Instinct Dog Training: How to Harness Your Dog’s Natural Behaviors

Is Your Dog Following Their Instincts—or Yours?

Isn’t it funny how our dogs almost always seem to get right to the point, as if to say, ‘Hey, I’m your dog, and now I’m going to dig in your flower garden’?

If you’ve experienced this, you’re witnessing pure, raw animal instinct in action! But here’s the catch—what if you could harness those instincts to bring positivity into your home and promote harmony? Let me introduce you to the fun approach of instinct-based dog training!

What Is Instinct Dog Training?

This type of dog obedience training is all about understanding your dog’s natural behaviors that you can then train into good habits. Rather than going against the tendencies, which we experience daily, why not harness them?

For instance, a dog who is obsessed with digging will be trained to do this activity at a particular area only or a herding dog will be taught to round up toys into a basket in a humorous way. The trick is knowing that your actions are squat instinctive and those instincts can be channeled towards something more constructive – and let’s be honest – less annoying.

Tip: Reading this, you should take your time to simply watch your dog and analyze its behavior. Knowing them will only help you build on those instincts in the positive ways you want them to go.

The Key Principles in Instinct Dog Training

Know Thy Breed: Every breed has its quirks. Terriers are notorious diggers; retrievers, well, love retrieving. Start by learning what your dog was born to do. This knowledge helps you focus your training efforts in ways that feel natural to your dog.
Redirect, Don’t Resist: If your dog is barking at every leaf that flutters by, instead of trying to squash that behavior completely, redirect it. Teach your pup to bark only when asked or turn that energy into a fun fetch game. You’re flipping the script—making their instinct work in your favor.
Reward the Right Instinct: Positive reinforcement goes a long way. When your dog follows their instincts in a way you like, shower them with treats, belly rubs, and enthusiastic praise. They’ll be motivated to repeat the behavior because, hey, who doesn’t love a good snack?
Make it a Game: Dogs learn best when they’re having fun. Incorporate their natural drives into games. Does your dog love to chase? Set up a game of hide and seek where they have to find you or a favorite toy. It’s like tricking them into thinking they’re in the wild while staying comfortably in your living room.

Instinct in Action: A Quick Example

Suppose you have a dog that has this undesirable characteristic of chasing after every squirrel that crosses its path. You can direct that impulse, instead of ripping one’s hair, while frustrated towards the end. Commands such as “watch me” and “leave it” will help redirect your dog’s attention towards you. Over time, they will develop more interest in you than the animals they freely interact with in their natural environment. (Okay, nearly as interesting. )

Tip: It is important to understand that dogs have short attention spans. Avoid having lengthy training sessions so that they can stay focused and also ensure that learning is fun.

The Perks of Instinct Training

Not only does that make for better real-life behavior with the dog but the connection between the human and the dog becomes stronger. The idea of training shifts more from correction to co-learning. But isn’t it true that dogs are far more joyful when they are engaged in something they prefer?

Bringing Out the Best in Your Dog

It is crucial to note that instinct training is not about changing your dog into something they can never be. It is all about cooperation, recognising these mechanisms, and turning them to one’s advantage. If you’re curious about diving deeper, there are plenty of online dog training resources to guide you step by step.

A Happy Pack Is an Instinctive One

Your dog is already a bundle of energy and natural instincts which is waiting to be developed or channeled. With those instincts and having a playful lead, you are not only achieving a good trained dog, you are achieving a joyful and a more satisfied dog . And is this not the desire of every pet parent?

The next time your dog is acting on instinct in a somewhat obnoxious way, just give a chuckle. You have all the equipment within you to transform that behavior into something awesome. Happy training!