Are Dogs the New Kids? Science Says… Sort Of.
Dogs aren’t replacing kids, but a 2025 study shows they occupy a strikingly similar emotional space. From oxytocin spikes to “gotcha day” parties, learn how culture reshaped the human–dog bond and what responsible “dog parenting” really means.
What Do You Expect of Your Companions?
Is your partner less than perfect? Does your sibling sometimes annoy you? Do your kids? How about your parents, or your friends? If you’re like pretty much everybody, the answers are probably, yes, all the way around. A new study confirms that our relationships with our pet dogs are the same. Sometimes they do stuff […]
Looking for safety in all the wrong places: India’s new ban on 23 dog breeds cannot succeed
Thankfully, banning dogs of certain breeds is increasingly rare. But when this choice is made, as with the recent national BSL legislation in India, we are reminded of some of the reasons that it simply cannot help prevent dog bite injuries: Behavioral genetic science shows conclusively that a dog’s breed simply cannot predict anything about […]
The Truth Behind Dog Impulses: What They Mean and How They Shape Behavior
You cry. I feel weepy. We all have impulses that just pop up naturally, and unless we have learned to inhibit them for some reason, we tend to act them out whenever the trigger events for them happen. They don’t need to make sense in a “thinking about it” way. https://nationalcanineresearchcouncil.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Chimpy-Made-with-Clipchamp.mp4 In people, these can […]
Two Myths about Behavior Evaluations for Shelter Dogs
You might think behavior evaluations make placing shelter dogs safer. But, research shows that some of the most common beliefs about shelter dogs and evaluations are actually just myths. Myth #1 Dogs living in shelters are behaviorally different from dogs living with families There is a prevailing myth that shelter dogs are “damaged” or “have […]
We Asked a Computer Program about Dog Behavior and Here’s What It said
ChatGPT is in step with modern canine behavior science and we’re happy to see it!
Action Patterns Aren’t Personality. Here’s What a Recent Canine Genetics Study Really Means About Your Dog’s Behavior
A new genetics study reveals more about the canine division of labor in ancient times, but not about your dog’s individual personality.
Ground-Breaking Research Shows Breed As a Poor Predictor of Behavior
The Darwin’s Ark study on dog behavior and genetics might reset how we all think about and talk about dog behavior.
Behavioral incompatibilities, not behavior problems
“It’s not a problem for the dog; it’s a problem for the human,” is among the first mottos regarding so-called dog “behavior problems” I learned as a novice dog trainer. The famed behaviorist, Dr. Ian Dunbar, would often begin a lecture on behavior modification with some version of this pronouncement. But even though he acknowledged the […]
Building Social Competence: The real deal in dog safety training
In 2013 the most comprehensive study to date asked whether the dogs (fewer than 1 dog in 2 million) involved in dog bite-related fatalities (DBRF) had anything in common with one another. The collaboration of a veterinary epidemiologist, a public health expert, an animal behaviorist and dog behavior researchers examined the available evidence regarding every […]