preview

The Secret To Motivate An Unmotivated Dog

Decent Essays

If a dog has just been adopted, they can feel scared. They don’t know where they are are what their surroundings consist of. So, getting the dog to cooperate a little bit should be the first thing you do. Try to figure out ways to get them excited and playful. “ Explore activities that encourage strong bonds and build trust.” (Marie, Rachel: The Secret To Motivating An Unmotivated Dog) “ Spend time discovering new place and new experiences with your dog.” ( Marie, Rachel: The Secret To Motivating An Unmotivated Dog). Even giving the dog your approval of something can motivate them. Because it lets them know that they are able to do what they would like to without getting in trouble first. Giving a dog food isn’t always the answer. …show more content…

But giving them a motivation tool may not be so bad. Ivan Pavlov was a physiologist known for classical conditioning. He is mainly known for this study being done on dogs, and what motivates them. Before the conditioning, Pavlov would ring a bell. This would make the dog a little confused, as they did not know why he was doing this. During conditioning, Pavlov would ring the bell and show the food. This got the dog to drool and become in need of the food presented. After conditioning, Pavlov would ring the bell and now, since the last time the dog was presented with food, they would expect that every time the bell would ring. The ringing of the bell would give the dog …show more content…

The dog would be fearful that they would get yelled at, grabbed, shaken, or even smacked. Times since then have definitely changed and now, we use toys, treats, etc. Before, we “motivated our dogs to avoid being bad.” ( Pippa:How To Motivate Your Dog) We now use motivators that the dogs want, rather than what they are afraid of. Respect (although sounds like it would be a good motivator) is really only a show of fear from dog to owner. The dog is afraid that they will get yelled at for correction or there will be some kind of disapproval. Respect from the dog is a powerful tool, it’s just not a very useful/sufficient tool.

However, some of the most powerful working motivators include food-no surprise there- but that is what dogs love most. Long ago, dogs used to have to hunt in order to get their food. Since they have evolved from wolves, that behavior is still in them, so really a dog will do anything to get the food you offer them. Controlling the motivation tool, though, is useful for the owner when trying to train the dog. It helps with behavior and it gives you a clue on what they’ll act like when they’re older. Since a treat is the ultimate motivator, it keeps the dog in check. So

Get Access