Short answer?
Nope. And that’s actually great news.
Dogs and humans do share a lot in common. We both learn from consequences (parking tickets are very motivating 😑), and we both form powerful associations through everyday experiences. A smell, a sound, a place—those things shape how we feel and what we do next.
But there’s one big difference that trips people up:
Humans operate with a moral compass. Dogs do not.
We think in terms of right vs. wrong. We carry values, intentions, guilt, and meaning around with us all day long. Dogs? They’re living in a much more practical, present-moment world.
As my mentor Jean Donaldson famously says, dogs are “completely and innocently selfish.”
Not selfish in a bad way—selfish in a biological way.
Dogs make choices based on:
What’s worked before
What feels safe right now
What comes naturally to them
That’s it. No moral debate. No inner monologue about disappointing you. Just information and survival.
Why This Matters (A Lot)
Think about the last time your dog made what you considered the “wrong” choice.
Maybe they ignored you.
Maybe they pulled.
Maybe they froze.
Maybe they lost their ever-loving mind over something that looked… totally harmless to you.
That frustration usually comes from one assumption:
They knew better.
But dogs don’t “know better.”
They guess based on past outcomes and perceived safety.
And when you shift that lens, everything changes.
If a behavior has a strong reward history—walking nicely, coming when called, leaving something alone—that behavior is more likely to show up again. Not because it’s right, but because it works.
Behavior follows reinforcement. Always.
What About Fear and Associations?
Remember that cozy smell from the oven example?
Dogs build associations too—but theirs are almost always about safety vs. danger.
Picture this:
You’re walking your puppy, minding your own business… and ahead is a large, unfamiliar garbage can.
To you? No big deal.
To your puppy? Unknown object. Could be dangerous. Abort mission.
So what do they do?
Pull hard in the opposite direction
Plant their feet
Freeze like their life depends on it
Because to them… it does.
This isn’t disobedience.
It’s not stubbornness.
It’s not your puppy being “dramatic.”
It’s a survival response.
Pulling = escape
Freezing = assess threat
Those behaviors are doing exactly what they’re designed to do.
How Dog Brains Actually Work
Dogs are operating on two core rules:
Repeat behaviors that pay off
Stay safe
That’s the whole system.
When you understand this, a massive weight lifts off your shoulders. Your dog isn’t trying to defy you, challenge you, or make a point. They’re responding to the world as they experience it.
And here’s the most important part:
If you want a dog who can move confidently through real life—stores, patios, sidewalks, busy environments—you don’t get there by teaching “right” and “wrong.”
You get there by teaching safety first.
When a dog feels safe, learning opens up.
When learning opens up, behavior follows.
And that’s how dogs learn to truly go anywhere.
Next up: how to actively teach your puppy that the world is safe—without pressure, force, or fear. Stay tuned. 🐾
