How dogs understand Newton's Third Law of Motion
By Jennifer Stoeckl, MAT - Dire Wolf Project CEO, Aug. 30, 2024
It’s always great to have a long weekend to catch up on home life.
For me, my work is my life…
But I like it that way.
In fact, this Labor Day, I will travel the 3 hours round trip (as I do every week) to train Shiloh (fka: Monstro) for mobility service work.
Shiloh’s been a “service dog in training” for about four months now.
And WOW!
He has come so far in that short amount of time!
In fact, I can hardly believe it hasn’t been a lot longer than that.
Today, I want to share with you how much joy I receive from watching a dog learn “human as a second language” (HSL).
His mastery of our human culture is really blossoming.
His most recent training day made me so proud of our dogs and what the Dire Wolf Project is doing to develop deep bonded relationships between our dogs and their humans.
From the moment Shiloh traveled to his new home, I knew his journey would need to be one of discovery and growth.
As an American Dirus, Shiloh was already endowed with a remarkable intelligence and a deep connection to the natural world.
However, the challenge ahead was clear: Shiloh now needed to learn how to navigate the complexities of the human world.
A world filled with rules, expectations, and behaviors that are far removed from his canine instincts.
One of the most profound lessons Shiloh had to learn was how to walk on a leash.
It might sound simple, but this skill goes far beyond just not pulling or lunging.
For a dog, walking on a leash requires mastering an entirely new concept that flies in the face of their natural instincts.
That’s because dog’s innately believe in Newton's Third Law of Motion:
“For every action,
there is an equal and opposite reaction.”
When they feel pressure on the leash, their instinct is to resist, to pull in the opposite direction.
But in our human world, we ask dogs to do something quite unnatural: to give in to that pressure, to move with the direction of the pressure rather than into it.
This is not something dogs can figure out on their own.
It requires guidance, patience, and a series of carefully structured lessons designed to help them solve this problem.
I remember the early days when Shiloh began working on leash pressure.
He would stiffen whenever he felt the leash tighten.
Just as with ALL dogs, his natural response was to brace himself and resist.
But step by step, his owner and I guided him through the process of learning to yield to that pressure.
We started with small movements, just a slight shift of his body in response to the lightest touch on the leash.
Gradually, he began to understand that when he felt the pressure, the correct response was to move with it.
This was a big turning point in our relationship.
As Shiloh learned to "give" to the pressure, the leash became less of a restraint and more of a communication tool—a fine-tuned, almost imperceptible way for us to communicate.
Now, Shiloh responds with a feather-light touch.
ANY pressure on the leash is a signal for him to adjust his position and align himself with the human’s movements.
It's like a dance.
Each step in perfect harmony with the other.
The leash, once a symbol of control,
has now become a conduit of our connection.
Watching Shiloh walk beside me this week was like witnessing a symphony of elegant movements.
There’s no longer a need for corrections or commands.
He stays in heel position on his own, effortlessly and naturally.
It’s a feeling of pure freedom.
We are completely in sync.
Shiloh walks with me of his own volition, not because he’s being coerced or forced, but because he has learned and chosen to move in harmony with me.
This is what true freedom means.
When we discipline ourselves to do the hard things, the things that go against our own nature, we actually earn a peace-filled freedom that is unmatched by allowing ourselves to indulge in our every desire.
This incredible bond, this seamless partnership, all began with teaching Shiloh to do the opposite of his base desires.
By guiding him through the process and setting up problems for him to solve, he developed the understanding and skills necessary to become the well-mannered, responsive companion he is today.
For anyone who wants to achieve this level of unity with their dog, I encourage you to watch the YouTube video below where I explain exactly how to begin this journey with your dog.
With patience, guidance, and a little bit of problem-solving, you too can experience the joy of walking in perfect harmony with your furry companion.
P.S. I am currently working on an entire series of videos and lessons that will walk you through the steps to bring your puppy/dog from illiteracy to fluency in understanding our strange human ways.
It’s called the “Canine Culture Shock” series.
I am looking at extensive videos and daily lessons to help guide you through the structure required to set up different problems for your dog to solve which will allow your furry one to be an active participant in its own learning.
It takes a long time to gather all of the videos, but this lesson is just one of the many important, life-changing lessons for your dog that cannot ever be unlearned.
From time to time, I will share here how the series is progressing and what lessons we are working on building for you.
Jennifer Stoeckl is the co-founder of the Dire Wolf Project, founder of the DireWolf Guardians American Dirus Dog Training Program, and owner/operator of DireWolf Dogs of Vallecito. She lives in the beautiful inland northwest among the Ponderosa pine forests with her pack of American Dirus dogs.