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Dog Behaviour and Training
Freud may not have held forth on the whys of doggie ways, but our four-legged pals have far more in common with us than we think. And understanding what makes your pet tick (we aren’t talking about the blood-sucking menaces here) could be the key to successfully training it.
Dogs have behavior drives that determine how they would react in response to certain stimuli. If a trainer, or owner, can figure out these drives, training could become far less stressful for you and your animal.
Some drives could be preprogrammed in your pet and others could be learnt. Think nature versus nurture. Think Pavlov. While selective mating has traditionally played a large role in bringing out the best in certain breeds, training too can help maximize a dog’s potential by controlling his triggers to harness his skills.
For example, the canine reputation of being man’s best friend comes from the loyalty, companionship and affection the animal usually displays towards humans. Even this, however, is a product of training. Certain breeds are bred for domesticity or to help humans. These in general would display far more of what is considered pack mentality than dogs that work on their own, such as Herding dogs.
What drives my dog?
There are a few main triggers or drivers that work, in varying proportions, for most dogs:
- Food is, of course, one of the main triggers. For most dogs, rewarding with food and praise works well. However, there are some dogs that may not respond as well as others. It is important to recognize this early on in the training period so the trainer can change strategy, without labeling your pet unresponsive.
- If prey drives your dog, chances are you will have an overachiever on your hands pretty soon. Sense of smell and sound are directly linked with this, and dogs with the hunting instinct usually are very hard workers.
- As with humans, the more your dog is exposed to, the better he is likely to perform. Dogs have an innate sense of defense, and a dog lacking in confidence and/or experience is likely to cringe from anything new. So if your dog has been around the block a few times, and has had you by his side to reassure him that all is still well, he is likely to step up to a challenge. On the other hand, if you are protective of your dog and shield him from all possible stimuli, he is likely to reward you with a whimper.
- Finally, a fact that may surprise you: Play does not come naturally to all pooches. Dogs play as a way of learning. But since most dogs are separating from its brothers and sisters before they start bounding around and exploring the world, many don’t get a chance to do this. Your dog may actually need to be taught to play in order to perform better!
So before you start training your dog, you might want to give some thought to the way his mind works. It’s likely to improve your relationship in more ways than one.