Dogs Are Instinctual Archives - Dog Instincts

All About Dogs

Inside Your Dog’s Mind: What They Feel For You

It’s something we dog lovers have likely pondered any number of times when our pet looks at us with those wise, wide eyes: “I wonder what he’s thinking…” Two recent studies are moving us closer than ever to a definitive answer. In a UK study, two researchers at Goldsmiths College in London, Deborah Custance and Jennifer Mayer, set out to determine if dogs are capable of empathy — an ability to truly understand emotion. “I had talked to so many people who have dogs who say, ‘it’s like my dog is trying to comfort me,’” says Custance. Though she admits

August 28, 2019 No Comments

A Dog's Senses Form His Reality

Counting The Hours

If you live in a place in the U.S. that does Daylight Saving Time, I hope you remembered to set your clock back yesterday. However, I hate to tell you that this doesn’t mean you suddenly got a whole extra hour. You just got back the hour that “disappeared” back in March. And, really, nothing actually changed except what your clock said. Every day still has 24 hours in it, the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, and everything goes on. Your dog may be a little confused by the change of schedule for a day

November 3, 2017 No Comments

Cesar Millan

Bounce Back Like A Dog

One of humanity’s most powerful emotions is empathy. It’s a trait not shared by a lot of animals, although elephants, dolphins, whales, and chimpanzees seem to be capable of it. So are our dogs. However, being human and emotional, we take our empathy a step further and do something that animals do not: we feel pity for other living things, and we can feel pity for ourselves. Dogs don’t do this, but it’s not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, particularly in the case of lacking self-pity, it can be a powerful lesson to all of us. If you’ve ever

July 21, 2017 No Comments

Letting Go

Today is Mother’s Day in the U.S. It’s a commemoration that happens all over the world on different dates, although the vast majority of those happen in May, covering the entire month. In my home country of Mexico, the date is fixed on May 10. In my adopted country of the U.S., it’s always the second Sunday in May — which means that sometimes it’s the same day in both places, like it was in 2015 and will be in 2020. But there’s a more important lesson in the day than the when and why and, again, we can turn

May 12, 2017 No Comments

Dog Care

Ley Natural De Los Perros 1: Los Perros Son Instintivos

Uno de los mayores errores que los dueños de perros pueden hacer es asumir que sus perros sienten emociones y piensan como hace la gente. Esto nos lleva a humanizar a nuestros perros atribuyéndoles nuestras propias necesidades y motivaciones para justificar su conducta. Como consecuencia, podemos llegar a estar reluctantes en disciplinar o corregir a nuestros perros, porque tenemos miedo de herir sus sentimientos o crear resentimiento. La primera Ley Natural de los Perros nos enseña que los caninos no funcionan de esa manera. Sí, ellos sienten emociones y piensan, pero diferentemente de nosotros. Las emociones de los perros tienen

January 6, 2016 No Comments

All About Dogs

Strange Facts About Canine Instincts

Every dog is born with a number of natural behaviors, things they can do without having to be trained or taught. Certain breeds have incredibly visible canine instincts, such as guarding or herding behavior, or strong natural hunting abilities. These are instincts that have been intentionally bred into these dogs over generations. But while dogs can be bred to encourage particular skills and behaviors, there are also a number of natural instincts that every canine shares. Many of them are so innocuous or understandable that most Pack Leaders don’t even think about them. Some examples include dogs’ inborn ability to

December 8, 2015 No Comments

Dog Psychology

Natural Dog Law 1: Dogs Are Instinctual

One of the biggest mistakes that dog owners can make is assuming that their dogs feel and think like people do. This can lead us to humanize our dogs by attributing our own needs and motivations to their behavior. As a consequence, we can become reluctant to discipline or correct our dogs, because we’re afraid of hurting their feelings or creating resentment. Natural Dog Law This Natural Dog Law teaches us that canines do not work that way. Yes, they do have emotions, but they differ from ours. Dogs’ emotions are rooted in the moment and are an immediate reaction

July 3, 2015 No Comments

dogs running in the snow, there are natural leaders and followers

Dog Psychology

Natural Dog Law 5: Dogs Are Social Pack Animals.

As descendants of wolves, dogs are instinctual pack animals. They instinctually seek to join whatever pack is nearby. This explains why dogs can get along so well with so many other animals, especially other pack or herd animals like horses, cows, and sheep. There’s even at least one case of a dog and elephant becoming best friends. It’s also why dogs have bonded so well with humans. We too are social creatures and dogs instinctually sense that and seek to join our pack. We humans have become ‘ or should be ‘ their Pack Leaders now. In a dog pack,

July 3, 2015 No Comments

All About Dogs

Why Dogs Make The Best Companions

Perhaps you’re considering something more exotic than a dog as a family pet, but there are some animals that just shouldn’t be part of your household. Here are six of them. 1. The hedgehog Hedgehogs are adorable little balls of fur. Resembling tiny porcupines but not as sharp, they are friendly and docile and will sleep in your hand. Nocturnal creatures, they will snooze all day and you will stare at their undeniable awesomeness — their smiling little faces, and their cute little feet. Did I mention that they are nocturnal? This means that they get up at night, when

June 18, 2015 No Comments

a dog looks out the window watching a storm

All About Dogs

Is Bad Weather Coming? Ask Your Dog

“Dog Alerts Owner to Bad Weather” It sounds like a headline from a supermarket tabloid but scientific facts support this seemingly amazing claim — which is not so amazing to those of us who own dogs. So many of us have experienced our furry companions barking well before we hear thunder, or have come to enjoy the old head-in-our-lap cuddle just before rain pelts our house. How often do we find our dogs jumping for joy just about the time we hear our weatherman warning of an imminent snowstorm? We’ve all heard those not-so-tall tales of a family’s dog barking

June 18, 2015 No Comments