New Highways, Old Highways — How the Brain Changes Behavior with Dean Hart

This webinar builds on the “highway” model of learning to explore how the dog’s brain changes behaviour over time. We look at how emotional state, memory, and past experience shape the pathways a dog relies on, and why some responses become deeply ingrained while others remain flexible. The session explains, in clear and accessible terms, how new learning competes with old patterns, why behaviour sometimes improves quickly and sometimes stalls, and what’s happening inside the brain when a dog appears to “forget” training.

We also examine why old behaviours can resurface unexpectedly, even after successful training, and how trainers can respond in a way that supports long‑term change. By connecting neuroscience with real‑world behaviour modification, this webinar gives professionals a practical framework for understanding relapse, spontaneous recovery, and the emotional drivers behind behaviour. Attendees will leave with a clearer picture of how to guide dogs toward more stable, confident, and adaptive behavioural choices.

• Participants will learn to:
• Understand how emotion, memory, and experience shape behavioural pathways in the brain.
• Recognise why some behaviours fade while others persist or reappear unexpectedly.
• Learn how new learning can override old patterns using the “new vs old highway” model.
• Understand why relapse and spontaneous recovery occur, and how to respond effectively.
• Apply these ideas to real‑world behaviour modification and training cases.

Your Presenters- Dr. Dean Hart

Dr. Dean Hart is a clinical behaviorist with more than 23 years of experience working on veterinary referral, specialising in the biological foundations of learning, emotion, and welfare in dogs. His research spans heart‑rate variability (HRV) in canine stress assessment as well as cross‑species studies exploring how animals process and respond to their environments. Dean is known for translating complex neuroscience into clear, practical concepts that help trainers and behavior professionals understand not just what dogs do, but why they do it.

His teaching blends scientific clarity with real‑world welfare practice, offering evidence‑based tools that support humane, effective training and behavior modification. Dean’s work focuses on making the science of learning accessible, engaging, and directly applicable to everyday professional work.

PPG Members

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