By Gaby Dufresne-Cyr, CBT-FLE

What makes Social Cognitive Animal Training different?

For decades, dog training has brawn from behaviourism, giving trainers powerful tools for understanding reinforcement, consequences, shaping, and behaviour change.

Recently, cognitive science expanded our understanding of perception, memory…

By Gaby Dufresne-Cyr, CBT-FLE

Science advances by asking new questions. As a naturally curious person, I have always been drawn to exploring those questions and searching for new perspectives. As our understanding of animal cognition continues to evolve, so too…

By Gaby Dufresne-Cyr, CBT-FLE

Animal training has never lacked information; it has theories, methods, techniques, and generations of practical application. What it has lacked is something more fundamental: a way to see how all of these pieces actually fit together…

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, cognitive processing, and attchament, its deeper structure aligns closely with two frameworks rarely discussed…

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, CBT-FLE

When most people think about puppy socialization, they picture play. Groups of puppies tumbling over one another, burning energy, getting used to the world. It looks productive, and it feels right.

Social Cognitive Animal Training

For…

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?

A New Way of Training Horses

The short…

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. 

The Role of the Environment in Social Cognitive Learning

Bandura’s work on social…

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

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,…

By Gaby Dufresne-Cyr, CBT-FLE

Modern, science-based dog training, like social cognitive learning, recognizes that behaviour emerges from the interaction of three core determinants: social learning (how dogs learn from others), cognition (memory, perception, and attention), and environmental (physical and social…

By Gaby Dufresne-Cyr, CBT-FL

When we think of horse training, most people imagine a person holding reins and applying pressure on the bit, releasing it when the horse does the right thing. For centuries, this model, based on negative reinforcement…

By Gaby Dufresne-Cyr, CBT-FLE

Within the professional realm of dog training, a critical distinction exists between cues, commands prompted by external signals such as sit or look at me, and voluntary behaviours, actions the dog initiates independently. While cued…

By Gaby Dufresne-Cyr, CBT-FLE

In canine training and behaviour science, the prevalent assumption is that puppy-to-puppy play alone ensures optimal socialization. While peer interactions contribute to motor skills and bite inhibition, they lack the structured guidance that well-socialized adult dogs…

By Gaby Dufresne-Cyr, CBT-FLE

Dog and horse training is evolving from conditioning to a practice that incorporates various learning theories to address the unique needs of animals and their owners. Integrating approaches like social cognitive theory, constructivism, and situativism to…

By Gaby Dufresne-Cyr, CBT-FLE

In recent years, mirror neurons have captured the interest of scientists and animal behaviourists alike. Originally discovered in macaque monkeys in the 1990s, these specialised neurons have been linked to empathy, imitation, and social learning (Rizzolatti…

By Gaby Dufresne-Cyr, CBT-FLE

While many dog trainers talk about social or cognitive learning, few discuss, or use, the social-cognitive learning theory developed by Canadian psychologist, Albert Bandura. This oversight matters because understanding how animals—and humans—learn through observation, perception, internal…

By Gaby Dufresne-Cyr, CBT-FLE

In recent years, the field of animal training has experienced a paradigm shift—one that emphasizes cooperation, cognition, and communication over compliance. This shift is perhaps most profound when observed in the training of non-domesticated species, such…

By Gaby Dufresne-Cyr, CBT-FLE

In the world of dog training, lure-based techniques—using treats or toys to guide dogs into desired behaviours—have long been a go-to strategy. They offer seemingly fast results and are relatively easy for new trainers to implement.…

By Gaby Dufresne-Cyr, CBT-FLE

The Psychology of Dog Behaviour: Why Empathy Feels So Natural

From a psychological perspective, dogs’ empathetic behaviours are likely rooted in the bond they share with their human companions. This bond is reinforced through positive reinforcement,…

By Gaby Dufresne-Cyr, CBT-FLE

Dogs have long been considered man's best friend, not just for their loyalty, but for their profound ability to tune into human emotions. Whether it’s offering comfort when you’re sad or staying close during moments of…

By Gaby Dufresne-Cyr, CBT-FLE

In the last Blog, I tried to persuade readers to engage in a healthy discussion about being a dog professional. Today, we will take a look at social cognitive learning theory and resilience. Social Cognitive Animal…

By Gaby Dufresne-Cyr, CBT-FLE

This article will undoubtedly appear as a controversial piece to many, so be it! I accept the divergence of opinions, for I am open to constructive criticism and capable of objective dialogue. My purpose is to…