08/09/2025
Intrinsic Motivation: The Secret Sauce Behind a Willing Dog
When it comes to dog training, most people think in terms of rewards, treats, toys, belly rubs, the promise of a tennis ball being hurled into the stratosphere. But there’s something deeper, more powerful, and infinitely more sustainable lurking beneath the surface of truly great training: intrinsic motivation.
No, it’s not a fancy new training tool. You can’t buy it from a pet shop. But when you find it, nurture it, and use it properly, it’s an absolute game changer.
What Is Intrinsic Motivation?
In simple terms, intrinsic motivation is when a dog (or a person, for that matter) wants to do something because they find it rewarding in and of itself. They’re not doing it for the biscuit, or the tug toy, or the “Good boy!” (although all those things help). They’re doing it because it feels good. It’s meaningful. It scratches an internal itch.
For dogs, this might be:
• A spaniel losing its mind in thick brambles during a search.
• A collie slipping into a trance-like state while herding leaves.
• A Labrador gleefully retrieving anything that fits in its gob (or doesn’t).
• A terrier unearthing the garden in pursuit of the “mole that must die.”
That’s intrinsic motivation. The behaviour is self-rewarding. They don’t need you cheering them on. They’re doing it because it’s what they were built for. You’re just the support act.
Why Should Dog Owners and Handlers Care?
Because if you can identify and tap into a dog’s intrinsic motivation, your job as a trainer becomes infinitely easier—and, let’s be honest, a lot more fun. You’re not fighting uphill with bags of liver and desperation. You’re working with the grain, not against it.
Harnessing a dog’s natural drive gives you:
• Stronger engagement – The dog wants to work.
• Greater stamina – They’ll go for miles if it’s meaningful.
• Reduced reliance on external rewards – Useful when you run out of treats or your toy falls in a ditch (again).
• Enhanced wellbeing – Fulfilled dogs are happier, healthier, and less likely to destroy your skirting boards out of boredom.
What Should We Look For?
Finding what intrinsically motivates your dog involves a bit of observation, trial, and let’s be frank, guesswork.
Here are a few signs:
• What lights them up? Does their tail spin like a helicopter when sniffing out scents? Do their ears prick at movement? Do they stalk birds like a miniature lion?
• What do they choose to do on their own? Left to their own devices (and not chewing your slippers), what do they gravitate towards?
• What do they do even when you’re not paying attention? That’s the big clue. If your dog is doing something without your involvement and loving it, that’s likely intrinsic motivation at play.
Common intrinsic drives include:
• Chasing (sighthounds, herding breeds)
• Sniffing (scent hounds, gundogs)
• Retrieving (Labradors, spaniels)
• Digging/hunting (terriers, Dachshunds)
• Problem solving (Malinois, collies, clever little devils)
How Can We Use It in Training?
Once you know what floats your dog’s boat, you can channel that drive into something useful. Here’s how:
1. Use it as the reward
Instead of giving a food treat, let the reward be the activity. For example:
• Ask for a behaviour, then release your dog to chase a flirt pole.
• Use a “find it” cue to send them into a scent search.
• Build obedience around retrieving or carrying tasks.
This not only strengthens the training but reinforces the joy of working with you, not just for a snack.
2. Shape behaviours around it
Want to build a strong recall? Pair it with the promise of a chase. Want engagement? Make the activity more interactive, you become the access point to the fun.
3. Redirect problem behaviours
If your terrier is determined to excavate the garden, why not build a digging pit and teach them when and where to go full archaeologist? Same drive, better outlet.
4. Build resilience and independence
Dogs with access to intrinsically rewarding tasks are less needy, more fulfilled, and often more settled, especially when taught boundaries around the activity.
Pitfalls and Cautions
Of course, nothing in dog training is without its caveats. Intrinsic motivation is powerful, but if mismanaged, it can also lead to:
❌ Obsession
If your dog starts ignoring you completely in favour of the “thing”, you’ve lost balance. The goal is harnessing, not feeding addiction. Obsession isn’t drive, it’s chaos in a harness.
❌ Over-arousal
Some dogs, when in the zone, are all go and no stop. They may become overstimulated, frantic, or even reactive if their drive isn’t channelled or capped appropriately. That’s where structure, enforced rest, and impulse control come into play.
❌ Frustration
If you tease or trigger the dog’s drive and never let them follow through (e.g., constantly showing a ball but never throwing it), you’re likely building frustration, not focus. Balance is key.
❌ Reinforcing unwanted behaviours
If your dog is self-rewarding by barking at birds or fence running, and you don’t interrupt or redirect it, you’re passively reinforcing the very thing you probably wish would stop.
A Trainer’s Secret Weapon
Many professional dog handlers, especially in scent work, detection, search and rescue, or sports, actively select dogs based on their intrinsic motivation. It’s what makes them push through cold, dark, rainy nights with noses glued to the ground or leap into debris fields looking for survivors.
But even for the average pet owner, understanding intrinsic motivation helps you tap into the soul of your dog’s behaviour. You stop simply managing the dog and start connecting with it on a biological level.
Final Thoughts: Let Dogs Be Dogs (But Smartly)
Intrinsic motivation is not about letting dogs run riot with their instincts unchecked. It’s about recognising what they were born to do and giving them the chance to do it, with you in the picture.
It’s not a shortcut, it still requires training, boundaries, and structure. But when you get it right, the dog doesn’t just obey, you become a team, each fuelling the other.
And that, dear reader, is the real magic.
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