Children and Dogs… Education at the Crossroads of Ethology and Psychology with Margherita Gaspari
Your Webinar Description:
For many years, both children and dogs were believed to be born with a tabula rasa mind—a blank slate to be filled through instruction. Starting with Tolman’s studies and later supported by developmental psychology and neuroscience, this assumption has long been overcome in the field of education: today we know that children are not empty containers, but active, emotional and competent systems from the very beginning of life.
In the world of dog training, however, this perspective is still widespread. Dogs are often considered subjects to be instructed in the etymological sense of the word—filling their minds with commands and information. This approach can result in dogs that perform flawlessly in controlled or competitive settings, yet appear emotionally fragile, reactive, or unable to cope when placed in complex social or urban environments.
This webinar proposes a shift in perspective, bringing ethology and psychology into dialogue to highlight the remarkable similarities in emotional development and learning processes in children and dogs. The focus is not on the absence of error, but on the ability to move through emotions, tolerate frustration, adapt, and build stable relational skills.
Alongside the theoretical framework, the webinar explores how the child–dog relationship can become a true educational training ground—a relational space where emotions are practiced and refined, and where respect for the other, boundaries, waiting, and renunciation of impulses are learned. When consciously mediated by an adult, this relationship fosters empathy, responsibility, and mutual respect.
Entering the emotional world of both dogs and children means building a solid and balanced relational foundation, capable of supporting behavior over time and across different life contexts. An approach that does not reject technical competence, but integrates it into a broader, ethical, and deeply relational educational vision.
Learning Objectives:
By the end of this webinar, participants will be able to:
- Understand the key similarities between children’s and dogs’ emotional development through the lens of ethology and developmental psychology.
- Recognize the role of emotional regulation as a foundation for stable behavior, resilience, and social competence in both children and dogs.
- Distinguish between instruction-based approaches and relational, emotion-centered education.
- Identify how the child–dog relationship can function as a relational training ground for empathy, respect, boundaries, and frustration tolerance.
- Apply a relational and emotionally informed perspective to educational and training contexts involving children and dogs.
Your Presenters- Margherita Gaspari
Margherita is a canine educator, behavioral rehabilitation specialist, and trainer with over 15 years of experience in canine ethology and the human–dog relationship. She holds a degree in Communication and Journalism and is currently pursuing a degree in Psychology, a path that allows her to integrate rigorous scientific knowledge with a deeply relational and emotional approach to education.
Her unique perspective is rooted in her personal history as the sibling of a sister with autism. Growing up alongside a “special” sibling taught her the value of being less intrusive, observing carefully, and developing profound sensitivity and empathy. Over time, these qualities evolved into a deep love for animals and a particular compassion for those who struggle to express their needs.
This background became the catalyst for her professional studies. Margherita focuses on understanding both human and canine emotions, believing that respectful relationships must begin with emotional awareness and an understanding of one’s own inner dynamics. She recognizes that true connection requires honoring the needs of both oneself and the other.
Today, Margherita’s work is guided by her diverse life roles: she is a mother to an eight-year-old daughter, a foster mother to an eleven-year-old child, and the lifelong companion of a 15-year-old Dachshund. She also serves as a foster mother to an Italian hound rescued from a shelter. These relationships reinforce her core belief that emotional regulation and mutual respect form the essential foundation of true education.
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