Is It Instinct?

Rethinking Dog Behaviour Beyond Drives and Labels

Behaviour deserves a closer look than labels allow.

I hear it all the time — in fact, I’ve thought it myself:

“It’s just her instinct to protect me.”

“He has a strong prey drive.”

“She’s anxious — it’s just how she’s wired.”

These phrases sound reasonable, even scientific. They give us something to say when behaviour feels overwhelming or inexplicable. And yet, if I’ve learned anything from studying behaviour deeply, it’s this: the moment we stop asking why, we lose our best chance to understand and connect.

When we say “it’s just instinct,” we frame behaviour as an internal, unobservable force rather than an element shaped by environmental conditions and learning history.

Calling a behaviour an "instinct" can act as a placeholder rather than an explanation and frequently stops us from investigating the environmental triggers and reinforcers (consequences) involved.

You know what we have to do, right?

The Comfort of Instinct — and Its Limitations

Dr. B.F. Skinner (the pioneering psychologist and behaviorist who believed that behaviour is shaped not by inner traits or instincts, but by the environment) once wrote that an animal attacking when threatened might be as much a part of its genetic endowment as digestion or respiration — but that we still can’t say it attacked because of its aggressive instinct.

That distinction matters. A lot.

To say a dog barked, bit, or bolted because of an instinct kills our curiosity — it stops us at a surface explanation when behaviour is so much more.

We can’t get lazy if we want to truly understand and connect with our dogs — we can’t tell ourselves stories about what’s going instead of seeking real answers.

These replace observation with assumption. Suddenly the cause is just inside the dog — invisible and unchangeable — rather than within the environment, which where real learning happens, and real change is possible.

Behaviour depends on specific environmental contingencies, both what’s happened in the animal’s past and what’s happening in the current context — even if the capacity to behave aggressively may be biologically prepared (like digestion or respiration).

When we say “instinct,” we may be naming a predisposition. But more often than not, we’re also often ending the conversation.

What Drives Don’t Explain

Let’s take the example of a dog who chases squirrels — it’s tempting to say he has a strong prey drive and leave it at that. But when we pause to ask what function the behaviour serves, the picture gets more interesting:

- Is the chase reinforced by the adrenaline rush?

- Has the chase become a default behavior when bored or overstimulated?

- Is it cued by specific movements, locations, or sounds?

When we shift from labels to function, we shift from judgment to curiosity. We also get better tools for supporting our pups.

Instinct Isn’t the Enemy — But It Isn’t the Explanation Either

This isn’t to say that biology doesn’t matter. It absolutely does. A herding dog like a Border Collie will be more likely to show herding behaviors.

A guarding breed like a Great Pyrenees may be quicker to alert. But saying “instinct” doesn’t tell us how the behaviour was shaped, when it happens, or what reinforces it. “Instinct” doesn’t tell us how the dog feels, or what she’s learned to expect.

Behaviour is not just a byproduct of wiring — it’s a living, breathing conversation between a dog and their world.

Why It Matters in Training (and in Love)

In my work, I’ve seen dogs written off as “just aggressive,” “too anxious,” “untrainable” — not because they actually were, but because the label got in the way. It closed the door on curiosity, observation, and wonder.

When we take the time to observe and ask “what’s going on here?” our approach and understanding changes. Suddenly, barking becomes communication. Lunging becomes an attempt to create space. Destruction becomes a cry for engagement. When this happens we, as their guardians, are invited to respond — not with control, but with care.

The deeper magic of behaviour work isn’t in fixing the problem — it’s in restoring the conversation.

So — Is It Instinct?

Maybe. But I think this is a better question: What purpose is this behaviour serving right now?

That’s where the real work begins and where love lives.