What motivates your dog?

Why it’s important to understand your dog’s main motivators in life

What motivates your dog? Have you ever thought about what your dog loves to do? What makes them happy?

It might seem like a simple question with an easy answer. Most of us would probably say “Food. Any food. Lots of it. Food makes my dog happy!”

We might also say that being with us makes our dogs happy. And that’s true too. Dogs love to be with people, as long as their relationship has been a positive one. Many dogs even fret when left alone, suffering separation-related distress. Companionship motivates most dogs.

Whose your dog’s friends?

Understanding just what motivates your dog helps them not only have a happier life but also satisfies their needs. Dogs may not have well-thought-out goals and plans, as humans do but they can still benefit from us understand just what makes them tick.

Every dog is different. They are unique. Every dog has internal and external motivators.

Intrinsic versus Extrinsic Canine Rewards

We all have internal and external motivators.

Intrinsic Motivators

Internal or intrinsic motivators are things that we enjoy doing that are fun and make our life better. We don’t have to think about being rewarded for doing these internally-driven occupations. We just enjoy doing them.

For me, that might be playing with cats and kittens. No one has to pay me to do that or tell me how wonderful I am for spending hours of my time doing this. It also comes into play in a lot of work that I do. I would do it, whether or not I get paid for it (although the need to pay a mortgage becomes my extrinsic motivator – see below).

For my dog Chilli, her favourite occupation outside the home is to fetch an item from the water. When we go to a beach or river, she loves to jump in and fetch a stick. I don’t have to command her. I don’t have to reward her for bringing it back. She simply does it for the love. Fetching from the water is her intrinsic motivator.

At home, I believe Chilli’s main motivator is to be near me. She would rather do that than chase the cats or the chickens, sniff the grass or bark at the postman. When I am not around, those other occupations are fair game! She is intrinsically motivated to stay near me.

Performing intrinsically motivating activities makes us feel better about life. It’s what motivates us to get up in the morning. It’s what makes work pleasurable if we can manage to achieve practicing these activities during our work life.

Think about what motivates your dog most. What does your dog love to do, without you having to ask them?

Perhaps it’s swimming or fetching a toy or sniffing lamposts.

External Motivators

Extrinsic motivators are those that bring rewards from our external world. This might be our salary or wage we receive for doing our work. We do the job because we know that we will be rewarded. The money is our extrinsic motivator.

With Chilli dog, fetching a ball in the park, I believe, is extrinsic motivation. She does not do it for the love of it. She does it for the rewards she receives from me when she brings me back the ball. Sometimes, I think she might even be thinking “But why does she keep throwing that ball away again?!”

Occasionally Chilli gets distracted as she runs to fetch the ball. She wants to please me and respond to my command to fetch, but because this activity is not intrinsically rewarding to her, she can be distracted. Perhaps like when you know you need to finish a piece of work, but your social media channels seem far more appealing!

What are your dog’s extrinsic motivators?

Autonomous Extrinsic Motivators

A third type of motivator is the autonomous extrinsic motivator. This is where we conduct an activity that is perceived to be consistent with intrinsic goals or outcomes but emanates from inside. Humans giving blood for instance. There may be little rewarding in the actual process of giving blood but, because we know we are doing good for others, It is rewarding for us to perform this activity.

It is debatable whether dogs actually have this third form of motivator but we could argue that many of the activities that our pet dogs or working dogs perform for us are in this category. The selfless help of an Assistance Dog, for instance, picking up dropped keys or opening a door for their disabled owner. Yes, they have been taught with rewards, usually food, but they perform these activities primarily to help us.

Why does it help dogs to know their motivators?

When we know what motivates our dogs most we can:
(i) Ensure that they are happiest by providing opportunities to do these activities;
(ii) Build them into our every day or occasional activities with them to help them and us achieve other goals.

For instance, if your dog just loves to chase rabbits and that is just not appropriate, then you could satisfy their needs by allowing them to do some canine sport such as lure coursing, where they chase objects. Or, if your dog loves to splash in the water, then they may be instinctively good at dock diving. Allowing them to satisfy their needs and motivations in appropriate ways will equal a happy dog.

When you have a problem dog, it can help to look at their motivations for unwanted behaviour. The dog that digs up the backyard, for instance, may love digging more than any other activity in the world. (There are many other reasons for digging or other destructive behaviours, so it is always important to look at the cause of unwanted behaviour.) Provide opportunities to dig and your dog will be happy. Take them to the beach or provide a sand pit.

If you need your dog to perform an activity, it can help to understand their intrinsic motivators, even if you are rewarding them with their extrinsic ones. For instance, your dog may not be good at performing a stay command but when you introduce the food that they love most in life, they are more likely to perform that command.

What about the dogs that aren’t motivated?

We all love the opportunity to do things we love; the things that intrinsically motivate us. But most of us would not choose to do these activities all day every day. The opportunity and the choice to do these activities, or no,t is important. Being autonomous, being able to make decisions, is important in our happiness and we can only imagine that it is important to dogs too.

If your dog chooses not to do their favourite activity one day, then that is ok. They may feel like doing something else for a change. If their other behaviour appears to have changed or they are listless overall, then a vet check would be warranted. Or if they continue to refuse, then perhaps you have not yet found what motivates them most.

Chances are your dog will always enjoy their intrinsically motivated behaviour. Allow them the chance to do this and they will be happier dogs.

Cat owners?
What motivates your cat?

About the author:
Dr Jo Righetti is an animal behaviour consultant, helping people understand pets. With a PhD in animal behaviour and a diploma in counselling, matters of the mind and behaviour always interest Jo. Finding ways to motivate pets and their owners intrigues Jo!