Home is Where the Dogs Are: L.E.G.S. and Environmental Impacts & Expectations

What happens when the home we choose for a dog does not match the environment that dog was designed to navigate? This course explores the powerful impact of the modern home on canine behavior and welfare. Our dogs do not choose where they live, yet they are often expected to thrive in conditions that may be noisy, restrictive, sedentary, unpredictable, or mismatched to their natural tendencies.

Using the L.E.G.S. framework, this presentation examines how environmental expectations shape behavior, stress, and family conflict. Participants will look at the mismatch between working histories and modern lifestyles, including how a herding dog, guardian, hound, or other phenotype may struggle when their needs have nowhere appropriate to go. The course offers a clearer way to think about home environments as active welfare tools, not just backdrops for training.