Dog Instincts
All dogs have some instinctive behaviors. This applies whether the dog is a Great Dane, toy Poodle, Golden Retriever, or a combination of all three. The reason for this is that all dogs, regardless of breed, descend from the same source – Canis Lupus, the wolf. That distant ancestor contributed certain genes to his descendants that have proven so necessary for a dog’s existence that they are still in use. Granted, man has manipulated these hereditary inclinations to suit himself, but most of what dogs do can be traced back to his wolf ancestors.
From this lupine ancestor, most dogs have inherited an instinct to chase. We are fairly sure that, even among the earliest wolves, some were more addicted to and better at chasing than others, and so it has been with their descendants. There are dogs that will chase a ball, a stick, or even the neighbor’s cat only if they have nothing else to do. There are also dogs that will chase just about anything that moves – every time it moves! The chasers can be trained not to chase, but you will never be able to quell their desire to chase. The instinct courses heavily through their genetic makeup.
There are other instincts for which the need has been eliminated by passing of time. Most dogs circle around and round on their bedding before lying down. It is believed that this behavior stems from the time when it was necessary to crush down the underbrush in order to make a comfortable bed for the night. Mother dogs regurgitate food for their puppies. This is carried over from the time when it was the most efficient way of bringing home the day’s kill for their hungry pups back at the den.
No one teaches the modern dog any of these behaviors. These traits are contained within the genetic structure of each and every dog. Some of these traits are of little consequence today, but others conflict with how we want our dogs to behave as pets.
Word Association By Dogs
A specific word has no real meaning for a dog. A dog will respond to what action he associates with the word. For example, you and I understand what is meant by the words “chocolate sundae” – someone taught us that was the name for a combination of certain sweet things. We also understand that the word “desert” could also mean chocolate sundae or a number of equally appealing things to eat.
This is where we differ from our dogs. Rover understands what “chicken” is because every time we say the word, he gets a piece of chicken. However, asking him if he wants “poultry” means nothing to him. Although Rover may start salivating at the mere mention of the word “chicken,” you could substitute the word “hammer” every time you give Rover a piece of chicken, it would soon mean the same thing.
There are two lessons to be understood here. The first is that dogs can associate a word with a substance or an event (event meaning something like going outside or riding in a car). However, using different words to express the same command, even if the words have the exact same meaning, will only serve to confuse your dog – the connection cannot be made. For example, automobile and car have exactly the same meaning to you and I, but not to our dogs. They can only associate a given word with one result.
