I’ve been a bit lax with updates recently due to being a bit inundated with other things but I wanted to write a quick post about observational learning in canines.

Observational learning is exactly that – they see an action performed (ie mother grooming pup) and learn to copy that action.

It’s useful as it enables them to develop skills they might need in life – for example, wild canids (wolves etc) might learn how to forage or stalk prey from parent behaviours which will serve them well when finding food in their adult lives, thus increasing the chance of survival.

However, in the domesticated dog, observational learning can be used to a different advantage.

Our dogs don’t sleep in our bedroom at night and have a lovely ‘doggy’ space created especially for them. However, the pup has begun to watch us opening doors and started to attempt to open them herself!

We noticed an odd noise the other night and could see the door handle turning – she hasn’t quite mastered it yet but she seems to have learned the idea that moving the door handle will open the door.

Quite a feat for her really as she has to stand fully up on back legs to get anywhere near the handle!!

So, next time your dog is watching you, perhaps more is going on in his head than you realise!