Instinctual Behavior, what does that actually mean when talking about dogs? Even though they’re similar, it’s still hard to believe that dogs today are descended from wild wolves. Yet, this heritage is responsible for most of a dog’s behavior. Domesticated dogs have natural instincts forged over several thousands of years of living in the wild. Learning what your dogs instincts and behaviors are, can help you better understand your dog and make training them easier. I have found that the book Sit! Stay! has a lot of good information about your dog and where he “came from”.Please click on the picture below to get your copy.
Be the leader: Another Instinctual Behavior is being in a pack. Dogs have a pack mentality derived from their wolf ancestors. Wolves hunt together for survival and travel together for safety. In every pack, a social hierarchy forms with the strong leader at the top and the most submissive wolves at the bottom. For a domesticated dog, his human friends are his pack. Even if you live alone with your dog, you are a pack of two. It’s important for the socialization of your dog that you take the role of the leader in this relationship. A book called Be The Pack Leader by Cesar Millan is a good book to get to help you learn how to do this well. Most dogs need plenty of reassurance that the leader of the pack accepts their behavior. By constantly giving your dog positive feedback or treats to reward good behavior, you can help reduce stress in your dog’s life. This explains why dogs fit so well into a family setting.Click on the picture below to get your copy of Be The Pack Leader by Cesar Millan.
Dig your dog’s roots: But what about other behaviors that aren’t so adorable, such as digging? Believe it or not, this, too, is another Instinctual Behavior. Wild canines dig holes in the ground to cool their bodies on hot days or even bigger holes to raise their litters in.
Understand why accidents happen: An instinctual behavior that is very undesirable in most house holds is marking. You might notice, mostly in the puppy stage, that your dog soils the carpet or other areas of your home. Wolves use their stool and urine as ways to mark their territory. This technique is critical to protect the wolves from other packs.
Listen to your dog’s instincts: Barking is another instinctual behavior that annoys most owners, but it can be traced back to a dog’s natural instincts to keep intruders away. It is also used as a means of communicating a dog’s location to other members of his pack, or to give them a heads up that trouble is on the way. Good communication is an important part of a successful pack.Instinctual behaviors may not always fit well in your house, but these behaviors have been handed down from generation to generation. Knowing all you can about his natural instincts to do what he does will give you an inside track on training him.
