Learning and memory is what makes each of us, and each of our dogs, a unique individual. Synaptic connectivity is the essence of learning and memory. It is a result of external and internal stimuli acting on the genes that create the proteins which make up our neurological system.

 

Journal of Applied Companion Animal Behavior Vol. 2, No. 1. 2008

LeDoux, J. (2002). Synaptic self: How our brains become who we are. New York: Penguin Books.