Evidence Based Knowledge
In behavioral science there is a term that defines their gold standard for knowledge – evidence based. They use this term to discount anecdotal information and give the stamp of approval to specific concepts that are believed without question. New information may only be accepted after rigorous examination designed to produce incontrovertible evidence. Ideally this process will yield knowledge that can be trusted implicitly. In reality it creates an orthodoxy that is immune to examination or advancement. That is because the evidence is filtered by existing ideology. Unless you prove things their way, it’s not accepted. Their evidence-based knowledge can and does exclude anything they don’t want to acknowledge. So far, this gold standard of knowledge has produced a consistent outcome. It protects and serves the gate-keepers of behavioral science. It does not advance the human understanding of behavior in the real world. Instead of living up to its promise of creating a body of dependable knowledge it bars the entree of valuable information.
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Of all the disconnects between dog owners and their dogs, the biggest, most glaring, completely illogical, widely held and damaging myth is that dogs can be spiteful. Nope. Nada. Nicht. Ain’t happening.  To understand my adamant belief that doggie spite doesn’t happen, conduct this simple experiment based on actual events.  Continue reading →

Our dogs’ bodies are designed to elevate particular physiological functions when they need an immediate boost. These include rapidly escalating blood pressure, heart-rate and respiration. Blood is pumped to the extremities to oxygenate muscles that might be needed to fight or flee. The brain shuts down pain receptors that might cause it to slack its fight or flight because of being damaged from hunting or defending itself. In nature this process works most of the time. In captivity it can lead to problems. Sometimes the animal gets the signals wrong and jacks itself up for no reason. Continue reading →

There is an old saying that you should never turn your back on a strange dog. I’ve done it literally thousands of times and never been bitten. There seems to be a big of a disparity between the old saying and what I know to be safe. Turning your back is often the best way to greet a dog you don’t trust. Facing front can be a trigger for a bite. That is because many threatening dogs are scared. If you let them off the hook they aren’t going to bite you. If you do things that make them more fearful eventually you will hit their breaking point. With that in mind I’ll tell you about how I caught a dangerous Akita, one day.
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