07/09/2025
Hand-feeding is thrown around like confetti for seemingly endless behaviour “problems” 🎉
In reality, it’s not something I would ever reach for.
What do you think? Do you hand feed your dog?
References:
🧠 Dog Emotional Age and Cognitive Development
Coren, S. (2009). Canine researcher puts dogs’ intelligence on par with 2-year-old children. American Psychological Association.
This article discusses Stanley Coren’s research estimating that dogs’ mental abilities are comparable to those of a 2 to 2.5-year-old human child.
Coren, S. (2015). Dogs are smarter than we think. Vox.
This article elaborates on Coren’s findings, highlighting that dogs can learn hundreds of words and exhibit complex social intelligence. Lindsay, S. R. (2000). Handbook of Applied Dog Behavior and Training, Volume 1: Adaptation and Learning. Wiley-Blackwell.
Lindsay’s work provides insights into dog behavior and training, emphasizing the importance of understanding dogs’ cognitive and emotional development.
😔 Dogs and Complex Emotions
Horowitz, A. (2009). Are owners’ reports of their dogs’ ‘guilty look’ influenced by the dogs’ behavior or the owner’s expectations? Animal Cognition, 12(3), 347-353.
This study examines whether dogs’ “guilty looks” are a result of owners’ perceptions rather than actual feelings of guilt.
Hazel, S. (2013). Do dogs really feel guilt and shame? Psychology Today.
Hazel discusses the scientific consensus that dogs do not experience complex emotions like guilt or shame in the way humans do. Conscious Companion. (2013). Was it out of spite? Think again.
This article argues that behaviors interpreted as spiteful are often misunderstood and are more likely to be due to boredom, fear, or unmet needs.
🍽️ Hand-Feeding and Training
Bhadra, A., et al. (2025). Treats or Affection? Understanding Reward Preferences in Indian Free-ranging Dogs for Bonding with Humans. arXiv.
This study explores how free-ranging dogs in India respond to food and affection, providing insights into how different types of rewards influence bonding.
