Drives. - Page 1

First of all,i'have been around dogs all my life,and i'am still learning.Here is my question.How many different drives are there? I have heard,prey,ball,food,etc.I would like to hear your opinions and explanations for each type of drives.I would like some formal education about this,and believe this forum is a great place to learn.Thank you in advance for your replies!

Many years ago Dean Calderon wrote an excellent article regarding drives for Schutzhund USA (magazine).  Here is a link to a copy of that article currently found on his website:   http://www.deancalderon.com/Articles/Protection%20Drives.pdf

Also Helmut Raiser's book, "Der Schutzhund" is a must have for learning about drives.
 

Thank you very much sueincc.Take care.

Oh oh....my favorite topic.

I was told once that there were 43 canine drives. Don't ask me to remember what they were. I can train several dogs a day for months....even years and the term "drive" never crosses my mind. That word is one of the poorest terms humans have ever come up with to try and describe canine behaviors.  

Have we devolved?+++


Well I know we have much to learn from our dogs (G)

D
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So Scoutk9GSDs,
What term do you use,if not drives? Canine behavior? Serious question..

IMO -- i never ever use the word drive ... yes  behavior ..  state in a word the exact specific behavior the dog exhibits ! Prey drive .. what exactly is that ?? But i can relate to you in describing the behavior exactly what the dog's motivation is and that gives you insight as to what a dog is thinking , feeling , it's emotion . e'g .. chasing /pouncing /stalking  / ambushing - all behaviors specific to predation and they are a manifestation of a different mind set and state of the dog. ! so if i say the dog is prey drive  i am limitted in conveying information about the dog and it's behavior ....i am limitted as to what i need to address in communicating to my dog.. i am limitted in reading my dog.        prey behaviors :  .. when you say 'prey drive ? what in the world does one mean ?? - how can you teach a  dog if youi do not know what it is thinking , feeling , motivated for etc etc. . .........next ... the article by dean ... has it's limits too !!  I won't do a critique .. but a few comments .. e'g . extiction .. poor definition [ maybe dean copied it but he should know better than to write these verses ] .. a behavior has to be present first .. and extinguish means that a behavior ceases. for example , there has to be a fire first before it can be extinguished. and the definition regarding self defense.. self defensive behaviors are  MOST IMPORTANT and IMO you DO want them .. one of the main insticts and motivation in any animal is ' self preservation ' , which i would argue " avoidance is a form of defense behavior . take the advice of Bruce Lee - the best way to deal with a punch , don't be there when it gets there .turning to avoid a puch is a defensive move. avoiding and  fleeingare  a biological behaviors that guarantee that you will live to fight another day !! Anyway Ken .. be careful and mindful of cookbook ideas, techniques  and guru dogma

I'm focused on the task at hand usually and not on terminology. It is funny you asked that question because I never really thought about it. What "term" do I use? If you mean while actually training......none! If you mean just sitting around talking about it then I guess I don't really know. There are lots of terms we use to describe what our dogs are doing but the term "drive" is so vague and it attempts to put each canine behavior into it's own little box. I don't believe it works that way...not at all. But if the word makes you feel like you are doing a better job training your dog then go for it LOL. 

Scoutk9GSDs and ALPHAPUP,
Thank you for the information in your replies,they are well taken.I have been wondering what all these drives were.I have heard so many and i'am just trying to get it figured out.You have enlightened me on this subject for sure.I don't really care if someone uses that term,but your explanations on a dogs behavior do tend to be more infomative.Thank you.