How Dogs Learn
We obey laws because we know that if we don’t, dire consequences have been arranged to punish us for transgressions. We have the ability to conceptualize – to imagine.
Some canine behaviorists think that all dogs’ behavior comes from instinct. Other argue that dogs learn in the same rational manner as humans do, or at least as human children do. Both schools of thought are able to offer convincing proof as to the validity of their beliefs. We believe that there is truth in both theories.
One cannot have lived with as many dogs as some of us have through the years and not observed what is clearly instinctual behaviors at times and what is obviously rational behavior at others. We also believe dogs learn to obey our “laws” in a manner that is similar but different from the way we do. Because dogs learn differently, we must approach teaching them in a different manner.
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