A science or an art? The dog training industry in the UK is unregulated – though most would agree it is actually ‘self-regulated’. There are many successful dog trainers who, through their own dedication and experience, have achieved success and high regard without necessarily understanding the ‘science’ behind it all.... read more →
Dec
02
Nov
24
What dogs' noses know and how they work. This essay was originally posted on Psychology Today How dogs sense their world with their fascinating noses: Sniff first, ask questions later. With 300 million receptors to our mere 5 million, a dog’s nose is estimated to be between 100,000 and 100 million times... read more →
Nov
19
This essay was originally posted on Psychology Today. Dogs recognize human facial expressions, and now we know how they do it. Research has clearly shown that dogs have rich and deep cognitive and emotional lives. And now a new study using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) shows us what a dog... read more →
Nov
18
Is the dog fearful, or crouching? Does it matter, when you’re training? The world of animal trainers is divided, and I find that some trainers avoid the subject of animal emotions altogether. “There’s no need to factor in and understand emotions, just deal with the observable behavior”, is the gist of... read more →
Nov
18
This essay was originally posted on Psychology Today. Citizen science can help us understand how dogs react to "faceless" humans. There aren't any sweeping one-size-fits-all explanations even for a single dog. It's well known that many dogs watch us carefully and read our faces very well using specific parts of their brains. Given the prevalence of masked... read more →
Nov
17
Destructive behaviour can be extremely frustrating. Image: concept by ILLIS ABC, drawing by Pyrrth Destructive behaviour from your beloved pet can be a nuisance. Assuming there’s not an underlying medical condition or the behaviour isn’t anxiety-related, let’s look at some ways of addressing these types of behavior, regardless of whether... read more →
Nov
16
Our dogs, particularly in the West are considered pets at the moment – hopefully not for much longer as we learn more about them. At the moment though, when we decide to have a dog, we take responsibility for their place in the world. We tell society that we will... read more →
Nov
16
Doghouse founders Alex and Harrison met in 2018 when Alex was looking for help with his two dogs Bacci and Nero. Their shared experience provided them with a desire to improve the quality of life for dogs and dog companions around the world. Bacci was a puppy when Alex acquired... read more →