When talking about why an animal performs a behaviour, there are generally considered to be 4 reasons in ethology. These were first described by Niko Tinbergen in 1963, and include ontogeny (development), phylogeny (genetics), causation (what happens before) and function (what happens after).

Learn some examples of the science behind this, and how you can use it in training and behavior modification.

Get links to resources mentioned at https://behaviory.com/blog/why-does-my-pet-do-this