In this blog, we delve into the science behind Episode 2 of the Dog Parentology Podcast, titled “Reactive Systems: Triggers and Long-Term Solutions.” The focus is on understanding the complex neural processes that underlie persistent behavioral issues in dogs, exploring how multiple systems regulate emotional responses, sensory inputs, and physical balance. Through significant research and innovative frameworks, we provide dog parents with accessible knowledge that promotes empathy and precise intervention strategies.
This body of work includes significant research and innovative creations to engage dog parents into a precise set of necessary knowledge that is accessible and promotes compassion. It draws on Dr. Stephen Porges' Polyvagal Theory, the teachings of Robert Sapolsky, recent research on valenced representations in decision-making, and insights from clinical psychologist Mona Delahooke to provide a comprehensive understanding of canine behavioural regulation, to name a few.
Theoretical Framework:
The Polyvagal Theory provides a foundation for understanding the physiological basis of emotional states and social behavior in mammals, including dogs. This theory identifies three key neural pathways, with a possible fourth I pose for consideration for further study:
The dorsal vagal pathway, responsible for immobilization responses to extreme threats "freeze".
The sympathetic pathway, activating the "fight or flight" response.
The ventral parasympathetic pathway, promoting relaxation and social engagement.
A inbetween state, a state of "flux".
The critical state of flux is a moment of decision-making, distinct from simple behavioral inhibition or freezing. This state represents a unique opportunity for intervention, where dogs are actively engaging in neuroception - assessing their environment for safety cues.
Recent research suggests that decision-making and learning in dogs are heavily influenced by valenced central representations of peripheral body states. As Peter F. Cook (2017) argues, "We should ask how dogs use valenced representations of peripheral body states to inform decision-making and learning, and in what situations these processes become engaged."
The Personified Neural Systems: A Bridge to Understanding and Compassion
The use of personified characters to represent complex neural systems—transforms abstract neurobiological concepts into relatable, easy-to-understand figures, creating a bridge between scientific knowledge and practical application The characters serves as a powerful educational tool for adult caregivers of dogs. To make these complex neurobiological concepts accessible, we introduce the following four personified neural systems:
Reggie: The Autonomic Regulator
Tom: The Limbic System and Emotional Processor
Conrad: The Prefrontal Cortex and Cognitive Controller
Viv: The Vestibular Collaborator
The Seven Powerful Ways the Story of the Neural Family Support Behaviour Changes:
The Neural Family story helps caregivers of dogs remarkably through accessibility, empathy, information to action, targeting effective responses, and building capabilities to help heal dogs with persistent problems, as follows:
Accessibility of Complex Neuroscience:
By personifying these neural systems, we provide caregivers with a familiar framework to understand unfamiliar concepts. This approach makes it easier for adults, who may not have a background in neuroscience, to grasp the intricate workings of a dog's brain and nervous system.
Enhanced Empathy and Understanding:
When caregivers can visualize these "characters" at work within their dog's brain, it becomes easier to empathize with the dog's experiences. For instance, understanding that "Tom" (the limbic system) might be overreacting due to past trauma can help caregivers respond with patience rather than frustration.
Informed Decision-Making:
With a clearer understanding of these neural systems, caregivers can make more informed decisions about how to respond to their dog's behavior. For example, recognizing when "Reggie" (the autonomic nervous system) is activating the fight-or-flight response can guide caregivers to create a calmer environment.
Tailored Interventions:
Understanding the roles of these "characters" allows caregivers to tailor their interventions more effectively. For instance, knowing when to engage "Conrad" (the prefrontal cortex) through cognitive exercises or when to soothe "Reggie" through calming techniques.
Promotion of Patience and Compassion:
By framing a dog's behavior in terms of these neural systems, caregivers are encouraged to view challenging behaviors as the result of internal processes rather than willful disobedience. This perspective promotes patience and compassion in responses.
Facilitation of Communication:
These characters provide a common language for caregivers to discuss their dog's behavior with trainers, veterinarians, or other pet professionals, facilitating clearer communication about complex issues.
Empowerment Through Knowledge:
By making neuroscience accessible, this approach empowers caregivers with knowledge. This can lead to increased confidence in their ability to understand and address their dog's needs.
Building upon the foundation of the Polyvagal Theory, the Bio-Coloured Framework serves as a practical tool to help dog caregivers recognize their dog's emotional states and intervene appropriately.
Introducing the Bio-Coloured Framework: Linking Reggie’s Activation of the ANS Systems
The Bio-Coloured Framework is a key tool for visualizing and understanding the emotional and physiological states that dogs experience, particularly from the perspective of the autonomic nervous system (ANS). It simplifies the complexities of neural regulation by associating different colours with specific states of arousal and behaviour, aligning with the four primary pathways of the ANS. In this framework, Reggie symbolizes the ANS, playing a pivotal role in regulating these pathways. Each pathway corresponds to a specific bio-colour, reflecting the dog’s state of arousal, stress, or relaxation.
The Bio-Coloured Framework associates four colours with the different pathways Reggie activates within the ANS, each representing a distinct behavioural and physiological state:
Blue Pathway: Dorsal Vagal System (Immobilization/Shutdown) – Blue signifies extreme fear and immobility.
Red Pathway: Sympathetic System (Fight or Flight) – Red represents heightened arousal and defensive behaviour.
Green Pathway: Ventral Vagal System (Social Engagement and Calm) – Green symbolizes safety, calm, and openness to social interaction.
White Pathway: Transition Zone (Flux) – White is a transitional state, where the dog moves between emotional responses, providing a critical point for intervention.
Reggie’s ability to shift between these four ANS pathways is crucial for understanding and responding effectively to a dog’s emotional state. The White Pathway, although not yet studied and explored in scientific literature, represents an important point for intervention, especially for dogs who, due to trauma, cannot move independently to the Green Pathway.
The Bio-Coloured Framework is also a tool for caregivers, encouraging them to be aware of their emotional states and their role in creating a regulated environment for their dogs.
Case Study: Navigating Complexity – How the Bio-Colour Framework and SPE&BE Reshaped Charlie’s World
When Patricia and Hugh adopted Charlie, he brought significant emotional and physical trauma into their home. Charlie had suffered a broken leg in a car accident early in life and was left by the roadside. While his physical injuries healed, his emotional wounds remained, profoundly affecting his behaviour. After months in a shelter waiting for adoption, Charlie’s signs of distress, particularly when left alone, intensified. Initially, he was anecdotally diagnosed with separation anxiety by several trainers but his condition proved more complex than simple separation anxiety.
Initial Behavioural Observations and Misdiagnosis
Upon his adoption, Charlie displayed classic signs of anxiety, particularly when alone. His distress escalated into panic behaviours, including pacing, panting, scratching, and chewing on entryways in an attempt to escape. Trainers told Patricia and Hugh that Charlie had separation anxiety, setting off a set of traditional protocols, yet, conventional treatment plans showed no improvement. Despite their efforts, Patricia and Hugh felt helpless as promised methods failed to address Charlie’s deeper emotional struggles.
Uncovering the Root Causes: A Systems Approach
Charlie’s case required a deeper psychological evaluation. Using systems thinking, which considers multiple interconnected factors, it became evident that Charlie’s distress extended beyond separation anxiety. His anxiety was exacerbated by his interactions with Bella, a blind dog with a seizure disorder who relied on Charlie for emotional support. Bella’s unpredictable barking and seizures, combined with Charlie’s isolation from humans, created a storm of emotional instability, worsening his condition.
Through a systems-based lens, Charlie’s behaviour was reinterpreted as Intolerance to Uncertainty (IU) (Haegen & Etienne, 2016) , and supported by Charlie's veterinarian. Intolerance of uncertainty is a psychological construct that has been studied extensively in human psychology, particularly in relation to anxiety disorders and decision-making processes. IU in this case would refer to characteristics that result from prediction errors occuring in a traumatised dog with negative beliefs about uncertainty and its implications. IU is strongly associated with various anxiety disorders, including generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive disorder, all of which have been found in dogs. Research has shown that IU can affect cognitive processes such as attention, memory, and interpretation of ambiguous situations. High levels of IU have been linked to difficulties in decision-making in humans, when information is ambiguous or missing. It is not hard to recognise traumatised dogs collecting information for decision-making can similarly experience ambiguous and undeterminent information, such as affecting how dogs process sensory information.
The Neurobiological Links
His emotional regulation was disrupted by the unpredictability in his environment, particularly Bella’s erratic behaviour. The bio-psycho-social stressors surrounding him only deepened his anxiety. Witnessing Bella’s seizures and reacting to her 'geolocation barking' heightened Charlie’s anxiety, leading to destructive behaviours during isolation.
Charlie’s inability to manage uncertainty stemmed from his underdeveloped executive functioning—often linked to early-life trauma. The Dog Executive Function Scale (DEFS)(Fiorata, et al, 2023) emphasizes the importance of executive functioning in emotional regulation, impulse control, and adapting to change. Early trauma likely impaired these functions in Charlie, making him more prone to emotional dysregulation and panic when facing uncertainty.
Application of the Bio-Colour Framework
The Bio-Coloured Framework provided Patricia and Hugh with a valuable tool to interpret Charlie’s emotional and physiological states. His stress behaviours—pacing, chewing, and panting—were clear signs that he was operating within the Red Pathway, representing heightened arousal. This behaviour was not defiance but the expression of an overwhelmed nervous system in a sympathetic response.
By understanding the transitions between pathways, especially Charlie’s movement from the Red Pathway to the White Pathway, Pauline and Hugh could intervene before his anxiety spiralled into panic. This knowledge allowed them to help Charlie stabilize and gradually shift toward the Green Pathway, where calm and social engagement were possible. The framework empowered the caregivers to respond more effectively to Charlie’s emotional needs.
SPE&BE as a Transformative Tool
Introducing Sensory-Based Positive Experiences and Balance Exercises (SPE&BE), also called "Spee Bee", played a crucial role in Charlie’s recovery. Engaging his sensory systems in controlled, positive environments built his confidence and emotional resilience. One of the most effective strategies was creating scent trails, which allowed Charlie to use his olfactory senses in structured tasks, giving him a sense of control over his environment.
Additionally, vestibular balance exercises—like walking on uneven surfaces such as outdoor cushions or balance beams—strengthened Charlie’s vestibular system and gave him greater control over his body, which trauma had undermined (J. Tucci, The Handbook of Trauma-Transformative Practice). As Charlie mastered these exercises, his emotional regulation improved, making him less reactive to unpredictable events.
Analysis of Progress and Behavioral Shifts
The combination of the Bio-Coloured Framework and SPE&BE led to significant improvements in Charlie’s behaviour. His pacing and destructive tendencies diminished, and he became calmer during periods of isolation. While progress was not linear, the structured interventions gave Patricia and Hugh the tools to manage setbacks and remain trusted guides in Charlie’s emotional recovery.
Charlie’s case illustrates the importance of recognizing trauma’s impact on behaviour. His anxiety was not just about separation; it was a complex tangle of issues; of uncertainty intolerance, executive dysfunction, and environmental stressors. This multi-layered approach, integrating neurobiology, systems thinking, and sensory-based interventions, proved crucial to his recovery.
Building Resilience and Strengthening Relationships
Charlie’s transformation demonstrates that deeply rooted anxiety behaviours can improve through targeted interventions like the Bio-Coloured Framework and SPE&BE. These tools gave Christa and Dave the understanding and confidence to navigate Charlie’s emotional landscape. While Charlie will require ongoing management, his improved ability to regulate his emotions has allowed him to lead a more stable life. As he grows more confident, the bond between Charlie and his caregivers continues to strengthen, deepening their relationship.
About the Author
Sparky Smith is a pioneering Canine Psychologist, with over 30 years of experience. Known for her innovative approaches to dog behaviour therapy, Sparky combines system dynamics, cybernetics, systems theory, neuroscience, biology and psychology to develop groundbreaking methods for treating complex behavioural issues. Her work encompasses a wide range of cutting-edge techniques designed to address the deep-seated emotional and cognitive challenges faced by traumatized dogs and the families who adopt them. Sparky's expertise has earned her multiple accolades, including "Best Human-Centric Canine Psychologist" and "Pet Psychologist of the Year." Her focus is now on producing the Dog Parentology Podcast to democratise information and allow dog parents to find solutions to challenging complex problems.
(See answer Did I Use AI to Write This Blog? below)
References:
Brascamp JW, Shevell SK. The Certainty of Ambiguity in Visual Neural Representations. Annu Rev Vis Sci. 2021 Sep 15;7:465-486. doi: 10.1146/annurev-vision-100419-125929. PMID: 34524881; PMCID: PMC8687672.
Benz-Schwarzburg J, Monsó S, Huber L. How Dogs Perceive Humans and How Humans Should Treat Their Pet Dogs: Linking Cognition With Ethics. Front Psychol. 2020 Dec 16;11:584037. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.584037. PMID: 33391102; PMCID: PMC7772310
Polyvagal Theory proposes that the neural evaluation
Tucci, Joe; The Handbook of Trauma-Transformative Practice: Emerging Therapeutic Frameworks for Supporting Individuals, Families or Communities Impacted by Abuse and Violence (p. 61). Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
Sapolsky, Robert M., Behave: The Biology of Humans At Our Best and Worst. New York, New York, Penguin Press, 2017
Marie Vander Haegen & Anne-Marie Etienne | (2016) Cognitive processes across anxiety disorders related to intolerance of uncertainty: Clinical review, Cogent Psychology, 3:1, 1215773, DOI: 10.1080/23311908.2016.1215773
Did I Use AI to Generate This Blog?
Yes I did and why not. I am even surprised that I must identify this as a thing. So here's the down-low: all the ideas here are mine, except for the ones I borrowed from brilliant minds and cited accordingly. I’ve teamed up with AI to dig through my own innovations and other scientific breakthroughs. I’ve even had AI study my writing style to keep that Sparky flair alive. And let’s be honest, AI is a lifesaver when it comes to turning my brilliant, slightly chaotic thoughts into sentences that actually make sense. I review everything to make sure it’s accurate, and that sources and other innovators are credited, because, you know, integrity matters. I’m all about using AI for good—after all, when you’re a lifelong innovator, why not let AI handle the heavy lifting so I can keep doing what I do best: helping dogs and their humans thrive.
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