At Wise Woofs we believe that canines deserve similar attention to humans, meaning, dogs are similar to people in regard to having their own feelings and needs. It’s important to view dogs as complex living organisms instead of pets who just take commands and utilize learned responses to their environment. Thinking otherwise is an incomprehensive approach which ignores science, and we hope evaporates from the industry.
According to Michele Merits book, “In Minding dogs: Humans, canine companions, and a new philosophy of cognitive science,” dogs have a complex thought process, and just like us, they need to have their minds nourished. This brings us to the three factors involved in increasing the intelligence in our pups; it includes their real-world environment, learning opportunities and proper guidance from their owners. The neurobiological and functionality of their brain fuels behavior both physiologically and psychologically. These different domains have a direct impact on each other; For example, if one area is healthy, the other is likely to follow suit.
Environmental Factors
The growth of canine development follows the biosocial human model of taking into account both nature and nurture. This is where the influence of a pup’s environment, plus genetics lead to the results in organisms. Part of the relative intelligence displayed among different dogs is attributed to their family lineage and genetics. The other major determinant is derived from experiences and acquired skills during early life development, throughout the puppy stage and beyond.
Dogs continue to learn throughout their life as they mature and adapt to new circumstances but the key developmental window which shapes how they instinctively view the world and respond ends prior to reaching adolescence which occurs around the five- to six-month-old mark.
Exposing your dog to a diverse array of mentally stimulating experiences encourages healthy brain development and teaches important skills like learning good communication with humans and independent problem-solving (often developed through trial and error). The most important aspect of this training is creating a trusted bond with your pup, allowing them to explore their new world with confidence and curiosity. Patience and awareness among humans is a critical part of this process.
The “Use it or lose it” model of skill retention is another learning concept that applies to dogs. As a behavior is practiced with greater frequency and efficiency, your dog’s skill level will grow. On the other hand, if we neglect to keep up with training or bonding activities, your dogs will develop new coping strategies to deal with their present environment and possibly shut you out. Helping pups reach their potential requires us to reframe our perspective from a mode of dog-training to dog-parenting.
It’s easy to make these learning experiences fun by incorporating play. Play is universally recognized by experts as a key factor stimulating cognitive growth and skill acquisition [1]. Remember to balance training sessions with work and breaks to keep it fun without over stimulating your pup.
Neurobiological Drivers
Creating a healthy environment for brain development is directly related to emotions and behaviors. The brain is like any other muscle in the body, the more it is used, the bigger and stronger it gets. That goes for different parts of the brain too. If the part of the brain responsible for scent detection is used frequently enough it will grow in size along with its correlated behavioral skill. More diverse inputs related to new experiences are connected to memory and healthy emotional development to help the dog navigate future situations in life.
A loving bond, consistent communication and bounty of fun experiences open up potential for further growth and expand a dog’s ability to learn new skills as well as become more proficient at existing skills. This leads to increased production of healthy biochemicals such as oxytocin and dopamine which further support progress we can see on the surface.
Exercise is also imperative to retain balance among hormones in the body. One important aspect of exercise is it increases the amount of oxygen the body gets, critical for the health of individual cells. Doing this maximizes healthy cellular life while minimizing the production of harmful chemicals such as an overload of the stress hormone cortisol. On the flip side, not exercising a dog or not providing them with adequate TLC causes an increase in cortisol and inflammation creating a less than ideal environment for healthy functioning. Both behaviorally and internally within the body.
Diet
Diet is a crucial component to both categories. It deserves its own mention in both mental and physical contexts. What our dogs eat provide the nutrients to support states of being in their body. We humans can positively or negatively impact this influencer. For example, if a puppy has treats with too much sugar or salt in the ingredients it encourages hyperactive behavior hindering focus and learning. On the other hand, if puppies receive treats rich in antioxidants and B-vitamins essential to cognitive functioning they are likely to learn at a faster rate and regulate impulses more effectively. As this is a largely important topic, we direct you to our Nutrition section here to learn more.
Summary
As you can see, there is a lot that contributes to how smart our dogs grow to be and we have a ton of influence over that process. Giving intellectual health the proper attention it deserves makes sharing our lives with dogs much more harmonious. This can be especially important when dealing with Service Dogs. Many of these activities that contribute to mental development in dogs also improve our own health and intelligence. So, there are few excuses to avoid them. You’ve just accomplished step 1 in educating yourself on how to help your dog develop some wisdom. Now go put this into practice!!
