• December 3, 2024
  • eveline
  • 14
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  • in 2 minutes.

Are dogs ‘born to win’?

You might know this about me by now, but I like to know all about the way dogs think and about the way they learn. I read a lot about this, mainly science based books or papers.

Questions like "why does Evie 'talks' to me when she know she is going outside?" or "why is Jessie licking my hands when she is there to greet me?" I want to find answers to. Some questions are easy to answer and some need some more information before they can be answered.

The question are dog 'born to win'? came from my question why people like to attend dog shows. Partly this is because they like to win, they like the feeling that comes with winning. The 'rush' caused by the hormone dopamine.
According to scientific research, dogs do not "want" to compete in the same way humans do, but they can be motivated to engage in competitive behaviors when properly trained and stimulated, particularly in situations like dog shows where they are rewarded for performing specific actions.
However, their motivation is primarily driven by the desire for praise and attention from their owner, not a natural competitive instinct.

I do see this also within my pack, especially when playing find and fetch. They love to find and fetch the ball, because this way they are rewarded with my praise, attention and continuation of the game. It's so rewarding.

My conclusion is that dogs are not 'born to win', they lack the internal motivation. However if rewarded for doing a 'good job' dogs will go the extra mile.


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