Dog behavior
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dog behavior refers to the instincts that influence how a dog would react to any given situation or stimulus as determined by genetics and the environment.
Many books and articles have shared the common knowledge that dogs are pack animals. They prefer a social lifestyle similar to a human family. This truth doesn't always clarify the fact that dogs do vary in their pack drives or that their pack structure is not static. Lower pack drive or more independence will mean that companionship and attention do not typically rate highly as motivators.
In fact, dogs need to learn how to play. Indeed, of all the drives listed, play drive seems to be the one that is not inherently part of every dog's genetic make up. For wolves and other wild canids, play is the educational mechanism for puppies. For a domesticated dog, these behaviors are not as critical.
A dog possessed with a strong prey drive will often be found reacting to virtually anything that moves. Prey drive is an important component to many aspects of a dog's personality, social behavior, work and play.
Self preservation drives can include simple behaviors like avoidance and even hiding. This basic instinctual drive, to avoid and prevent the unpleasant, is based in the instinct to survive. As such, a dog taught to learn to accept and enjoy a wide variety of experiences helps assure that his/her responses are appropriate. Inappropriate responses are generally referred to as "sharp-shy," anxiety or fear-based aggression or aggressive posturing, among others.
