ACT Companion Dog Club

Instinctive Behaviour

Dogs do not behave in a rational way - planning how to spend the time ahead of them. They just react to what is going on around them according to the strong, natural instincts they have inherited. We must always remember that the pet dog still has the instincts of his wild ancestors, often weakened by centuries of domestic breeding, but still present. Some breeds have been bred to retain particular instincts useful to man. The hounds have strong instincts to follow scent; the guarding breeds have strong protective instincts and the gun dogs instinctively carry things.

The wild ancestors of the dog are thought to be very similar to the modern wolf and we can understand our dogs better by studying the instincts of the wolf. Generally, if a dog is causing problems it is because his natural instincts are not being satisfied. The dog is left alone too much, has no leader, has nothing meaningful to do, doesn't have the opportunity to meet other dogs, etc. Such frustration may cause the dog to behave destructively, to bark a lot, or to show aggression. Often obedience training, carried out regularly, will cure these problems as it supplies the dog with company, leadership, and activity.

Below are a number of instinctive behaviours that should be considered when attempting to understand how a dog reacts and behaves (remember we do not know what a dog actually thinks, we can only observe behaviour) - The Pack Instinct, the Instinct for Freedom, the Territorial Instinct, the Sexual Instinct, and the Instinct to Hunt.

The Pack Instinct

Wolves live together in small groups composed of members of an extended family. They hunt together and they help each other rear the cubs. Within the group a 'pecking order' is established with a 'pack leader' (alpha dog). Each individual varies in the strength of it's instinct to dominate or to submit. Most are happy to follow a leader.

A consequence of pack lifestyle is that the wolf (or dog) is essentially a communal animal (likes company and living in a group). In order to live and work together the wolves need to communicate with each other. They have a range of noises they can make but they can also communicate very well by means of body language - the movement of the ears and lips, the posture of the body, the angle at which the tail is held and so on. We should therefore develop our observation of our dog's body language and also remember that the dog will in turn be reading our (often unintentional) body language.

The Instinct for Freedom

Wild animals have a strong instinct to flee if danger threatens. In the domesticated dog this instinct has generally been weakened by breeding but it is still present and may be quite strong in some individuals. Whenever a dog is fenced in or put on a lead, this instinct is frustrated and may result in aggressive or destructive behaviour.

The Territorial Instinct

The wolf is a territorial animal. The area around his den is defended against intruders, especially of the same species. This is why our dogs will behave quite differently when they are on their own ground from how they behave elsewhere. When you first bring your dog to classes he will probably not be as aggressive as he might be at home (the Club being neutral ground). This also explains why dogs often bark at intruders at home ... like the milkman, the mailman, or the garbage truck. This behaviour is often reinforced since the intruder tends to go away, thus convincing the dog that its protective, territorial behaviour actual works. It also means that if you want to introduce a second dog into your family it is much better for the first meeting of the dogs to take place on neutral territory rather than at your home.

The Sexual Instinct

If a dog is to be kept as a companion rather than for breeding purposes it is better to have him or her desexed. Entire bitches come into season twice a year and have to be very securely confined for 3 weeks to ensure they don’t have unwanted puppies. Entire male dogs are inclined to wander and may show unpleasant levels of aggression. Desexed dogs or bitches are happier animals as their instincts are not being frustrated. Contrary to popular belief, they will not get fat unless overfed or under exercised.

Unwanted puppies are a major concern in our community with the Pounds and RSPCA Shelters playing host to far too many dogs each year. Feral dogs (those that have been dumped to fend for themselves) are also an increasing problem in rural areas.

The Instinct to Hunt

A wolf would spend a lot of his time hunting for food but the domestic dog does not have the need or generally the opportunity to hunt. We can still see the instinct in the urge to chase moving objects such as balls, joggers, bicycles, cars, etc. We can use this instinct when teaching our dogs to come to us - they are much more likely to come if we run away from them than if we move towards them. Teaching a dog to retrieve is using the natural instincts to catch prey and return with it to the den. The hunting instinct is stronger in the breeds that are bred for hunting.

The instinct to hunt (having to work for food) can also be used when training a dog. The dog should be asked to perform some task in order to get food (even dinner) ... this need not be arduous and the task can be as simple as a short stay while the food is prepared. Dinner time is also the perfect opportunity to get some training done as the dogs motivational levels will be high.