By Gaby Dufresne-Cyr, CBT-FLE
Dogs learn behaviours everywhere: on a sidewalk, in a kitchen, near another dog, beside a food bowl, or at the end of a leash. Cognitive science has long shown that learning is deeply contextual, and Albert Bandura’s work reminds us that behaviour emerges through the interaction between cognition, environment, and social experience. When the environment changes, expectations shift with it.
Social Cognitive Environment Determinant
The environment is why a dog who responds fluidly at home in the living room may struggle in the basement or outdoors; the challenge reflects a change in context. Dogs attach meaning to places, distances, surfaces, sounds, and spatial arrangements. A cue given in a quiet living room carries different information than the same cue given near traffic, unfamiliar dogs, or heightened emotional energy.
The environmental determinant shapes what dogs notice, what they prioritize, and how they interpret a situation. A dog walking on a long line through an open field gathers information differently than a dog navigating a narrow sidewalk on a short leash. Space influences perception, and distance alters the emotional load. Even familiar cues take on new meaning when the environment demands greater attention than the task itself.
Lev Vygotsky’s work on learning adds an important layer here. He described learning as a process that unfolds through guided interaction before becoming internalized. In dogs, this appears when handlers organize the environment to support success by adjusting distance, managing complexity, and positioning themselves as a stable reference point.
Vygotsky's Scaffolding
The dog learns to move through the situation with guided intention and positive feedback. The environment functions as scaffolding, allowing the dog to bridge what it already understands with what the human knows.
Cognitive scientists describe learning as situated when knowledge becomes embedded in the conditions under which it develops. Dogs form expectations based on patterns, and as the environments shift, dogs reassess and update those expectations; their behaviour reflects active interpretation.
Rather than focusing on performance alone, trainers can evaluate whether the environment supports learning at that moment. Effective training layers understanding across contexts.
When we treat the environment as part of learning rather than background noise, dogs become more flexible learners. They develop the capacity to navigate space, novelty, and emotional intensity with increasing confidence, building resilience. It helps dogs make sense of a world that is constantly in motion.