What kind of behavior is normal for a dog?

There are certain behaviors that are “genetically regulated” and specific to one species or another.

This means that a dog behaves like a dog, and not like a cat or a parrot. 🐶 And we need to respect this.

These are typical species-related behaviors that many people consider “bad”:

• Barking.

• Exploring new territories

• Smelling

• Eating stuff off the ground

• Rolling in animal carcasses

• Jumping on people

• Resource guarding

• Hunting small animals

• Following moving objects

• Territorial guarding…

These behaviors can be more or less noticeable in different dogs, and depends largely on the breed, individual qualities of a dog, as well as training.

But this doesn’t mean that you should give up. If such behaviors happen too often and always at the wrong time, we might be talking about undesirable species-related behavior. So, still a natural behavior, but the one that becomes inconvenient or unacceptable in certain cases.

Obviously, it’s not good for a dog to chase cars on the highway, bark all day long or attack passers-by.

This is exactly why it is so important choose a breed that will be good for you from the very beginning.
Different breeds were bred to achieve different goals, which means that certain qualities have been present in one breed for a long time.

Another way to “fight” undesirable species-related behavior is teaching the dog to behave correctly. At the same time, it is very important for the owner to create good conditions for the life of his/her dog – good for this specific dog, taking into consideration his/her personal qualities, both breed-related and individual.

But remember: some formulas of species-related behavior you will never be able to get rid of, no matter how unpleasant they are for you. If genetic predisposition is strong, and at the same time there are no conditions for its realization in a “peaceful manner”, you’ll never be able to re-train your dog. If inherent behavior and taught behavior clash in a conflict, inherent behavior will always win.🐕

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