The Recall Challenge

The Recall Challenge - The Recall formation and all did very well. They are train under the instructions of PUPS Dog Training. Check out our RECALL CHALLENGER GAMES in our GROUP CLASSES!

In the basic obedience training for our puppy, beside the name calling, Sit, Down, Stay, Walking on the loose leash, the most important and crucial skill-set is the THE RECALL GAME. Regardless of the concept of your training believe, dog owners' desire to be able to recall their pups at all time is a ALL TIME HIGH in the list of wants.

However, we need address or meet the basic needs of our pups, before they are ready to respond to external environments. If you look into the MOTIVATIONAL HIERARCHY by MARLOW'S HIERARCHY of NEEDS.

Based on the Marlow Hierarchy concept, everyone has levels of needs to require to be satisfied before their needs will move up like the Marlow Hierarchy of Needs Chart. In reality, this motivation apply to Dog Training as well.

In basic obedience, if you truly want to well connected with your pup, you need to pay more attention to the Motivational Needs of your puppy. Have you heard about it? I know our great Susan Garrett from Say, Yes! Have her Hierarchy of needs and have been extremely popular.

To make it simple, I am trying to decode the Hierarchy of Needs about Marlow Hierarchy. Let's take a look at the Hierarchy of Needs in the EYES of a puppy.

Physiological Needs

In my opinion, physiological needs are smells, sight, taste, touch and hearing. The first layer of needs is these needs just like we do Instagram-ing, facebook-ing, emailing and internet -surfing. We are all searching to satisfy our senses. In the view of our pup, they use all 5-senses to investigate this world, just like us the humans.

Allow them to fully engage their 5-senses. Let them sniff, smell all trees, birds, air, flowers, pees etc. Let them taste the earth. Let them see the world. Let them uses their ear to hear and let them investigate and touch any surfaces. And it's when their 5-senses are satisfied, you can move on to the Hierarchy of Needs.

The Safety Needs

This form of motivation is what I found to be neglected by many owners. Most owners don't see dangers like what our pup perceived. At any given time and space, it is our duty as dog's owner to ensure our pup are in a safe environment.

What I am thinking is, do your pup feel safe with you? Are you his solid rock where he can depend upon? In my observation, we often our pup are safe in our hands. This could be wrong. How do you handle your pup interaction with the environment, dogs, people, things and objects?

I often let my pup makes the decision. If he doesn't want to investigate the particular people or things, we move on. If your pup has nothing to fear, he will be using his energy to stay engaged with the owners which will provide a good form of reinforcements.

Once you have acquired the skills to make your pup feeling safe, you can move on to the next level on the Marlow Hierarchy of needs.

Love and Belonging

The next Motivation needs are the feeling of LOVE and BELONG. It seems a little stupid here, our pup loves us and we showered a load of love, fun and I'm sure he will feel the sense of belonging. The answers are both a Yes and No. The answer is YES because our pup is a social butterfly and would love attention, praise and appreciation. And the NO answer is because does your pup feel love and bonded with the owners.

If your bond, love and attraction are mutual, then your relationship with your pup will be marvellous. If you do not have a bonded and love relationship with your pup, it will be a one-sided love relationship in human.

Miraculously, an owner-pup relationship will be bonded and love, if you spend more time, engaging, play, reinforce, train and communicate with your pup.

Esteem and Self-actualization.

In dog's term, self-esteem and actualization both are the same in my opinion. When can you say, my pup has reached the level of Self-Esteem and Self-Actualization? I believe it is part of a daily routine and a way of life and to be exact a lifestyle.

The pup that is at this level of motivation, is also known as SELF-REINFORCED behaviours. You no longer need to asks for the behaviours and it keeps repeating as it is so self-rewarding that your pup wants to keep repeating the behaviours.

However, we need to keep in mind that, the LEVELS of MOTIVATIONS keeps changing. Your pup might be at the Level of Love and Belonging and in the next minutes, he is back to the Level of Safety Needs.

If we are aware of the Levels of Motivation where our pup is in at the moment, we can strategize to help our pup to move to the next level of motivation needs to keep him happy, satisfied and bonded.

Hope you have a good glimpse into your pup motivation level and you can start planning to move him up the level of motivation to keep your pup want MORE and MORE of you.

Cheers

Dexter Sim