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.
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