"Instinct is Everything" according to our friends at
Purina, and we couldn't agree more! Check out this box of goodies we received a few weeks ago that is all about
my instincts: Our Purina Kit included a red rubber fetching stick (more on that below), a bag of Purina's latest food,
Purina One Smartblend True Instinct R , a foraging bowl, so I have to work for my food, which is another instinctual behavior, and
ten coupons, each for one free bag of Purina One Smartblend dog food. The Kit also contained lots of great information on canine instincts and how you humans can tap into those instincts for a happier, healthier dog.
Although we received this kit courtesy of Purina, the opinions that follow are 100% our own.
Before we show you all the fun I had with my new red fetching stick, we wanted to talk a bit about canine instincts. We here at Bocci's Beefs have long preached the idea of learning about your dog's instinctual behaviors and honoring those instincts as one way to bond with your furry best friend. And we all want to bond with our dogs, right? Well, the more you humans understand a dog's natural instincts, the easier it is for you to indulge them on a daily basis.
Making sure that your pooch has lots of physical and mental exercise everyday, including a walk with you, is one of the best ways to bond with your dog. Canines are, in fact, traveling animals and need at least one long, daily walk.
But wait, there's more! We learned from the experts at Purina that "fetching" is an instinctual behavior for dogs, too.
"It's more than a game. It's instinct. When dogs see an object being thrown, the motion triggers their prey drive and natural desire to chase. When they retrieve it, they are sharing their prey with you." So
that's why I love to fetch anything Parental Unit throws! (Although sometimes, I don't always "share" right away).
Here's my "Aunt" Catherine getting ready to throw my new fetching stick.
Fetching my stick, 'er, prey...
Got it!
I think I'll play around a little before I share this fine, red prey!
O.K. let's play a game of "tug", too!
Might as well give up and throw it again, Parental Unit...
One of Purina's pet care experts shared another fascinating bit of science behind the fetching instinct:
“Because puppies are not mobile for the first several weeks and cannot participate in hunting/scavenging for the first several months, the parents have to bring the food to them. It is believed, in the human-dog bond context, fetching is based on that same ‘instinct.’”
- Francois Martin, Purina
We hope you enjoyed this information about canine instincts from Purina and me, and we sincerely hope that every pooch out there gets to play fetch today! By the way...about those ten coupons for
Purina One Smartblend...stay tuned to learn about our donation!
