Monday, 1 March 2021

Dogs And Their Prey Drive

 


The forerunners of the dogs we have as pets today survived by being predators in the wild, spending most of their days hunting prey. Even as dogs have been brought to the homes of humans through domestication over long periods of time, many of our pet dogs still have that prey drive running strong. In most dog training programs, dog trainers will take advantage of the canine instincts, substituted in place of food rewards instead. Treats then become added calorie sources for dogs, and if offered when training as positive reinforcement of desirable behaviors, could cause a pet to become overweight. With your pet dog’s prey drive going strong, they tend to like getting rewards like catching a Frisbee, playing fetch, or stick retrieval as the form of reinforcement for good behavior.

In teaching your pet dog to approach when called, try throwing a stick so that he can bring it back, or give him a ball he can chase as soon as he approaches you. Be sure to only do this after giving him praise for coming over. After the training activities, keep your pet’s favorite toy, specifically, the one you use as positive reinforcement. This is to preserve the toy’s novelty.

Take your dog regularly to your veterinarians Coral Springs, FL for wellness checkups to keep him active and healthy.

No comments:

Post a Comment