Some people are driven to acquire the fastest possible car. Or amass wealth. Or get the corner office. Others are driven to build a strong family unit, or to find the perfect romance.
What drives you?
Humans are composed of many drives and desires. We humanoids are complicated creatures. Dogs, however, are much simpler in their major needs and desires, or what I’ll call drives.
A dog’s most important need is the desire for social order, to follow a strong, compassionate leader. I call this Pack Drive. Pack drive can be best summed up like this; it is the desire to follow and collaborate with a clear leader. You can see this drive in action when you notice your dog trying to please you.
But dogs do possess other drives as well. Here is a list of the other most important instincts that literally drive dog behavior…
Prey Drive: the urge to chase, catch, kill and consume moving animals. You see this in action every time your dog chases a squirrel. Unfortunately, you may also see it when your dog chases your cat.
Play Drive: a modified form of Prey Drive, Play Drive is the urge to engage in mock hunting behavior. Play Drive is at work when your dog pounces on a squeaky toy and pretends to shake it to death.
Defensive Drive: the urge to defend himself, his pack mates, or his territory. Not all dogs have the drive to defend, and not every dog can stand up to the pressure of defending. A dog who reacts with a desire to defend, but who lacks the confidence to do so, generally shows fear before aggression. You may note this if your dog barks at the door, but runs away when you let someone in.
Fight Drive: If your dog stands his ground when confronted by threats, real or imagined, he may be high in Fight Drive, the instinct to take action to defend.
Flight Drive: A dog who does not stand his ground when facing a so called enemy or frightening situation, flees, and he is said to be high in Flight Drive. This and other drives are well explained in the works of authors Jack and Wendy Volhard.
It is important for us to understand what drives a dog, what makes him tick, in order that we may not only live with him peaceably, but also so we may train him in the easiest possible manner. To train a dog naturally, in a way that makes sense to his way of thinking, means the dog will learn to do what you want at incredible speed.
If that sounds hard to believe, think about it this way. When dogs play or interact, from the second they meet, they are exchanging information using body language. They speak much faster than humans because they can say “don’t come any closer,” merely by squinting an eye. So their language is quick and most dogs speak it fluently. This is why you’ll see dogs introducing themselves carefully at the dog park before playing. First each must know where he ranks in the pack, who he can be boisterous with, and to whom must he yield. Rarely does a dog fail to understand when another dog explains to him, “I am dominant. I would like to play with you, but please allow me to control the play.”
This happens in the blink of an eye and is the main reason there aren’t constant fights in dog parks. In fact, one of the rare times dogs do fight is when two dominant dogs meet and cannot negotiate a power sharing arrangement. This is rare, because they normally can work out a solution. Fights can also occur when a dog lacks confidence, is high in flight drive, and is cornered by other dogs.
Generally, though, dogs communicate quickly, and for a great reason. If they can instantly determine what their relationships are to be, there is limited need for fighting. And that is good for the species. Evolutionary success demands that social creatures work out their problems peacefully within the species, lest the animals expend more energy on killing one another than thriving. Dogs are a very successful species, and their drives, coupled with their ability to adapt, is the reason.
So what does any of this have to do with training your dog? Let’s go back and remember Pack Drive, the urge to follow and collaborate with the Leader. Dogs have this instinct for a good reason. If no one is in charge, chaos reigns. This means in the dog pack, no one has the authority to determine when we hunt, which deer is slow enough for us to catch, which dogs should pass along the best genes by breeding, and so forth. Lacking clear Leadership, dogs become nervous or aggressive…or both. In the wild, neurotic or unproductive aggression spells doom for the individual so afflicted, or for the entire species if those traits become common.
Dogs are born with Pack Drive so that their species does not live in chaos, thereby dying out. Instead, Pack Drive allows a Leader to emerge and keep the pack safe, content and well fed.
Training your dog is an important step in teaching him to meet your expectations. By recognizing how he his psychology functions, you’ll have a better chance of helping him understand what you want. Appeal to your dog’s need for social order by being a clear and compassionate Leader. By all means, share resources with your pet, just be sure you go first.
Here are a few tips that can help engage your dog’s Pack Drive so that he’ll see you as a Leader, and want to cooperate with you.
One, exit doors ahead of your dog. Encourage him to wait while you step through first.
Two, when walking your dog, don’t permit him to pull ahead of you. Instead, use any fair training method to teach him to walk at your side on a loose leash.
Three, ask your dog to sit before you feed him. Do not release an excited dog to his food bowl. Simply get the sit and stand quietly until he relaxes for a moment, then feed him.
Four, if you enjoy close contact with your dog, allow him to snuggle with you, but only when you have invited him to do so. If he gets in your lap without an invitation, take him off, have him sit, then invite him up as a reward.
Five, take your dog for a walk in a large open field on a 20 foot leash. If he runs ahead of you, simply turn around and walk briskly the other way. Before long, your dog will find it more pleasurable to keep an eye on you and allow you to pick the direction.
If you struggle with any of these matters, a professional dog trainer can help you upgrade your Leadership skills. Reward your dog only when he is in Pack Drive, attempting to please you. As Dog Whisperer Cesar Millan says, dogs follow a Pack Leader.
Marc Goldberg, CDT is a certified dog trainer specializing in the rehabilitation of difficult dogs and improving relationships. He is President of the International Association of Canine Professionals (IACP) and Editor of SafeHands Journal. The author also educates professional dog trainers in his techniques. Visit him on the web at http://www.trainingdogsinchicago.com or http://www.chicagodogtrainer.com.
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