a squeaky toy but the shaking and disembowelment of the stuffing are predatory instincts. Domestication has reduced some of the killer instincts but the chasing is still very strong in most dogs. This is often a problem when dogs take to chasing cars, bikes, children, etc. Even though they usually do not go for the kill, they often still bite. Nothing personal, it is just primal instinct getting the better of them, but it does need to be corrected. Also, dogs can handle much higher doses of bacteria and eat things that would make a human very ill, such as raw meat, bones and feces. Can a dog be a vegetarian? Yes, they can because they are very adaptive. Dogs are also great scavengers but their digestive tract, teeth and behavior are all designed for predation.

8. Dogs Walk

On All Fours

Being lower to the ground gives dogs a much different perspective than that of an upright human. Combined with their prey drive, scavenging instincts, incredible sense of smell, etc. you may find that you and your dog are not always on the same page. For example: You may not notice food crumbs on the ground or a cat hiding under a car but your dog almost certainly will.

Am I saying dogs are less than human or that humans are better than dogs? No way! I love my dogs, they are my family and I’m sure that you feel the same about your dogs. I am merely pointing out the fact that it is actually kinder and more respectful to understand that your dog is indeed a dog and communicate accordingly.




Dogs Are Not Babies

We not only humanize dogs, we tend to infantize them as well. We love to call them fur babies. This is a cute thing to say and it's loving in the sense that we think of our dog as a member of the family. I’m not saying I do not get it, I do, I totally understand why this happens. Dogs can fill any voids we may have in our lives - children that have grown up, loneliness, depression or whatever else might be going on, plus they are just so stinkin' cute and cuddly. This is a fantastic gift that dogs bring us but what about the dog? Are we returning the favor or are we lovingly and unintentionally harming the dog?

When people take it too literally, fur baby cuteness becomes fur baby syndrome. This is actually a very serious and common problem. First of all, because it implies human. Secondly, it implies a certain sense of helplessness and innocence that leads to a lack of expectations, accountability or consequences. This leads to a confused, spoiled dog which leads to innumerable behavior problems including fear, anxiety and aggression.

A very young dog is called a puppy but, unless you are a breeder, you will probably never raise a "baby" dog. Even if you did, the process would not last long. By the time they are adoptable (7-8 weeks old) they are already quite mobile and able to eat solid food, including raw meat and bones. Puppies are very agile in a matter of months, are sexually mature at 6-9 months old and most breeds are full grown by one year old.

Dogs Are Not Dolphins


Dogs Related to Wolves

IN THE MINDS OF DOGS
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They were the first domesticated animals and, bred for their ability to serve human needs, have co-evolved with us. Eons of association have turned once-wolves into remarkably social creatures. Just how much do they know about us, the world around them, and themselves?

Conversing with Canines

If you want to start an argument among psychologists, behavioral biologists, and next-door-neighbor dog owners, just ask the question: Do dogs understand and use language? The argument tends to focus on whether dogs understand the words and expressions that humans use. A related concern is whether dogs use their various barks, growls, whines, and whimpers, combined with tail wags, body postures, and ear positions, to communicate with people as well as with one another.

Some scientists argue that dogs are more attuned to the emotional aspects of our word sounds than their actual meaning, and that their own signals are just visible expressions of their emotional state. Accordingly, any information such signals communicate about a dog and its intentions is just a byproduct, and those signals provide no more evidence of language ability than does our capacity to understand that other humans are happy because they're smiling or are angry because they're scowling.



With the right tools, it's possible to explore what dogs are capable of cognitively. The study of animal cognition in general, and dog cognition in particular, is now a growth industry. In the early 1990s, it dawned on me that one of the ways to learn whether dogs actually have language was to deploy tests already developed for assessing human children and simply modify them for use with dogs. I borrowed the MacArthur Communicative Development Inventory, which assesses language ability in very young children in terms not only of words but also gestures. When someone points a finger and we know that they are trying to communicate the location of something of interest, that's a linguistic gesture. An individual demonstrates an understanding of such an elementary message by looking or moving in that direction.

My data led to the conclusion that the average dog can learn to recognize about 165 words and gestures. "Super dogs" - those in the top 20% of canine intelligence can learn 250 or more. Other scientists soon tested my predictions. One study showed that a border collie named Rico is able to recognize more than 200 words. Perhaps the most linguistically advanced dog so far is another border collie, named Chaser. She is owned by a retired psychologist, John Pilley, and her vocabulary is around 1,000 words. What's more, Chaser understands some of the basics of grammar involved in simple sentence construction and seems to infer intention.



Evidence from testing dogs suggests that language is not an ability possessed only by humans. The knowledge that dogs have basic language skills offers further insight into the canine mind. The test scores I recorded allowed me to assign each dog a mental age representing the animal's cognitive ability. Dogs have a mental ability roughly equivalent to a human toddler age 2 to 2.5. Super dogs like Chaser have minds that might be similar to that of a 3-year-old child. Tests of canine language ability offer a new way of looking at dogs' mental skills. If a problem can not be solved by a 2- to 3-year-old child, then it is not likely that a dog can solve it either. And if a training technique won't work for a toddler, then it likely won't work for a dog.


Taking the IQ Test

One of the hardest tricks is coming up with a way to measure dog intelligence. Humans have language and are mostly willing to follow the sonorous imperative. Last year, Mark J. Adams and I published a study of 68 border collies to whom a set of six tests had been administered. We wanted to know whether dogs' cognitive abilities "hang together" the way they do in people. Four of the tests were related from a human perspective. They comprised various barriers around which each dog had to navigate to find food. A fifth test ascertained the dogs' capacity to discriminate between quantities - to choose the bigger or smaller snack. A final test assessed their ability to understand and respond to a human gesture, specifically, a pointing arm directed at one of two inverted beakers, each covering a food reward.

We found a tendency for dogs who were better at one task to be better at others, and dogs who were faster were also more accurate. Three correlated elements - detour time, choice time, and choice accuracy, provided evidence that in dogs, as with people, cognitive abilities are associated with each other at the trait level. And as with humans, there appears to be an underlying factor exerting general influence on cognitive processes - a canine general IQ, or g-factor. The bottom line: Some dogs are smarter than others. This may sound obvious, but it has to be established empirically.



As with humans, brighter dogs learn new tricks faster. Famous dogs like Betsy, who could pick up a new word after two exposures, have had countless hours of training lavished on them, but it seems likely they were all smart dogs to begin with. As well as being smart, a highly trainable dog must be biddable. Personality and test performance are not easy to decouple with dogs because, like Bartleby the Scrivener, a dog who would prefer not to simply does not. Such recalcitrance is somewhat awkward for psychometricians working with dogs and with nonhuman animals more generally. It would be nice to be able to cleave cleanly between intelligence and other aspects of canine behavior, such as motivation and obedience.


Mutt Morality

Dogs know how to have fun, and encoded in their antics is a deep understanding of fair play. We have all seen it. When dogs play, they look as if they're going crazy, frenetically wrestling, mouthing, biting, chasing, and rolling over, and doing it again and again until they can hardly stand. They use actions like those seen during fighting or mating in random and unpredictable ways. But play sequences do not reflect the more predictable patterns of behavior seen in real fighting and mating. The random nature of play is one marker that dogs are indeed playing with one another. They know it and so do we.

Despite vastly different shapes, sizes, speeds, and strengths, dogs play together with such reckless abandon - flying around, tumbling, tackling, biting, and running, often with unbelievable rapidity that it is remarkable there is little conflict or injury. By studying dog play we learn a lot about fairness, empathy, and trust. Based on extensive research, we've discovered that dogs exhibit four basic aspects of fair play: Ask first, be honest, follow the rules, and admit when you are wrong. Dogs keep track of what is happening when they play. They can read what other dogs are doing, and they trust that others want to play rather than fight.



Dogs and other animals know they must play fair for play to work at all. Bigger, stronger, and more dominant dogs hold back through role-reversing and self-handicapping. Role-reversing occurs when a dominant animal performs an action during play that would not normally occur during real aggression. A dominant or higher-ranking dog would not roll over on its back during fighting but will when playing. A hot topic in ethology and animal research today is whether nonhuman animals have a theory of mind, that is, do animals know that other individuals have their own thoughts and feelings, ones that may be the same as or different from their own and that they can anticipate and account for?

For dogs to know that another dog wants to play rather than fight or mate, they need to know what the other is thinking and what its intentions are. Each needs to pay close attention to what the other dog is doing, and each uses this information to predict what the other is likely to do next. Evidence is mounting that dogs likely have a theory of mind, and confirmation is coming from research on play. There is a good deal of mind reading going on during play, and without empathy and trust, play would not happen. Most dogs are moral mutts: When fairness breaks down, so too does play.

How Dog Brains Work

Dogs use the same neural pathways we do to get where they can not go. At play as at other activities, dogs exert some degree of self-control to inhibit impulses that would take them out of the game or otherwise spoil their social relationships. In this they are much like humans; in fact, social play is a major way young children learn self-regulation. And while the canine brain is a tenth the size of ours, the effortful control of behavior is accomplished much the same way, in the same part of the brain and through a similar biological mechanism. We know this because psychologists Gregory Berns and Peter Cook, of Emory University's Canine Cognitive Neuroscience Lab, went where no one had gone before. They painstakingly trained a number of dogs to enter an fMRI scanner of their own accord, tolerate earplugs to block out the unsettling noise, sit absolutely still when necessary, and respond to assorted commands in a fully awake state.



Their studies to understand canine brain function pinpoint the neural pathways activated in a variety of behavioral states. The goal, Berns and Cook report in a recent issue of Current Directions in Psychological Science devoted to dog cognition, is, yes, to learn about the dog brain, but it is also to gain comparative insight into human brain function. Trained on go / no-go hand signals, dogs were scanned to see what happens in their brain when they have to suppress a predominating response to nose-poke a target in front of them. Inhibiting responses is an executive function carried out by the frontal lobes of the cortex in humans.

The dog brain is about the size of a lemon, and the frontal lobes are very small. In humans, the frontal lobes - seat of abstract thought, planning, decision making, and more, take up the front one-third of our much larger brain. In dogs, they take up only about a tenth of the organ. The bigger the brain of a species, the more modular it gets. Nevertheless, the researchers found, an analogous part of the brain -a small area of the frontal lobe,comes online during active inhibition. What's more, the level of brain activation correlated with the dogs' behavioral performance on the inhibition task and on other tests of self-control, including a canine version of the famed marshmallow test. The researchers were sure they were picking up a generalized behavioral trait of self-control, a facet of dog temperament.



Much as with people, there are individual differences in canine neural response, and they correlate with dog behavior and temperament. Self-control is often hard. One dog barked all the way through the task of actively inhibiting the nose-poke in the scanner - sound like anyone you know? But still managed to restrain himself until given the release signal. At a dizzying pace, neuroscience is providing unprecedented information about mental states. One thing studies show is that dog brains are organized similarly to ours in many ways. According to Berns, similarities in physiological processes suggest similarities in internal subjective experiences. At the very least, they imply that dog experience is richer than many people believe. For Berns, the research also shows more. The knowledge of brain structure and cognitive function holds the key to understanding what it's like to be a dog.


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DOG PSYCHOLOGY MYTHS
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Domestic dog psychology discussions can be as messy as it is exciting, though. The internet is full of conflicting statements. Professional dog trainers often disagree. And lot of canine cognition research is still in the early stages, not to mention still riddled with old-school myths about pack mentality that can confuse even the most dedicated pet owner.

MYTH 1:

Do leads

make dogs more tense?

A lead constrains your dog’s movement and that can make them more tense, especially if an off-lead dog runs up to them – they do not have freedom to move away. The lead can also interfere with their body language and their ability to read other dogs’ body language (they can’t move to get a better view). Dogs on leads are less likely to interact with other dogs and sniff less than dogs off lead. What you do with the lead matters too: do not jerk the lead or attach it to a shock, prong or choke collar as this can cause stress and is bad for their welfare.

MYTH 2:

Do dogs

have to have

the last word?

It is not so much that dogs like to have the last word, more that barking can be a group activity that they all want to join in on. Dogs use barks in several different ways: they can be a greeting to say hello, a warning - for example, that a stranger is approaching, a request for attention when left alone or wanting something, and part of play. Barking is what’s known as an "allelomimetic" behaviour. In other words, a behaviour that other dogs are likely to copy. So when one dog barks, other dogs are likely to start barking too.

MYTH 3:

Crates for dogs: good or bad?
Crates generally aren’t needed. There may be times in your dog’s life when they need to be confined - at the vet’s after surgery, for example, and then it can help if they’re already crate-trained. Crates can be used to transport your dog and can help with house training. But you can not shove a dog in a crate and expect them to like it - it takes training. A crate with the door always open can become a safe space for your dog to relax. But do not leave your dog in a crate all day while you are at work – they need space to move around.

MYTH 4:

Are we dumbing

dogs down?

In a way, we have been dumbing dogs down since domestication began. We have changed them to make them cute and/or useful, so they are no longer the same as their wild ancestors. One of the key differences is that the sensitive period – when young pups are learning about the world – starts later in dog puppies, once all their senses are working; but in wolves it begins at two weeks, when they are still deaf and blind, and can only smell the world. So dog puppies learn to be sociable, less fearful and to ask us for help, and, in turn, may need us to care for them.

MYTH 5:

Dogs do not

automatically know how

to handle our

modern world

As important as it is to recognize the differences between dogs and wolves, it's also valuable to realize that domestic dogs do share traits with their canine ancestors! Your puppy is not a wild animal. But they also aren't a stuffed teddy bear. While a domestic dog's natural habitat is living around people, we have come a long way from the early days of the canine-human partnership. Our companions used to be able to move more freely in their environments. This is why canine enrichment has become more important than ever. Common enrichment activities usually give our dogs the chance to safely dig, sniff, and emulate their predatory sequence (searching, stalking, chasing, fighting, celebrating, and consuming) without causing harm to or disrupting the communities we live in!

MYTH 6:

Alpha dog

training techniques

are outdated

Dog training techniques that stress pack mentality and asserting dominance over our pets through harsh firm boundaries or physical force, like those popularized by TV-famous trainer Cesar Millan are not recommended by modern professional dog trainers. These outdated methods hurt your relationship with your dog rather than help it. Punitive training can even result in more aggressive behavior. We'll talk further about dog training concepts like operant conditioning learning theory and the application of punishment in the next section.

MYTH 7: The claim that dog obedience training, and dog tricks are somehow not based on dog psychology is false.

MYTH 8: The claim that food only works for obedience training and dog tricks is false.

MYTH 9: The claim that using food in dog training is bribery, and somehow ineffective is false.

MYTH 10: The claim that using food is humanizing the dog and therefore inappropriate is false.

MYTH 11: The claim that reward dog training is only based on food is false.

MYTH 12: The claim that aversive dog training, particularly physical force training is more effective at behavior modification than reward training is false.

MYTH 13: The claim that physical force is required to modify dog behavior is false.

MYTH 14: The claim that physical force is an integral part of dog psychology is false.

MYTH 15: Dogs are miniature wolves
While dogs share a common ancestry with today's wolves and belong to the same biological family (Canidae), they have undergone significant changes through domestication. Our pets are technically considered pack animals only in the sense that they live in social groups, and the official term for a family of canines is "pack." Beyond that, misconceptions about wild wolf packs and their relevance to our domestic dogs abound. Our ancestors selectively bred domestic dogs for tameness. Dogs have been selectively bred over thousands of years. Through a domestication process involving both natural and artificial selection, humans honed specific traits from temperament to appearance and working abilities in our four-legged companions. Wolves, on the other hand, have remained primarily wild animals without significant human influence. What does this mean for pet parents? Modern wolves and modern dogs are more different from each other than they were when the species first branched off from their shared ancestor thousands of years ago!



Pack structure is not straightforward! Wolf behavior experts believe wolves are highly social animals with a complex social hierarchy. While domestic dogs retain strong social instincts, which gives them the strong ability to form close bonds with both humans and other animals more on that later,they do not naturally exhibit the same pack structure as wolves. Not to mention that wolf pack structure has turned out to be far more flexible than researchers initially thought. One reason for this is that initial studies were conducted on captive wolves. Captive animals often do not accurately represent their wild counterparts wide range of behaviors. In short: Your dog is not a wolf. And even wolves are not as simple as scientists once thought!

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