Genes

By Minou Tpain

Genes

We all have genes that are the blueprints to who we are, down to the smallest detail. The genes instruct our cells to make our hair thick or thin and our eyes brown, blue or green.

This is the same for our dogs. When it comes to behavior though, our genes are presented with a unique challenge. There are no instructions on how to solve complex problems or tasks.

Our dogs encounter all sorts of opportunities, dangers, and new experiences. A dog’s genes will help them to adapt to our ever-changing world (but it may not be in a way we desire). Things happen quickly which means that their behaviors and skills need to change quickly too.

Genes contain instructions with preset urges or as we typically call them, instincts. These are instructions that tell their brains what to do when they encounter a certain stimuli, but what if that is a behavior we don’t agree with?

Unlike the genes that set what they look like, these behaviors can be altered. Now this is not to say that every single dog’s behavior can be “fixed” nor does it mean that genetics don’t matter because they do. What it does mean is that we have a lot of control over what skills our dogs develop and what behaviors they exhibit, they have so much more potential to change than we might think they do. They are all born with the opportunity to be in control over their own behaviors. The trick is to figure out how we can help them choose the right ones.

See the next post on how training can help our dogs make better decisions.

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