Dogs are often viewed as domesticated animals, as we tend to have them as pets in the modern world. We view them through our human lens, and try and work with them and encourage them like we would if we were working with another human.
At times it might feel like this is working and at other times it might feel like we are not getting anywhere with our dogs, regarding their behaviour.
In this article, we will unpack why dogs act as they do and how we can best work with this different understanding.
Ancestry and Instinct
The first thing to understand about dogs is that they are instinctual animals. This is different from us humans who are sentient beings, with consciousness and the ability to think, reason, and then act out a plan based on logic.
Dogs do not experience consciousness in the same way. Rather they are stimulated by their surroundings and then they respond, based on their instincts. This is not to say that they cannot pause, and observe their surroundings before acting, they do this all the time. But when they do this, they are relying on instinct, not conscious thought and logical decision-making.
These instincts can be shaped with training, but we need to understand that they are instincts, not the intentional actions of a conscious being.
The Factual Doggo has a lot of articles that go into more detail on this.
We will now consider a few common behaviours of dogs, and how those instincts have been shaped by their ancestry and evolution.
Chewing
Dogs in the wild lived a vicious life. Whilst the dogs we keep as pets wait for us to bring them their food, then eat it out of the bowl. Dogs in the wild always had to, and still do have to fend for themselves. This means catching food, tearing it apart, and getting access to all the nutrients they possibly can from the carcass.
One way they do this is by chewing. As a result, given this behaviour was so ingrained in a survival activity, dogs still have a deep chewing instinct.
Though it is understandable that you don’t want them chewing your furniture or favourite pair of shoes, you need to understand that the chewing itself is a very natural thing for them to do, so we just need to divert the chewing to something more appropriate.
Sticks and bones and chew toys are great things to give your dog, to minimize the chance they chew something else, and you will often find a dog will fall asleep after chewing because it is such a deeply rewarding activity for them.
Marking
You will often find a dog, especially a male dog, urinating on a tree, on your car tire, and on grass. Leaving behind some of their stinky yellow urine.
When a dog does this it is claiming its territory. Giving other dogs a message that this is their patch, and other dogs should keep away.
Like chewing, this is such an ingrained instinct in dogs that you are not going to be able to train them out of it. The best thing you can do is find a way for them to channel that instinct in a healthy way.
Chasing
Many dogs have a strong ‘prey’ instinct, suggesting their ancestors had to hunt and chase animals and kill them and eat them to survive. Even if your dog is well-fed, it may still chase other dogs or animals, because this instinct is so ingrained.
In most cases, our domesticated dogs, won’t kill and eat the thing they are chasing, but the instinct inside them is very strong when they see other animals running that they feel compelled to run after them.
Licking
A lot of people get very angry at their dogs for licking them and their guests. Though this can be undesirable for the dog owner, what the dog is actually doing in this scenario is showing affection. Very often a dog owner will punish their dogs for licking, which is sad because the dog is just showing affection, and re-enforcing the social bond, and then is getting punished for it.
This is another instinct that you should be able to shape, but you will never completely stop a dog licking.
Barking
No one likes a noisy dog, so it can be disconcerting when your dog is barking a lot. As we all know, dogs cannot talk, so they have to communicate somehow, and barking is one of the main ways that they communicate.
In many cases, a bark is some kind of warning or indication of a perceived threat, and in other cases, the bark is an expression of excitement.
Final Thoughts
There is nothing wrong with wanting to change the behaviour of your dog, but before you do it is important to understand where the behaviour is coming from. Once you understand that you may be able to change the environment to have an immediate impact on the behaviour.
If you need to do some positive reinforcement to try and change some of your dog’s instincts, that is totally understandable, but try and remind yourself that your dog is not being naughty, it is just being a dog, and it is not their fault. With a positive attitude, and some positive reinforcement you can take your dog a long way.
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