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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4 votes
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4 votes
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What behaviors are known to be instinctive for dogs other than stalk/pounce predatory sequence?
What behaviors are known to be instinctive in dogs other than the stalk/eye/pounce predatory sequence?
4 votes -
Why does my dog chew on hard things?
Truffle our 2 year old lab likes to steal clothes, but one he has stolen them will not chew on them. However, when he steals something hard, like eyeglasses, he will chew these to bits. Why does he do this, and is there any way to stop it?
4 votes -
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 -
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 -
Do dogs pout?
Every day, when our dog realizes my girlfriend and I are getting ready for work, she plops down in one spot, and just kind of lays there, not really making eye contact, not looking around and not sleeping. Usually, she is attached to us at the hip, actively trying to guard the house or sleeping... is it possible that she's pouting?
4 votes -
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 -
3 votes
Your question has been answered by Dr. Brian Hare:
You shouldn’t worry about your dog going first through a doorway or any other signs of ‘dominant behavior’. The idea that you should be the alpha dog is based outdated wolf research, which studies now show does not apply to dogs.
For a long time many people thought that because dogs evolved from wolves, wolves were a good model to understand dog behavior. Although they do share much of the same DNA, we have since learned that their pack structures and social behavior are actually very different.
If you look at packs of feral dogs, or dogs who live without human interference, research shows that they look to the dog with the most friends. There is no single dominant pair that uses violence and dominant behavior, instead when deciding where to go feral dogs follow the dog with the largest…
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How can I help my sensitive dog relax?
I have a 6 mo. old puppy named Pepper. She learns very quickly, listens to our commands, and is a very affectionate companion. Pepper is definitely a more submissive dog. Is that something she will "grow out of" or something that we should work on with her?
For example, Pepper gets very excited to sit and stay for rewards and was really enjoying the assessment. By the second game she started to seem wary of my intentions and eventually stopped listening to my commands and backed away. I've learned to stop the game at that point and let her relax.…
3 votes -
Tina
Tina plays tug,wrestle, chase, happily for ages with her 1 doggy friend.
When we introduced a boomer ball, and jolly egg, the friend became possesive, and Tina didnt want to play with her.
Why? was it because they can't pick them up? Should we persevere, or discontinue?3 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 -
Why does my dog poop while he walks and how can I get him to stop this habit?
Half the time when I walk my dog, when he stops to poop he will start to walk again while he is still urinating. How can I get him to stop this habit without him thinking that I'm trying to teach him that urinating is wrong?
3 votes -
3 votes
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Why is it easier for my dog to learn verbs than nouns?
It is much easier to teach my OES to learn to do something than to identify something. Why is that?
3 votes -
Why do dogs go around in circles before laying down?
My dog always does this on his little doggy bed.
3 votes -
3 votes
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2 votes
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Callie's swimming routine
Callie has a swimming routine. She retrieves her "floating" frisbee, swims to shore, climbs up some stone steps, runs across a "party pad", gangway, and boat dock, drops the frisbee for me to throw, and then jumps in the water to retrieve it again. Yesterday, she got all the way to the end of the dock without her frisbee. With only a little encouragement, she ran back to where she had left it on the steps, ran back to the end of the dock, and put the frisbee down for me to throw. What kind of "thinking" or "Intelligence" is…
2 votes -
2 votes
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