Ask An Expert
At Dognition, we believe that shared inquiry and discovery fuel the greatest benefits for dogs and their owners. Therefore we’ve partnered with the world’s leading canine cognition experts and canine-focused institutions/organizations.
Now, you also have the opportunity to inquire and learn from our experts.
Scientific Advisory Board- The experts on dog cognition and psychology
Dr. Brian Hare
Dr. Juliane Kaminski
Dr. Josep Call
Dr. Richard Wrangham
Dr. Laurie Santos
Dr. Adam Miklosi
Expert Panel- The experts on everything else dog!
Kyra Sundance – Expert Trainer
Victoria Stilwell – Expert Trainer
Nina Ottosson- Dog Toy Designer
Richard Hawkins – Vet
Paul Mundel – Canine Companions of Independence
Betsy Saul – Petfinder Foundation
82 results found
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How can I teach my dog not to be afraid?
My dog gets skittish around random moving objects. If a piece of paper is blowing in the wind and comes close to him he gets extremely frightened, and I can't bend down to pet him with anything in my hand because he'll try to get away from it. What can I do to train him not to be so afraid? Strangely enough, he's not afraid of other dogs or people, just random objects.
4 votes -
What is the best way to transition a dog who has lived with three other dogs her whole life, to being an only dog?
I am moving out of my parents house and taking my chihuahua with me to my new apartment. What is the best way to go about transitioning her to being an only dog, and is there anything I can do now to help prepare her for the change?
3 votes -
4 votes
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My 12 yr old Ridgeback female just started peeing inside during thunderstorms. She has never been afraid before. Any advice?
She is not an anxious dog, and appears self confident and self assured. After all, there are no more Lions left in our area of Connecticut. She feels she has done her job well.
I take her out to *** at least twice before I go to work. She has never consumed more than 4 cups of water per day, despite clean water in her bowl. She has toys to play with - balls with treats inside to play with. I m unable to get home when a thunderstorm is forecast.
1 vote -
1 vote
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My black lab female,Moana, seems to experience remorse after she misbehaves.
Hi, I completed the dognition assessment with our female black lab, Moana, and thought it was very interesting. She turned out to be an ACE. I wanted to know what you had to say about our dog who puts herself in time-out after she misbehaves. We started putting Moana in time-out (in her crate) when she was a puppy to correct misbehavior. Now 6 years later, when she occasionally sneaks food off the kitchen counter (usually when we're not at home), we come home to find her in time out. It doesn't take long to find the evidence of her…
1 vote -
I have read that the pack concept, the need to be alpha, has been completely debunked. What do you think?
The pack concept has become bedrock thinking. I have read that it has been debunked. Trainers I have talked to believe the pack concept without question.
4 votes -
3 votes
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What can I do to control excitement barking in Briar-Rose? Controlling her barking when she is learning, or when she is confused.
What can I do to control excitement barking in Briar-Rose? Controlling her barking when she is learning, or when she is confused. She learns, but it is difficult to show her new things through the cacophony of high pitched barking. Other instructors, like agility or freestyle have a hard time instructing me, as Briar-Rose is always barking. I've tried tugging, but as soon as I release the tug the barking starts. the same with feeding to keep her from barking - it just starts up again, when I stop. I have also trained her to go to her rug and…
1 vote -
why does my dog whine in the car?
Like most dogs my dog enjoys getting out to new places. However, unlike most dogs he whines in the backseat during most of the ride. But if there is another dog or a person in the backseat with him he is perfectly happy. Not a peep. What can I do to make him more comfortable? He has never had any trauma in a car,
1 vote -
Do dogs "apologize" to one another?
Our dog Pike was about 11 years younger than our older dog, Max. When Pike was about 2 years old, there was some kind of "thing" going on be Pike and Max, I think over a toy, if I remember correctly. Pike snapped at Max. Then,withink about 30 seconds or so, Pike seemed to purposely turn around, trot back over to where Max was standing, sort of quickly touch noses with Max, and then walk away. It was almost like a, "Gee, I screwed up when I snapped at you" kind of thing - I realize Pike might have been…
4 votes -
Does a dog understand anything he or she watches on television?
Does a dog understand anything he watches on television or is he just responding to movement and sound?
5 votes -
My dogs (mostly beagle) are very food-driven while others are not. How can these tests apply universally when food is used as the stimuli?
For training, my dogs respond to nothing but food. They NEVER play with toys so toy rewards are not an option. Yet other dogs do not respond to food as a reward and have to be rewarded in other ways during training. How can these games, which use food as the stimulus, apply to all dogs, whether they are food-driven or not?
1 vote -
Sulking Noise
My dog is a Shepherd and makes a whinging/whistling sound when he is around us but we are not playing with him, when we are in the car driving to a park around the corner or the dog beach or even just after we have been on a walk and put him outside?. Not sure if he is just attention seeking or if he is anxious?
1 vote -
hiding big girl bones do other dogs do it too?
she takes her big girl bone outside then buries it. then comes inside and barks at you until you follow her outside where she stands by it
until you unbury it for her. do other dogs do similar things?7 votes -
Do Dogs Know When They Need to be Gentle?- Answered by Dr. Brian Hare
When dogs play with younger, older, or smaller dogs, do they know that they need to be gentle?
31 votesHere is Dr. Brian Hare’s video answer to this great question: http://youtu.be/TTF4Qzu9-DA
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Why does my dog seem more protective of me (a woman) than my male counterpart?
When I take my dog out for walks or to the dog park on my own, she's much more likely to act nervously toward strangers and other dogs. For instance, she frequently will get in between me and a stranger, and will sometimes bark. This is behavior she never shows when we both take her someplace, or when my partner takes her out on his own. Do dogs distinguish between gender? Or is it more likely to have to do with size? Does my pup believe that I need protecting more than my partner does?
3 votes -
What if food, toys and praise don't get the dog's attention?
My Jack Russell doesn't care about food, toys or praise while we are walking, his only focus is squirrels, rabbits, etc... and dogs, with two different reactions. For small animals, he wants to chase it, for dogs he barks and try to reach them at all cost.
He passed through 2 different trainers, I read more than 10 books on dog behavior, I took classes... but nothing, he doesn't change. And by the time is getting old, I'm concerned about his health.
I'm hopeless here, I just accepted the way he is, but maybe you have some advices.Thank you!
10 votes -
Why does my dog ignore me sometimes?
Sometimes when I give my dog a command, he will ignore me. Why does this happen?
7 votes
Alana @ Dognition Support
responded
This question has been answered by Dr. Brian Hare — https://youtu.be/8YKZ_mVhUwA
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Walking backwards
My 5 yr old Havanese who spent her first 3 years in a puppy mill, walks backwards through doorways and across hardwood floors. She did this consistently in our last house, and after a resent move to a home with carpet instead of hardwood, she seems to have stopped. But a couple days ago, I saw her backing up to the steps on our back porch, which is concrete. Any ideas on this behavior?
1 vote
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