At about 6-8 weeks breed specific instincts can be seen emerging. Given the right developmental opportunities these behaviours get stronger every time they are practiced. On many farms young collies are allowed to practice and refine their skills on the free range chicken or ducks before moving to larger stock.

If the instinct is not developed along the usual route it can often find an alternative outlet. One of my Gordons pups that returned to me at four years old had no obvious birding instinct but can point a tennis ball at 6 feet and endure the fixation for over an hour. If she had the opportunity to develop the emerging instinct on birds, tennis balls would hold no attraction, but they make an excellent substitute that allows her instinctive behaviour to get strong and more reinforced. She shows an interest in chickens, but one bounce of the tennis ball and she returns to the behaviour that has the longest reinforcement history – working the ball. This reinforcement history is a key part of the puzzle, we can use it to our advantage.

There are a certain instincts common to all dogs, and some of these develop to our advantage and some are inhibited. Watchfulness, or on duty behaviour, is common, where dogs alert to unknown noises or threats. Chasing small prey, such as squirrels or rats; sniffing the tracks of critters; making a bed; running for the love of running, going into water to swim. Dogs with strong tendencies for certain behaviour were bred together to develop genetically diverse instincts. I can see that the Border Collie stalk is rooted in the same behaviour as the point of the Setters, they are both predatory instincts. But the Collies instincts are triggered by the movement of the prey, and the Setters by the scent of the prey. The strength of the reinforcement when using these instincts is so strong that both breeds will find substitutes to allow their instincts to flourish.

Common to the breeds we choose to share our lives with is the instinctive need to interact. Without it dogs would behave similarly to cats or other solitary predators, but dogs have been bred for their need to live with people, and for some dogs this is extremely strong.

When it stops being a reinforcer

Tiredness, both mental and physical can be easily covered by enthusiastic dogs. Puppies show they are tired with slower movements or simple fall asleep on the spot. Using instinctive behaviours, particularly learning to use them, is quite exhausting. Nature designed dogs to be able to “run on vapour”, particularly in the elements of the hunt behaviours. Feeling “a little tired”, does not catch the dinner, sleep can happen afterwards. This is acceptable on occasion but would cause physical and mental damage if this tired state happened on every training session. There would also be a less than pleasant association with the behaviour under training.

When using instinctive behaviours remind yourself to stop before the fatigue shows – by the time it is showing you have gone too far. Look out for the slightly slower reaction to your cues, markers and take up of the reinforcer.