The icy-blue or sky-colored eyes that captivate so many dog lovers are often accompanied by a higher incidence of anxiety, reactivity, and behavioral concerns compared to their brown-eyed counterparts. This observation isn't just anecdotal; it's supported by a growing body of scientific research and my own hands-on work with these breeds.
Currently, I'm working with two dogs in my board and train program that exemplify these challenges: Tater Tot, a mini Australian Shepherd, and Finnley, a Catahoula Leopard Dog. Both of these blue-eyed beauties are here to address severe anxiety, reactivity, and aggression issues. The striking similarity of their problems, despite their different breeds, has led me to delve deeper into the genetic underpinnings of these behavioral issues.
In this article, I aim to shed light on the genetic basis of blue eye color in these breeds, explore the link between sensory perception and behavior, and examine how these factors may contribute to heightened anxiety, reactivity to novel stimuli, and aggression towards people. It's crucial to understand that these dogs are not at fault for their challenging behaviors. Instead, their struggles often stem from genetic factors related to their distinctive eye color.
Many dog owners believe socialization is about exposing their dog to as many people, dogs, and environments as possible to create a friendly, outgoing pet. However, in **Part 4 of the "Choose Your Difficult"** series, I challenge this notion. While exposure is important, too much engagement often leads to overstimulation, reactivity, and anxiety. My philosophy focuses on raising a **neutral dog**—one that can observe the world around them without feeling compelled to react. A dog that remains calm, balanced, and focused on their handler is not only easier to manage but more emotionally secure.
In this article, I dive into the challenges and science behind socializing for neutrality rather than excitement. Overstimulation triggers stress, and many behavioral issues stem from a lack of emotional control. The difficult path is teaching your dog to be calm and neutral in the face of distractions, rather than chasing engagement or excitement. Though it takes effort, patience, and consistency, raising a neutral dog leads to a well-balanced companion who thrives in any situation, strengthening your bond in the process.
In my ongoing series, "Choose Your Difficult: Navigating the Complex Choices of Dog Ownership," we’ve been exploring the pivotal decisions that shape our relationships with our dogs. The essence of "Choose Your Difficult" is the understanding that every path in dog ownership comes with its own set of challenges. There is no easy way out, but we can make informed choices about which difficulties we are willing to face to create the best possible outcomes for both our dogs and ourselves. In the first article, we discussed the balance between affection and boundaries; in the second, we emphasized the importance of early training. In this third article, we will look into the critical importance of consistency—a cornerstone of effective dog ownership that is essential for fostering a well-behaved, secure, and content dog.
Consistency in dog ownership is about creating a structured environment where your dog knows what to expect and what is expected of them. While this might seem straightforward, maintaining consistency in our often chaotic and busy lives is anything but simple. It requires discipline, commitment, and a deep understanding of how our behavior and decisions impact our dog’s behavior and emotional well-being. The choice you face here is between the short-term convenience of being flexible or inconsistent and the long-term benefits of maintaining a structured, predictable environment for your dog.
In my ongoing series, "Choose Your Difficult: Navigating the Complex Choices of Dog Ownership," I've been exploring the many challenges that dog owners face and how the choices we make can have long-lasting effects on our dogs' behavior and our relationships with them. The core idea behind this series is the concept of "Choose Your Difficult," which emphasizes that every path we take in dog ownership comes with its own set of challenges. It’s not about finding an easy way out—because, frankly, there isn’t one. Instead, it’s about consciously choosing the challenges that align with your values and that will ultimately lead to the best outcomes for you and your dog.
In this second article, I will focus on one of the most crucial aspects of dog ownership—training. When it comes to training, the choice is often between investing time, effort, and consistency upfront or dealing with the long-term consequences of insufficient training later. This dilemma can be summed up simply: invest now or pay later. But within this dilemma lies another, deeper choice—the philosophy you choose to guide your training efforts. For me, that choice has always been relationship-based training. This method, though arguably the most challenging, is the one I believe leads to the most profound and rewarding bond between you and your dog.
In my new 5 part article series, "Choose Your Difficult: Navigating the Complex Choices of Dog Ownership," I explore the concept that, as dog owners, we are constantly faced with challenges that require us to make tough decisions. The idea of "Choose Your Difficult" is rooted in the understanding that every path we take with our dogs comes with its own set of difficulties. Whether it's dedicating time to consistent training, setting boundaries around affection, or managing our dogs' behaviors, there is no easy route. The key lies in consciously choosing the difficulties that will lead to the most positive outcomes for both you and your dog. Throughout my career as a cynologist, I’ve seen how these choices shape not only our dogs’ behavior but also the quality of the bond we share with them. This series aims to help you navigate these choices thoughtfully, aligning them with your lifestyle and your dog's unique needs, ultimately creating a more balanced and fulfilling relationship.
In the first article of this series, I explain the critical balance between affection and boundaries—a choice that dog owners face daily. It's easy to treat your dog like a "fur baby" or a cuddly toy, showering them with affection whenever the mood strikes. However, choosing to give affection without boundaries can lead to long-term behavioral issues. On the other hand, choosing to be intentional about when and how you show affection, while more challenging, can reinforce positive behaviors and help your dog feel secure and understood. This is the essence of "Choose Your Difficult"—recognizing that every decision comes with its own set of challenges, but making the right choice leads to a healthier, more balanced relationship with your dog.
Fireworks are fun as long as you incorporate safe usage practices. For Pets and veterans on the other hand fireworks can be very scary and can trigger a lot of stress responses by the loud noises. Here are 10 tips that can help you set you and your pooch up for success during the 4th of July Celebrations!
Your dog is a valued member of your family. When you go on a hike or take your family hiking, you’ll naturally bring your first aid kit for yourself, but it’s important to know and be prepared for accidents that may happen to your pup too. Not knowing what you would do in the event that your dog got hit by a car or accidentally choked on a chicken bone is the scariest part.
There are some first aid techniques every dog owner should know that will leave you with peace of mind and the valuable resources you need to protect your entire family. Remember, the following techniques are only to be used to stabilize your dog in the event of an emergency before you can get them to a veterinarian or animal hospital. You must ensure that you are in the right place of mind and you know what you’re doing before starting first aid on anyone, including an animal.
Getting a puppy is a very exciting event. An event however that comes with a lot of responsibilities. Like we mentioned in our previous blog, a dog is for life and not just for Christmas.
Starting off the right way with training your puppy will help you setting you and your new best friend up for success and prevent troubles later. Here are 7 tips that will help you to start your new journey the right way.
Christmas is a pretty high energy holiday, but nothing comes with more energy than a brand new puppy. If you’re thinking of purchasing a puppy to gift at Christmas, more becomes involved than simply seeing the smile of excitement on your loved ones’ faces. A puppy lasts longer than a Christmas season; a puppy is for life not just for Christmas.Below are 5 points you need to know about raising a puppy now before you make the big purchase of bringing a puppy into your home.
Does your dog bark, growl, or run towards other dogs when you’re on a walk or when someone walks past your home? It’s common for dogs to be Reactive or “hyper-aware” of other dogs nearby, however, it’s not simply disobedient behavior, so shouldn’t be correlated with punishment. In fact, many obedient dogs still exude Reactive behavior. It’s actually a stress response in the body from specific triggers, etc. If your dog does act like this, however, it’s important to start immediately to try and fix the issue. The longer a pup continues the reaction, the more difficult and longer it will take to correct - or you could end up with a legal case on your hands. - READ MORE…
In our training we will see that some dogs response faster or slower to cue. In animal training we call that Latency. Simply stated latency is the time interval between the cue and when the dog starts responding to this cue.P eople like to see dogs that respond very fast to command. If that is something we want we need to shorten the intermission between cue and behavior, decreasing the latency. So how do we do this?
Modeling and Observational learning in dog training Typically dog training proceeds from operant conditioning with a long period of shaping the dog learns a new behavior through errors and reinforcement. Observational learning happens quickly and can either help us in our dog training or can be our worst enemy. In this article I explain what modeling and observational learning is and discuss some real life examples how it can negatively influence your dogs learning and how it can help.
