❤️ Scientists just proved what every dog owner already knew in their heart!⁠

Your Dog’s Brain Might Love You More Than Treats — Science Just Proved It 🧠❤️🐾

Hey pet-parents — buckle up, because new science on our canine companions is turning some assumptions inside-out. A study of 15 dogs used awake fMRI scanning to test whether the brain region called the ventral caudate could predict whether a dog prefers food or praise.

In the first of the three experiments, dogs were shown cues that predicted either a food reward or owner praise (or nothing). The ventral caudate—the brain’s “reward centre”—lit up in response to both, but remarkably, in 13 of the 15 dogs the activation for the praise-cue was equal or greater than for the food cue. Then experiment two repeated things, but this time sometimes the praise was withheld (even though the cue promised it). The difference in caudate activation between getting praise vs withholding it strongly correlated with the individual dog’s cue response from experiment one. So: individual dogs’ neural responses were stable. The third experiment took this neuro stuff out of the scanner and into a behavioral test: dogs chose between going to their food bowl or going to their owner. And yes—the neural responses predicted the behavior. Dogs with higher relative caudate activation for praise stayed with the owner, dogs with higher for food chose food. Dogs without a strong neural preference were more inconsistent. 

So why should you care as a modern pet-parent? Because this means the age-old “treats vs praise” training debate may need a rethink. If your dog is hardwired (neurobiologically) to value your Attention and Affection as much — or more — than treats, leaning into praise, petting, interactive play, and social connection becomes not optional but powerful. If you’re the type who relies only on food rewards, you might be missing key opportunities to strengthen the bond. And conversely, if your pup is more food-driven, then yes: treats may still carry extra weight. The study suggests that dogs differ markedly in their reward orientation—so one-size-fits-all training may be leaving some dogs behind.

Urgent takeaway: we’re waking up to the idea that our dogs are individuals with distinct neural preferences—and those preferences shape what motivates them, how they bond, and how consistent they are in behavior. If you’re building a relationship, doing training, or simply trying to understand why your dog might “disconnect” when you switch rewards—this matters. The sooner you identify your dog’s sweet-spot (food, praise, or both) the better: you’ll build deeper trust, smoother training, and a happier, more responsive best friend.

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Today’s Last Laugh:

Amazing I’ll take 13 of them right now: