Dogue Academy Professional Dog Trainer School

By Gaby Dufresne-Cyr, CBT-FLE

Social Cognitive Animal Training (SCAT) sits at the intersection of learning theory and lived experience. While it draws from social learning principles, its deeper structure aligns closely with two frameworks rarely discussed in animal training: situativism…

By Gaby Dufresne-Cyr, CBT-FLE

There’s a moment in every animal trainer’s journey when knowledge shifts from acquired to lived experience. It’s quiet, almost imperceptible at first. Professionals pause before a cue, softening their body, and recognizing that learning unfolds between…

By Gaby Dufresne-Cyr, CBT-FLE

Social cognitive animal training emerged from a growing recognition that dogs learn within a social context, where observation, interpretation, and referencing shape how behaviour forms. This perspective shifts training away from conditioned responses and places it…

By Gaby Dufresne-Cyr

I was halfway through lunch when they came to me. There was a kind of tension in the way they stood there, with urgency and a look that screamed desperation. Peter was back in the field with…

By Gaby Dufresne-Cyr, CBT-FLE

There is a question that keeps surfacing in the horse world, often quietly, sometimes defensively. Is it actually possible to train a horse without negative reinforcement or punishment?

The short answer is yes. It is possible…

By Gaby Dufresne-Cyr, CBT-FLE

Horses are inherently social animals. Herd dynamics govern attention, movement, and emotional regulation, and every interaction communicates information about risk, opportunity, and cooperation. 

Bandura’s work on social learning shows that horses observe and model behaviour from…

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…

By Gaby Dufresne-Cyr, CBT-FLE

Horses live in a world where anticipation is essential. As prey animals, their survival depends on predicting what will happen next, physically, socially, and emotionally. Cognitive science supports what experienced equestrians have long observed: horses are…

By Gaby Dufresne-Cyr, CBT-FLE

Dogs are exceptional observers. In social cognitive animal training, dogs gather information from people, animals, and the environment around them. They notice patterns, predict outcomes, and adjust their responses based on what they see others do.

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By Gaby Dufresne-Cyr, CBT-FLE

Horses live in a world of constant stimulation. Every movement, tone, and gesture conveys information, and they respond with sensitivity that reflects their social and cognitive awareness. Building trust with a horse is the first step…

By Gaby Dufresne-Cyr, CBT-FLE

Dog trainers are exceptionally good at observing behaviour. We notice patterns, emotional thresholds, timing, and context. Yet even with this level of skill, many trainers still encounter moments that behavioural explanations alone cannot fully account for…

By Gaby Dufresne-Cyr, CBT-FLE

There comes a moment in this line of work when usual explanations stop working.

You can no longer say, They just need more clarity, and mean repetition.
You can no longer say, They’re refusing to obay,…