Behavior Patterns, Orientation, and Behavioral Themes

Behavior patterns make it so we don’t need to waist our precious resources of time and energy on decision making. An orientation or behavioral theme makes certain behaviors more reinforcing than others. Our orientation determines what in life we think about and what we work toward. Our orientation determines our goals. Within an individual’s orientation you’ll find their Significant Points of Reference. An individual’s Significant Points of Reference make up the principals they live by and their core beliefs.

Even our dogs have Significant Points of Reference. Some dogs are oriented to avoiding people out of fear. These dogs are oriented to their safety needs. Abraham Maslow classified safety as one of the basic needs. Maslow believed that lower basic needs such as safety were made potent by deficiencies. Other dogs are orally oriented and think everything is meant to be chewed. We can see that the orientation in our dogs sets them on a path in life that can have tragic consequences. The fearful dog when encountering strangers is always under stress. Stress eventually will take a toll on the one who hold onto it. The orally oriented dog is much more likely to ingest a life threatening substance. Highly orally oriented dogs are likely to chew and/swallow some very inedible items from poisonous plant, glass, and metal to large rocks.

To be happy we must understand our orientation. We must understand what our Significant Points of Reference are. If you fight your own nature you’ll have trouble accomplishing your task. Our orientation is a powerful force that shades our thought process and controls our emotions. Some may find comfort in knowing it’s possible to change one’s orientation in order to make life altering changes. While changing one’s Significant Points of Reference is possible, it is not easy. When I think about how to change an individual’s orientation I always think of the born again experience. Being born again is a common theme in many of the world religions. This experience shifts the individuals Significant Points of Reference. This change in orientation is often from self centered to other centered.

Recently I have observed in my own behavior how one’s orientation can cause conflict in decision making. I need to make a big decision but can only meet the needs of one element of my personal orientation. Will I pick the emotional choice the humanitarian choice, or the logical choice? Perhaps I will compromise and pick something in between. Also it may end up being in the hands of fate and I will make the best use of which ever situation I find myself.

The point is that my orientation is influencing what I do. What I do today will influence what happens tomorrow. We create tomorrow’s history today and that is how we have some control over our destiny.

Wishing you the very best in dog training and in life,
Andrew Ledford