Principle Three: Why Dogs Do (Drives + Needs)
Title: Principle Three: Why Dogs Do (Drives + Needs)
Just like every other animal on the planet, dogs have basic needs that motivate survival and security.
Food. Safety. Comfort. Predictability. Rhythm.
But once a dog feels secure, once they understand the rhythm of their situation, they need more.
That’s where the predatory sequence comes in (the chase, hunt, grab stuff).
Not because your dog is “bad.” Because they’re a dog.
They want to chase things. Hunt things. Interact with things. Sometimes bite things. Sometimes struggle a little. They want puzzles. They want challenges. They want to do something that feels like it matters.
And if we’re not facilitating that, they’re going to find it.
They’ll poke at the world. They’ll test cause and effect. They’ll invent little games of their own.
And that’s where nuisance behaviors show up and start driving you crazy.
Not because your dog is broken.
Because they’re motivated.
Principle Three is the reminder that behavior has a purpose.
Training, at its best, is redirection before the dog creates the direction on their own.
ACTIONABLE TAKEAWAY
Pick one “nuisance” behavior your dog has been offering lately.
Then answer this question in one sentence:
If this behavior is a game, what’s the reward?
Movement? Noise? attention? struggle? possession? a reaction from you? the thrill of making something happen?
Now give your dog a better game today.
Not a longer walk. Not more time at the dog park. Not more rules.
A better outlet.
Five minutes. One simple challenge. One simple puzzle.
Here’s an easy one: take a handful of food and make your dog “hunt” for the next throw.
Toss one piece. Then go passive.
When your dog looks back at you with ears up like, “again?” that’s the moment you activate and throw the next one.
They hunted. They problem-solved. They learned how to find their own advantage.
And you just redirected the drive before it went looking for your couch cushion.
Chris
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