Some people are driven to acquire the fastest possible car. Or amass wealth. Or get the corner office. Others are driven to build a strong family unit, or to find the perfect romance.
What drives you?
Humans are composed of many drives and desires. We humanoids are complicated creatures. Dogs, however, are much simpler in their major needs and desires, or what I’ll call drives.
A dog’s most important need is the desire for social order, to follow a strong, compassionate leader. I call this Pack Drive. Pack drive can be best summed up like this; it is the desire to follow and collaborate with a clear leader. You can see this drive in action when you notice your dog trying to please you.
But dogs do possess other drives as well. Here is a list of the other most important instincts that literally drive dog behavior…
Prey Drive: the urge to chase, catch, kill and consume moving animals. You see this in action every time your dog chases a squirrel. Unfortunately, you may also see it when your dog chases your cat.
Play Drive: a modified form of Prey Drive, Play Drive is the urge to engage in mock hunting behavior. Play Drive is at work when your dog pounces on a squeaky toy and pretends to shake it to death.
Defensive Drive: the urge to defend himself, his pack mates, or his territory. Not all dogs have the drive to defend, and not every dog can stand up to the pressure of defending. A dog who reacts with a desire to defend, but who lacks the confidence to do so, generally shows fear before aggression. You may note this if your dog barks at the door, but runs away when you let someone in.
Fight Drive: If your dog stands his ground when confronted by threats, real or imagined, he may be high in Fight Drive, the instinct to take action to defend.
Flight Drive: A dog who does not stand his ground when facing a so called enemy or frightening situation, flees, and he is said to be high in Flight Drive. This and other drives are well explained in the works of authors Jack and Wendy Volhard.
It is important for us to understand what drives a dog, what makes him tick, in order that we may not only live with him peaceably, but also so we may train him in the easiest possible manner. To train a dog naturally, in a way that makes sense to his way of thinking, means the dog will learn to do what you want at incredible speed.
If that sounds hard to believe, think about it this way. When dogs play or interact, from the second they meet, they are exchanging information using body language. They speak much faster than humans because they can say “don’t come any closer,” merely by squinting an eye. So their language is quick and most dogs speak it fluently. This is why you’ll see dogs introducing themselves carefully at the dog park before playing. First each must know where he ranks in the pack, who he can be boisterous with, and to whom must he yield. Rarely does a dog fail to understand when another dog explains to him, “I am dominant. I would like to play with you, but please allow me to control the play.”
This happens in the blink of an eye and is the main reason there aren’t constant fights in dog parks. In fact, one of the rare times dogs do fight is when two dominant dogs meet and cannot negotiate a power sharing arrangement. This is rare, because they normally can work out a solution. Fights can also occur when a dog lacks confidence, is high in flight drive, and is cornered by other dogs.
Generally, though, dogs communicate quickly, and for a great reason. If they can instantly determine what their relationships are to be, there is limited need for fighting. And that is good for the species. Evolutionary success demands that social creatures work out their problems peacefully within the species, lest the animals expend more energy on killing one another than thriving. Dogs are a very successful species, and their drives, coupled with their ability to adapt, is the reason.
So what does any of this have to do with training your dog? Let’s go back and remember Pack Drive, the urge to follow and collaborate with the Leader. Dogs have this instinct for a good reason. If no one is in charge, chaos reigns. This means in the dog pack, no one has the authority to determine when we hunt, which deer is slow enough for us to catch, which dogs should pass along the best genes by breeding, and so forth. Lacking clear Leadership, dogs become nervous or aggressive…or both. In the wild, neurotic or unproductive aggression spells doom for the individual so afflicted, or for the entire species if those traits become common.
Dogs are born with Pack Drive so that their species does not live in chaos, thereby dying out. Instead, Pack Drive allows a Leader to emerge and keep the pack safe, content and well fed.
Training your dog is an important step in teaching him to meet your expectations. By recognizing how he his psychology functions, you’ll have a better chance of helping him understand what you want. Appeal to your dog’s need for social order by being a clear and compassionate Leader. By all means, share resources with your pet, just be sure you go first.
Here are a few tips that can help engage your dog’s Pack Drive so that he’ll see you as a Leader, and want to cooperate with you.
One, exit doors ahead of your dog. Encourage him to wait while you step through first.
Two, when walking your dog, don’t permit him to pull ahead of you. Instead, use any fair training method to teach him to walk at your side on a loose leash.
Three, ask your dog to sit before you feed him. Do not release an excited dog to his food bowl. Simply get the sit and stand quietly until he relaxes for a moment, then feed him.
Four, if you enjoy close contact with your dog, allow him to snuggle with you, but only when you have invited him to do so. If he gets in your lap without an invitation, take him off, have him sit, then invite him up as a reward.
Five, take your dog for a walk in a large open field on a 20 foot leash. If he runs ahead of you, simply turn around and walk briskly the other way. Before long, your dog will find it more pleasurable to keep an eye on you and allow you to pick the direction.
If you struggle with any of these matters, a professional dog trainer can help you upgrade your Leadership skills. Reward your dog only when he is in Pack Drive, attempting to please you. As Dog Whisperer Cesar Millan says, dogs follow a Pack Leader.
Marc Goldberg, CDT
http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/train-your-dog-with-pack-drive-669979.html
#1 by Kip's Mom has a new dog! on June 27, 2010 - 7:42 am
Dog training question Part 3….?
Does your dog have a strong prey drive? Pack drive? Other drives?
Does the level of each drive determine how you train your dog? Is a dog with a strong prey drive easier or harder to train than a dog with a strong pack drive? Or is there no easier or harder, just different? Is there a way to increase the level of drive in a dog? Is there a way to switch from one drive to another? Do drives matter at all?
Hmmmm – 30 minutes and no answers – I guess I should have asked what to name my puppy.
#2 by Shannon™ on June 27, 2010 - 12:44 pm
Aww I’m sorry. I woulda been here sooner. I was in the shower.
Okay, first my answer is about the level of prey drive determining the difference in how you train your dog. Not with me it didn’t but that’s only because I don’t have that much knowledge in training. I’m fairly new to training itself. I grew up with parents who knew nothing about training so this is all new to me and I’m learning as I go with my dogs.
Yes, unfortunately, my dog does have a strong prey drive as myself and Mr. Groundhog had the unfortunate experience of finding out a few weeks ago. I didn’t think he did because he was bringing home all his little mole friends in the house alive and well and unharmed but saw a whole other side to him with the groundhog, which, I believe, you yourself explained to me the reason for.
References :
#3 by ♥ Jazzie ♥ Truth Rules on June 27, 2010 - 12:46 pm
Hmm, tricky. I tend to think of it as "behavior" rather than "drive". I suppose I reserve the term "drive" for excessivness in that area.
For example, my brother had a GSD that I would describe as having very strong prey drive. My brother was okay with it as he hated the neighbor cats and had no kids. However the dog was an absolute menace in my company as I do have small children and small dogs. I disliked the dog for it’s strong behavior and I felt negativity towards my brother for allowing it.
A behavior I can deal with. A strong "drive" puts me off.
References :
#4 by Boss on June 27, 2010 - 12:48 pm
I have never owned a dog with no prey drive. The dogs I’ve worked with without prey drive seem to have little drive at all (towards anything). A lot of people don’t know how to identify certain drives. Prey drive doesn’t necessarily only refer to killing another animal. Prey drive is basically based on a chase. If you throw a ball for a dog and he chases it, he’s acting on a prey drive. If your dogs chase each other, even with no intention of hurting each other, they’re still acting on prey drive. My dogs both have a strong prey drive in a fun loving manner. Neither has a "malicious prey drive" (not a technical term- just my interpretation of it). I can put my hamster on the floor and they’ll sniff him and chase it. Neither has any desire to kill or eat the hamster, they just want to chase the fast moving furry thing. It’s the exact same drive at hand when they chase a laser- their favorite activity.
I don’t consider pack mentality to be based on a drive, per se. I perceive it as a state of mind and all dogs have it; it’s just not as obvious in the more submissive dogs.
My dogs are trained, for the most part, based on being rewarded for desirable behavior through praise, food or play. My Golden Retriever’s reward for desirable behavior is a game of fetch, so, in a sense, his desire to chase the ball does require that his training be focused on a level of prey drive. My Papillon, on the other hand, will perform simply for a reward of praise, which isn’t based on prey drive.
Both dogs are submissive to me. There is a pack mentality, but since we’re all in understanding that what I say goes, it’s not the focus of their training (at least not on my part).
As far as switching from one drive to another, one must make one outcome that much more desirable than the other. In a dominant dog with a high prey drive, I would think the Koehler method of dog training would work best.
References :
#5 by DogAddict on June 27, 2010 - 12:50 pm
This is actually a really good question. I’ll choose to talk about just one of my dogs for this Q, my Irish setter. She does have a strong prey drive & she also has a strong pack drive.
Yes, the level of the different drives determined how I have trained her. Her strong prey has made certain things more difficult, but also makes certain things easier. She’s very "birdy" and goes into hunting mode easily (prey drive.) I can focus that prey drive onto a toy & use that toy as a reward. In that sense her drive works in my benefit. But training a reliable off leash recall and a reliable leave-it command can be a bit more challenging with a "birdy" dog. Her strong sense of pack drive helped especially with the recall.
Perfect example…
I take the dogs to run in the woods. The setter goes into hunting mode (prey drive) almost immediately. When I call her back to me she instantly switches back into pack drive. This is an example of switching from one drive to the next.
You can increase the level of drives in a dog, but a dog that genetically has a weak prey drive… will always have a weak prey drive. You can foster it and motivate the dog, but you’ll never get to a strong drive.
Yes, drives matter. A dog with a weak pack drive… is not an easy dog to train and live with. Low prey drive levels are bad in certain situations. A setter with weak prey drive would never accomplish anyting in the field. A shepherd with weak prey drive would suck at herding and schutzhund. But a pug with weak prey drive… wouldn’t matter too much.
References :
#6 by chetco on June 27, 2010 - 12:52 pm
Drive is the factor in finding the best way to communicate with any dog.
From lap dog, to sight hound, and everything in between.
Each dog has its motivator. Once you find the motivator for each dog or ‘drive’ you’ve taken the biggest step towards training.
Each dog has their own genius. One may seem ‘dumb’ because he doesn’t respond to choochy-coochy-coo’ praise rewards. One may seem ‘dumb’ because he doesn’t respond to treats or sounds, a leash correction, or a playball.
Some dogs are independent thinkers, and must be shown a ‘reason’ to learn a task. Others are just plain people-pleasers ( a JOY to train)
I become frustrated when a ‘trainer’ comes on this forum, telling a Chihuahua or Yorkie owner to use leash correction..or alpha roll..etc..as if that is the only way to train a dog.
Every dog is different, just as humans are.. Some characteristics are breed generated, and some are acquired from past environment or genetics
Training is not *one size fits all*.
I had two black Labradors..rejects from the guide dogs for the blind program.
They each had finished their training, and were awesome dogs. One wouldn’t take the lead into traffic, and one drooled when traveling, so neither were suitable for their careers.
However, bred from the same breeding stock, The Foundation’s own..they were differently driven.
One could care less about being touched or any show of affection..Just a quick ‘Good girl’ was all she wanted. The other was affectionate, and loved being stroked or petted.
The first was a retrieving maniac..She needed/craved a Job…The other was a ‘boy’s best friend’ companion. .So even within the same breed, there are major differences in drive.
In the above Labs, one had a strong no nonsense ‘work’ drive, and the other had the ‘pack’ drive.
References :
btdt
#7 by UCh Swamp Poodles CDX, OA, OAJ on June 27, 2010 - 12:54 pm
Great question, and a very complicated one. I’m not sure I can do it justice in a quick answer, but I’ll try.
Drive is, I believe, partially determined by breeding- hence sighthounds have a high prey drive. I also believe that drives can be built. I have a friend who has built some extreme drive in her dogs.
I also believe that the drive a dog has determines, in part, the best most efficient way to train a dog. If a dog has a high prey drive, they can be more easily trained with a toy. This drive, as I said, can be built- but I would much rather have that drive hard-wired, rather than have to spend excess training time building that drive.
I also believe that a dog can switch from one drive to another, based on circumstances. Some dogs have an extremely high prey drive at an agility trial- but may not chase cars, for instance.
I think drive is extremely important..drive to me equals motivation. There is no training a dog unless you find the right motivator.
References :
Training for 10 years- obedience and agility
#8 by greekman on June 27, 2010 - 12:56 pm
Excellent question and I am going to answer it BEFORE reading any of your answers.
All my dogs are selected for high prey and pack drives, however, I also require a high fight drive, which is not the same thing as defense drive, far from it actually.
Because I work with dogs that I picked to work with and do not have to deal with any dog, I am more in a position to work the drives the dog has in any way I see fit in order for them to suit me.
High prey drive, for example, comes in handy when I am training a dog for detection or sport or police work.
It is that prey drive that allows me to send my dog after a fleeing suspect or helper and have the dog apprehend him.
Here comes the hard part though, once my dog bites, I have no choice what drive he will be, the helper will dictate that with his actions.
Here comes the importance or pack drive and a clear head on the dog..he will "out" when I tell him to because his pack drive is in order.
Fight drive, another wonderful drive that you did not mention, is what I like to train my dogs in when I teach bite work..much easier to control a dog that likes to fight then one that feels like he has to, (defense), or one that does not want to lose his prey, (prey).
Yes, there is a way to increase a drive that is alredy there, but, you cannot instill one if it is absent.
Do they matter? Of course they do, without them you would not have a dog, well, not unless you belong to YA dogs section and came here daily asking about your new dog’s name!!!
Happy now?
References :
#9 by A. Wray (Moving Her Laboratory) on June 27, 2010 - 12:58 pm
It’s my understanding there are several types of drive and they have a strong genetic root, but you can increase a dog’s level of drive to some extent. So far as I understand you could possibly change a dog’s drive, but it takes a lot of work and training to get them as excited about a prey item as they are about food if they are a food drive type of dog. My GSDs major sources of drive as in this order: Prey/food (almost equal) then praise or pack/defense. You cannot instill something in a dog that it lacks completely, so not every dog is right for every type of training.
Pack drive is also known as the praise drive a lot of people talk about. A dog that is SOLELY praise driven is VERY rare, even though most dogs can be a combination of drives and not fall neatly into one category or another. For example, my GSD has an enormous amount of prey drive but also a good amount of food (and praise) drive.
Does the level of drive your dog has determine how you train your dog?
Of course! A lower drive dog, when building prey drive would need to catch and carry the prey item longer and more often than a high drive dog willing to work for the item. If you treated them the same way, there is a good chance a lower drive dog would eventually give up or not truly learn the skills they are needing. An example of this is when building drive is not letting the dog ever catch the prey item in the beginning stages of protection work. So instead of building a full, firm bite on the item, the dog stops trying to bite at all because it knows it is never allowed to have the item (if it even still tries to get it).
Is one harder or easier to work with?
Depends on your willingness to accommodate the dog’s needs into training and the dogs motivation to learn. For example, a dog with limited to no prey drive would have a much harder time in protection or schutzhund work than a dog with a high level of prey drive. Not that the other forms of drive aren’t good, but prey drive is required for the sport. You can’t always make a dog into something it isn’t, if the building blocks aren’t there, it’s not going to happen (contrary to the rainbows and butterflies philosophy of every dog can do anything). My GSD will never love agility like my Border Collie, and my Border Collie will never be a protection dog because each lacks something the other has. Not every person is cut out to be an Olympic athlete, why should we expect every dog to be cut out to do every type of training.
In addition to drive levels you also have softness and hardness (and sharpness) of dogs. A hard dog recovers very quickly from a correction, while a softer dog takes much longer and seems to respond more quickly to a smaller correction. My GSD is a hard confident dog, my Border Collie is a very soft dog.
While I don’t agree with everything they state on Leerburg.com, they have some excellent general training terminology articles I would recommend you read for more information. It would also be a good idea to speak with a local Schutzhund club or other competitive sport club.
ADD: Greekman great answer and you are completely right. The dog being able to out the item on command is very important. It is also good to not always take it the item away with each "out" command, since this can cause chewing of the item (not desirable in working dog sports). I normally out the item and throw it again 8/10 times then occasionally I keep it (when done training/playing). So my GSD doesn’t associate "out" with, "she’s going to take my beloved toy away," and more often than not it means, "yeah, she’s going to throw it again."
Also, don’t view having a high drive dog as a bad thing. If you are planning to train the dog, which is sounds like you are, this can be a WONDERFUL thing. It’s also great that you are thinking of these things now, since a lot of people end up with dogs with higher drives than they want without thinking of how this will impact their relationship and training. The only time this goes bad is when the dog is under trained, not properly trained or of course, not trained at all.
References :
One on drive terminology (among other terms)
http://leerburg.com/drives3.htm
List of articles:
http://leerburg.com/articles.htm#qaprot
#10 by ? on June 27, 2010 - 1:00 pm
JJ is completely devoid of any prey drive and doesn’t have a particularly strong pack drive. Louis Dobermann probably wouldn’t be proud of him.
You can’t increase what isn’t there, it’s just the way he is. JJ is 19 months old but acts more like a 6 month old, which is why I’m going to try a prong collar. I don’t always want to jog to the part, even if it is to heel!
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