| Volhard
- Canine Personality Profile(aka CPP) |
| © 1993 Wendy Volhard |
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To give you a better understanding of your
dog, we have grouped instinctive behaviors into three drives
These drives reflect instinctive behaviors your dog has inherited
from his ancestors and that are useful to you in teaching
him what you want him to learn. Each one of these drives is
governed by a basic trait.
Your dog and every other dog is an individual who comes into
the world with a specific grouping of genetically inherited,
predetermined behaviors. How those behaviors are arranged,
their intensity, and how many component parts of each drive
the dog has will determine temperament, personality, and suitability
for the task required. It also determines how the dog perceives
the world.
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| The Three Major "Drives"
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Prey drive includes those inherited behaviors associated
with hunting, killing prey and eating. It is activated by
motion, sound and smell.
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Behaviors associated with prey drive are: |
- seeing and hearing
- scenting and tracking
- stalking and chasing
- pouncing
- high-pitched barking
- jumping up and pulling down
- shaking
- tearing and ripping apart
- biting and killing
- carrying
- eating
- digging and burying
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| You see some of these behaviors when your dog
is chasing the cat or gets excited and barks in a high pitched
tone of voice as the cat runs up a tree. Your dog may also shake
and rip soft toys, or bury dog biscuits in the couch. |
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Pack drive consists of behaviors associated
with reproduction and being part of a group or pack. Our dogs
are social animals who evolved from the wolf. To hunt prey mostly
larger than themselves, wolves have to live in a pack. To assure
order they have to adhere to a social hierarchy governed by
strict rules of behavior. An ability to be part of a group and
to fit in is important, and, in the dog, translates itself into
a willingness to work with us as part of a team.
It is stimulated by rank order in the social hierarchy. Behaviors
associated with pack drive are:
- physical contact with people and/or other dogs
- playing with people and/or other dogs
- behaviors associated with social interaction with another
dog, such as reading body language
- reproductive behaviors, such as licking, mounting, washing
ears and all courting gestures
the ability to breed and to be a good parent
A dog with many of these behaviors is the one that follows
you around the house, is happiest when with you, loves to
be petted and groomed, and likes to work with you. The dog
may be unhappy when left alone too long, which can express
itself in separation anxiety.
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| Defense drive is governed by survival and
self preservation, and consists of both fight and flight behaviors.
It is more complex, because the same stimulus that can make
a dog aggressive (fight), can also elicit avoidance (flight)
behaviors, especially in the young dog. |
Fight behaviors are not fully developed until the dog
is about two years of age, and sometimes later, although tendencies
toward these behaviors will be seen at an earlier age.
Behaviors associated with fight are:
- hackles up from the shoulder forward
- standing tall and staring at other dogs
- standing ground or going to unfamiliar objects
- guarding food, toys or territory against other people
and dogs
- dislike of being petted or groomed
- lying in front of doorways or cupboards and refusing to
move growling at people or dogs
- putting the head over the shoulder of another dog
- biting people or other dogs
Flight behaviors demonstrate that the dog is unsure.
Behaviors associated with flight are:
- hackles that go up the full length of the body, not just
at the neck
- hiding or running away from a new situation
- a dislike of being touched by strangers
- general lack of confidence
- urinating when being greeted by a stranger or the owner
- flattening of the body when greeted by people or other
dogs
- Freezing -- not going forward or backward -- is interpreted
as inhibited flight behavior.
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| Behavior
Drive Explanations |
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| Prey |
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This indicates the dogs hunting instincts or his
willingness to search for food.
This dog is excited by everything that moves, smells good, or
sounds interesting, therefore, a handler of this
type of personality must truly have the dog’s respect and
admiration especially in a distraction situation. This
type sometimes seems harder to train but a strong will and lots
of patience will help you reach your training
goals. These dogs are not at all stupid although usually highly
energized. |
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| Pack |
This indicates the dogs strong willingness to
be part of the family unit (or his pack). He is
usually liad back and calm, making a lot of eye contact with
you. This dog really, really wants to please
you and follows you everywhere. Simply show this dog exactly
what you want, in a nice way and you will get
the results you want. Verbal praise is imparitive for this type
of dog as this communicates your approval. |
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| Defense - Fight |
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This dog thinks about self preservation and the
protectiion of his surroundings
is very important to him. This strong dominent dog is the more
likely to challenge you for pack leadership
than any other personality. He may act tough or even aggressive
with you but you must win the challenge.
Timing the necessary corrections and reading the dog’s
body language correctly will insure a quick resolve to
the dominent notions your dog may have. Once your dog has a
clear understanding of who is running the
pack, he may never challenge you again. |
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| Defense - Flight |
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This is a dog that is very shy or fearful in a
new situation or environment.
This is easily overcome by providing the dog with the proper
type of reassurance. The most common error
the master makes is to stroke the dog on the head or neck and
verbally tell the dog (in a sympathetic voice)
that everything is OK. This method only makes a dog more insecure
and worried about his masters sad and
fearful voice. Instead, make the dog face his fear. Bring him
close to it, allowing him to sniff it if it hapens to
be an object or person. Verbally praise the dog with avery confident
voice, (Good Dog), when he is being
brave enough to look at the fear or even acknowledge it. Firm
shoulder petting or thumping will build the dogs
confidence even further. When the dog starts to relax (tail
wags or his eyes soften) move him away from the
situaton and continue to praise in a confident voice. A few
positive sessions of building your dog’s confidence
will soon change his confidence in himself and in you. The dog's
trust in you will strengthen and intensify as
his fears subside. |
