curbing natural instincts

[Chris Smith]

Do you use the same training methods to curb or control all of a dog's natural instincts? (whether it is herding, prey chasing, hunting, guarding, digging, barking, etc.)

Is it always just a combination of treating and praising? And doing things in controlled environments first and then move to distractions?

I assume most of us curb our dogs natural instincts to protect the dog and ourselves (home, children, etc.). Are there any downsides to curbing a dog's natural instincts?

i.e. herding dogs - curbing or controlling them racing after bicycles, moving objects, runners, nipping or barking to round other dogs together, etc.
herding dogs - needing a job or needing to keep very busy and occupied.

hunting dogs - prey instincts - lunging after birds, cats, squirrels.
hunting dogs - rolling in cow pies to cover up their scent in case their prey is around.
hunting dogs - retreiving until they drop (not knowing their limit)

guard dogs - barking, pacing, etc.

burrowing dogs - digging holes in the yard.

[Mario Niepel]

Well, I think that curbing your dogs natural instincts can be a recipe for disaster. Dogs need to do dog things in order to stay happy and sane. That means they need to run, snuffle, chase, dig, rip, chew, play, ... Some dogs need to do certain things more than others, younger dogs often need more and more frequent outlets than old dogs. But, all dogs need to be dogs.

Rather than thinking about curbing the dogs natural instincts, I think about it as finding outlets for the dogs natural instincts that are appropriate to me and my environment. Give the dog chew toys and bones to chew on. Hide some treats around the house every now and then for the dogs to find. Put food in kongs and other toys for the dog to dislodge. Go to the dog-run for playtime, chasing, barking and other dog related activities. When on a walk, allow ample time for sniffing and other things that are enjoyable for your dog. And so forth...

Of course, I will curb the dogs instinct behavior when it is not appropriate. I will not let the dogs chase squirells when we are next to a busy street. However, I do not think that I will ever be able to "supress" the desire of my dogs (especially Sammy) to chase squirells. I either physically prevent the chasing, distract before the chase starts or offer a reward that is even better than chasing squirrels. I employ all three methods and all three do work. However, left to his own devices, Sammy WILL chase squirells. No question asked.

[Grace Erick]

Mario, I may be wrong, but I think all dogs love to chase squirrels. My chi would love to play with them. She thinks they are her friends along with cats that pass through my yard.

I wish some people would control dogs who run after vehicles. It was a major topic when I took my motorcycle saftey test inorder to get my license for my motorcycle. I have been approached a few times while I was riding my motorcycle on side streets by dogs. I always averted disaster luckily.

Funny enough, in the Indian villages in WA, they seem to like dogs and let them run lose and some of the dogs hang out in groups or packs ranging from all sizes and breeds, but they are non aggressive. I was driving past a pack of them hanging out, and to my surprise, who comes out of the pack to chase my car, but this tiny dascund running behind my car after me:)

[Mario Niepel]

Grace, my Jake doesn't really care for chasing squirrels. I actually think that he is just a sore loser. If he can't catch it, he won't run after it. :)

I like the term you used though: control. That's what I should have used in my previous post. At no time do I really curb my dogs instincts. I control them in certain situations. And most of the time I do it physically (by putting a leash on) or by a distraction/prevention method (redirecting the attention before the instictive behavior takes over).

[Grace Erick]

Mario, I use no control on my dog. I call her my wild child. At 3-1/2 pounds, there isn't much she can do wrong. She is always leashed when I'm in a park, and due to her size, I make sure to keep her a safe distance away from any larger dogs, even if people swear their dogs are friendly with other dogs. I've had a bad incident with a "friendly" dog before. If I feel a person walking their dog cannot control their dog or is letting the dog get to close to mine, I just pick her up. She's bite size:) One bite from a big dog and it's all over!

When Chihuahuas play, it's like watching a video in fast forward, so when she sees squirrels or cats, she wants to run towards them as fast as possible. She doesn't understand that running fast towards each other is a chi thing.
I do have a cat that visits her in our backyard, but I put her down right next to the cat so she can't run up to him and scare him. Then they sit together. The day she sits next to a squirrel, I better have a video camera ready and send it into funniest home videos for a $100,000 prize:)

I really don't understand why someone would let their dog roam around their block if they chase cars or motorcycles. The dog could actually cause the motorcyclist to kill themselves and the dog.

[Melissa Brunoehler]

Hi Chris~ I would use different “training methods” to curb/control these natural dog behaviors. While every dog is different & one situation may require a different approach; I’ll list the approach I that I would most likely use.
Herding & prey drive -a combo of counterconditioning & desensitizing- I would also work on attention exercises. Management is important here- keeping the dog on leash when he’s around things he likes to chase.
Guarding- A true “guard” dog should be taught an appropriate way to guard- Such as an alert bark if a stranger comes on the property. If a dog is having issues with territorial & or fear aggression (which I think you mean?) I would again use Counterconditioning & Desensitizing.
Let’s use Lewie for an example. Now that the nice weather is here, people are out all the time where I live. I have a small yard & many neighbors. I did a combo of things with L to get him used to all the people. One afternoon I sat in the doorway while he was outside & threw treats at him every time a person or animal came into view (Desensitizing). I did this for an hour or two & noticed a big difference almost immediately. Other times when I’m outside with him I’ll grab a toy & start playing fetch with him when people are close to our yard. (CounterConditioning )
Digging- Teach the dog to dig in it’s own “dig” area. Manage the dog’s environment so that he cannot dig anywhere he wants.
Barking- Dogs bark for so many reasons, it really depends on the situation. Lets say that the dog has learned to bark for attention. Since we know that any on that is reinforced

1.Yes when we are teaching a new behavior it is best to start with no distractions- this is part of setting you & your dog up for success. Distractions should be added slowly, one at a time. . If your dog doesn’t pay attention to you at home without distractions, he isn’t going to pay attention to you in the presence of something he likes to chase.

Curbing a dog’s natural instincts can in some cases save the dog’s life. We can safely curb these instincts using techniques such as counter conditioning, desensitizing, & by using +R to teach appropriate alternative behaviors. It is also important to realize that yes management is important & necessary but overusing it can be cruel such as keeping a dog in crate 24/7.

It is also important to realize that dogs that display these behaviors need plenty of mental & physical exercise.

Using +P to curb these instincts can cause more problems than it fixes, here’s why-
+P does not teach the dog what he should do: + P is an inhibitor. If you want a dog to learn an acceptable behavior it doesn’t make sense to inhibit the dog’s learning process. If the dog turns to avoidance (Flight) in order to escape the punisher the dog is no longer willing to learn or work with you. The other option (besides avoidance) that a punished dog has is Fight (Aggression).

I’d be happy to go into more detail about any of this- just let me know.
Do you use the same training methods to curb or control all of a dog's natural instincts? (whether it is herding, prey chasing, hunting, guarding, digging, barking, etc.)

Is it always just a combination of treating and praising? And doing things in controlled environments first and then move to distractions?

I assume most of us curb our dogs natural instincts to protect the dog and ourselves (home, children, etc.). Are there any downsides to curbing a dog's natural instincts?

i.e. herding dogs - curbing or controlling them racing after bicycles, moving objects, runners, nipping or barking to round other dogs together, etc.
herding dogs - needing a job or needing to keep very busy and occupied.

hunting dogs - prey instincts - lunging after birds, cats, squirrels.
hunting dogs - rolling in cow pies to cover up their scent in case their prey is around.
hunting dogs - retreiving until they drop (not knowing their limit)

guard dogs - barking, pacing, etc.

burrowing dogs - digging holes in the yard.