What does food motivated mean?
Food motivated means exactly what it sounds like, motivated to do something because of food. Being food motivated means that you will do just about anything in order to obtain food. This is something that is innate to a wide variety of animals, including humans. For example, lab studies have shown that rats will knowingly walk across electric wire in order to obtain food, even though know they will experience a strong shock. In today’s article, we are going to discuss why dogs in particular are so food motivated.
Why are dogs so food motivated?
Dogs are so food motivated because they are natural scavengers. When dog’s are in the wild, they will spend most of their time walking and sniffing around for food. This is an evolutionary trait which helps them survive. Even domesticated dogs still have this strong, food motivated instinct. This is why your dog will go through your trash bin, or chase around a mole in the yard for hours. It is the prospect of food that motivates these behaviors.
Pavlov’s dog study is a great example of how food motivated dogs are. When he would walk towards the dogs or ring a bell, the dogs would immediately start salivating. This shows that even their body is naturally obsessed with obtaining food. For this reason, food is commonly used as a motivator to teach dog’s new behavior.
Using treats to motivate a dog
Along with a clicker, a treat is one of the most common stimuli used to teach a dog a new behavior. Giving a dog food or any kind of treat is a great way to positively reinforce an action. For example, if you call your dog’s name and he immediately runs to you, giving him/her a treat when they get to you is a great way to motivate your dog to do the behavior again.
Dogs that are not food motivated can be a lot harder to train. They will most likely be more defiant to your orders, and it will probably take longer to teach them to do a certain behavior. However, just because a dog is not food motivated doesn’t mean it is the end of the world.
While food motivation is near the top of the hierarchy, there are plenty of other ways to motivate a dog. These other ways are also important, because not all dogs are food motivated. There are also some situations when a dog is nervous or afraid, where food will probably not motivate them. A great example of this is when your dog is afraid to go to the vets. Instead of giving them food, there are plenty of other ways to motivate them.
What other ways are dogs motivated?
A great alternative method to motivate your dog is to pet them on the head and show them love. Dogs love intimacy and attention, especially when it is coming for someone they respect and trust. Dog’s are also motivated by exercise. This is obvious when your dog will start to freak out when they realize you are about to take them on a walk or run. They will probably start running all over the place, and will start immediately sitting and submitting in front of you as a way to say they are at your mercy.
How to know if your dog is food motivated
Knowing if your dog is food motivated is pretty simple. If they are willing to submit to you or do a certain behavior in order to obtain food, then they are food motivated. Another example of a food motivated dog is if they are constantly sniffing around looking for food that has fallen to the ground.
A dog that is not food motivated will be indifferent around food, and will most likely ignore you. An example of this is if you try to call your dog to come to you. If you hold out a treat, and he/she still refuses to come to you, then your dog is most likely not food motivated.
