Veterinary Behavior Specialties of Minnesota

06/15/2026

❤️🥰

People sometimes point out that enrichment items like hay balls, treat balls, hanging toys, scratching posts, and anything colourful aren’t “natural.”

And they’re right.

A horse would never encounter a treat ball in the wild.

A scratching post isn’t a tree.

A hanging rope with carrots and celery is “unnatural” as it gets.

But the goal of enrichment isn’t to recreate nature perfectly.

The goal is to encourage species appropriate behaviour.

A scratching post may not be a tree, but it allows horses to scratch and groom themselves.

A hay ball may not be a patch of grass, but it encourages movement, foraging, and food-seeking behaviour.

A hanging toy may not be a bush or tree, but it encourages browsing, lip manipulation, exploration, and investigation.

The enrichment itself is artificial.
The behaviour it encourages is not.

When I create enrichment, I’m not usually asking:

“What object can I give my horse?”

I’m asking:

“What behaviour am I trying to encourage?”

Foraging.
Browsing.
Exploration.
Movement.
Social interaction.
CHOICE.

Because good enrichment isn’t just about keeping horses busy (though that’s sometimes a part of the equation)

It’s about creating opportunities for horses to do more horse things in environments that are often very different than natural ones.

So yes, some enrichment looks unnatural.

But let’s be honest, owning horses, our expectations and majority of the environments we keep them in aren’t “natural.”

What matters is whether we’re creating opportunities for horses to express species appropriate behaviours.

06/11/2026

❤️🐾😻

"My cat is just plain mean!"

It's a label many cats receive after hissing, swatting, biting, hiding, or avoiding interaction.

But what does "mean" actually tell us? Not much at all. Unlike a behavior, "mean" assumes intent. It suggests the cat is choosing to be difficult or unpleasant. In reality, cats don't wake up thinking about how to make our lives harder.

Many cats labeled as "mean" are actually:
• Fearful
• Anxious
• Painful
• Overstimulated
• Stressed
• Lacking a sense of safety

What looks like hostility is often self-protection. When we label a cat as mean, we risk overlooking the emotions driving the behavior.

Instead of asking: "Why is my cat so mean?" Try asking: "What might my cat be feeling right now?"

That small shift can open the door to understanding, compassion, and meaningful change. Behind many "mean" cats is a cat simply trying to feel safe.

06/10/2026

🐾❤️

⚠️Reactivity Doesn’t Happen Overnight⚠️
(*except when underlying health issues are involved)

Reactivity often starts small.

Maybe it’s a little bark.

Then a bigger bark.

Then perhaps some lunging or growling.

Eventually, it can develop into a full reactive display, and in some cases, behaviours that people may label as aggression.

👀But here’s the thing…

Dogs don’t usually jump straight to the big reactions. They get there because the smaller ones weren’t working.

‼️(*The only exception where a dog will go from “nothing” to “reactive” suddenly is when health issues are involved )‼️

Imagine a dog sees something that worries them 👉 a stranger, another dog, a bicycle, a vehicle, or any other trigger.

Their first thought is often quite simple:

⚠️ “I’m uncomfortable with this. Please go away.”

So they communicate.

➖Maybe they freeze.

➖Maybe they stare.

➖Maybe they move away.

➖Maybe they give a quiet bark.

These are all attempts at communication.

Unfortunately, the world rarely responds in the way the dog hopes.

🔘The other dog doesn’t disappear.

🔘The person keeps walking towards them.

🔘The bicycle continues coming.

🔘The trigger remains.

So the dog tries harder.

📈 If a whisper doesn’t work, they raise their voice.

📈 If a bark doesn’t work, they bark louder.

📈 If that doesn’t work, they lunge.

📈 If that doesn’t work, they escalate further.

After all, from the dog’s perspective, they have been trying to communicate all along.

🟡Many reactive dogs spend months, or even years, practising these escalating behaviours before their owners realise there is a problem.

🔺By the time the reactivity becomes obvious, the dog has often worked their way through an entire ladder of behaviours trying to make the scary thing go away.

💡 This is why early intervention matters so much.

🔶If we can recognise the subtle signs of discomfort before they become bigger reactions, we can step in sooner.

〰️We can create distance.

〰️We can reduce exposure.

〰️We can teach alternative responses.

〰️We can use systematic desensitisation and counter-conditioning to change how the dog feels about their triggers.

🟢Most importantly, we can listen.

Because reactivity isn’t usually a dog being “bad.”

💯It’s a dog trying to communicate. 💯

And when we fail to hear the quiet messages, dogs often feel they have no choice but to shout.

❤️ The goal shouldn’t be to suppress the behaviour.

The goal should be to understand what the dog is trying to tell us and help them feel safe enough that they no longer need to say it

🐕‍🦺 Reactive dog is one that tries to communicate. Desperately.

Let’s listen. 🙏

🐶💙

06/09/2026

🐾❤️

The Dog Aware funnel is designed to help families slow down and look at interactions through a safety-first lens 👶🐶

It allows for families to understand that for each situation, we must actively be reading the dog, reading the moment, and choosing the appropriate level of supervision for that interaction!

We start with the foundation:

➡️ Body Language

Learning how to recognize stress signals, calming signals, and consent cues helps us better understand what our dogs are communicating before situations escalate.

Then we look at:

➡️ Sensitivities

Every dog has things that make them uncomfortable — touch, noise, movement, space, handling, children, or certain environments. Understanding these sensitivities helps us set everyone up for success.

Next comes:

➡️ Proximity

How close is too close? We help families learn how distance impacts comfort levels and why creating space is one of the most powerful safety tools we have.

And finally:

➡️ Supervision

True supervision means active, awake, and aware supervision — not multitasking from across the room. Safe interactions happen when adults are intentionally present and ready to make adjustments as needed for safety!

The 4 Pillars of Dog Aware work together to help create safer, more successful relationships between dogs and children 💛

Don’t forget to like, comment save and share to help others to become more Dog Aware!

06/08/2026

❤️🐾

REACTING TO REACTIVITY

When a dog reacts, it's natural that all the focus is on the behaviour we see in that moment, but the reaction itself is not where it begins — it's where it ends up.

Reactive behaviours like barking, lunging, snarling, growling is often the final behaviour in a much longer chain.

The reactive behaviour itself becomes the primary concern. It’s what we focus on and try to stop or “fix”.

By the time a dog reacts or explodes, the nervous system has likely already switched over to survival mode. In this state, the brain's ability to listen, learn, respond, process information or make appropriate choices is switched off.

Reactive dogs are struggling to behave differently because they no longer have access to the part of the brain that allows that to happen.

When we only focus on stopping the behaviour when it happens - we're just reacting to the reaction.

This is why working with a reactive dog often looks really boring. It's not about dramatic interventions during the explosion. It's about noticing what came before it.

When we understand why a dog is reacting, rather than simply reacting to the behaviour itself, we can start addressing the cause instead of just focusing on the symptom.

06/05/2026

The science behind the process of learning - in both humans and animals - is fascinating! Enjoy this video that illustrates the concepts of how neuroplasticity enables learning of new things. The core theory is that of Canadian psychologist, Donald O. Hebb, and can be paraphrased as, 'what fires together, wires together'!

https://youtu.be/BEwg8TeipfQ?si=FGnh-7VFmBsTlvNW

06/05/2026

❤️😻🐾

06/04/2026

❤️🐾

Yes, of course we should ask the dog! Except when we shouldn’t...

I was at the airport the other day and there was a gorgous "therapy" dog there. The man had his leash wrapped tightly around his hand and he went around from person to person, physically positioning the dog while hands groped his body. The dog looked as though he had completely shut down.

He came over to me and I simply smiled, had a short conversation, and kept my hands to myself. There was clearly no reason for me to even ask this dog.

When it comes to touching a dog, especially for "petting" purposes, I almost always prefer to let the dog ask me, rather than the other way around. This is especially true if they are unfamiliar to me, eating, chewing, sniffing, exploring, resting, sleeping, watching something interesting, or already engaged in another activity.

Asking is important, but asking is not always neutral. Sometimes the question itself creates social pressure. It asks the dog to respond to us, manage our proximity, and make a choice in a moment when they may have preferred not to be included in the interaction at all. That is why “ask the dog” should not mean interrupting whatever they are doing to offer touch.

Sometimes the more respectful question is the one we don't ask. Their body is not an open invitation just because they are nearby.

So, first: Don’t ask. Wait!

Notice what the dog is already doing. Notice whether they are awake, relaxed, and available for interaction. Notice whether they are choosing to come closer, stay nearby, orient toward you, soften, nudge, lean, or re-engage.

When there is some indication that the dog may be asking us, or is at least fully awake and engaged with us, then yes, ask before assuming. When we do ask, it needs to be an actual question, not a polite announcement before we do what we wanted to do anyway. We can ask by inviting them into our space. By turning slightly sideways instead of looming. Soft eye contact without staring. By inviting interaction without closing the distance.

The most important part is whether “no” was easy, safe, and respected.

A dog who turns away, ducks, freezes, licks their lips, goes still, moves off, exposes their belly, or simply does not re-engage has answered.

But better yet, LET THEM ASK YOU!

Dogs ask us in quiet and not so quiet ways. They come closer, sometimes guns blazing with tail wagging widely and a loose, wriggly body. They choose to stay. They make soft eye contact in conjunction with these other asks. They press into us. They nudge a hand. They lean a shoulder or hip against us. They paw our hand, they rest a chin on us give us a soft look. They return after we stop. They make the interaction mutual.

And even then, it is still a conversation, not a contract!

The dog who wanted touch thirty seconds ago may be done now. The dog who leaned in for a chest scratch may not want a hand over their head. The dog who enjoys affection on the sofa may not want it while chewing a bone.

So yes, ask the dog and never assume! But first, ask whether this is even a moment in which the dog should have to negotiate an answer.

06/03/2026

Ivy is dreaming sweet! 🥰 Ivy fell asleep playing with her Orbee Snoop during her appointment. 😴❤️

06/03/2026

Sweet Ivy fell asleep with her face in her snoop during her appointment... 🥰 We hope you're having the sweetest of dreams Ivy. 😴❤️