Understanding Your Dog's Brain

When your dog faces a life-or-death situation, there's no time for deep thought. They just need to be ready to fight or flee to safety. In this high-stakes moment, it's all about immediate action to boost their chances of survival.

But what about a dog agility competition? Their physical safety isn't on the line, right? Well, that's where things get interesting. Critical thinking relies on the prefrontal cortex, and while dogs have one, it's much smaller than ours. This means we can't simply explain to our dogs that they're safe and just at an agility competition.

For many dogs, being in an environment bustling with lots of unknown humans and other dogs can quickly ramp up their excitement or anxiety. The longer a dog is in a busy setting, the more intensely they can feel these emotions. As these feelings rise, they move closer to their threshold of fight or flight.

Even before reaching this critical zone, their ability to access their prefrontal cortex for impulse control and decision-making is reduced. This might look like your dog not listening in the ring and making up their own course, or even getting the "zoomies" and missing all the obstacles entirely.

You might also notice their tolerance for other dogs and humans decreases. Normally a social butterfly at the local park, they might transform into a Tasmanian devil when another dog comes too close at an event.

This is precisely why, at Bee Happy IDA, we wholeheartedly support Yellow Dogs and ask that we all respect each other's dog's personal space, allowing every dog to enjoy the show too.

A Yellow Dog will often wear a yellow item—like a bandana, a lead slip, or a jacket. The goal of this visual cue is to prevent a dog from feeling the need to escalate their communication. A snarl, a growl, or a lunge toward another dog or person is simply a communication: "I don't feel comfortable being this close." By simply providing space to a Yellow Dog, or indeed any dog, we're being kind and mindful.

The next time you see a Yellow Dog, or any dog who looks like they might be overwhelmed by the environment, please help them and their owner by giving them plenty of space. It makes a huge difference in their comfort and enjoyment!