What do dog breeders mean when they talk about prey drive?
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We are looking at several breeds of dogs in the small to medium size. We’ve talked to several breeders. They ask about our family’s activities and have mentioned a puppy’s prey drive. Why? We don’t intend to have our dog chasing squirrels and rabbits.
Then you don’t want a dog with true working ability. Breeds were created for a purpose, many of them for hunting, scenting retrieving, etc. A good breeder can assess their pups at a relatively young age for working ability. Those that don’t make the cut are more suitable as pets than for the person who actually intends to work their dog
Filed under: Dog Breeders
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Some breeds have higher prey drive than others. Although all dogs have some prey drive, Dachshunds for example, would not be a good breed for you if you have a beloved pet bunny rabbit or a house full of kittens. There are exceptions to every rule. Some breeds are more energetic than others. If your family is laid-back, not big on exercise, than you want to stay away from breeds who have LOADS of energy, like a Jack Russel Terrier. These are just a few examples. It is all just part of helping your family find the right dog/breed that suits your lifestyle, etc.
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Just because you don’t intend to doesn’t mean it won’t happen! ALL dogs instinctively have some level of a prey drive, just because they were all derived from wolves. However, a Terrier is going to want to chase a squirrel a lot more than a dog who wasn’t originally bred to chase vermin (i.e. a Pug) will.
It’s all about what the breed was originally intended to do.
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I work at an animal hospital and know a lot about dogs.
Then you don’t want a dog with true working ability. Breeds were created for a purpose, many of them for hunting, scenting retrieving, etc. A good breeder can assess their pups at a relatively young age for working ability. Those that don’t make the cut are more suitable as pets than for the person who actually intends to work their dog
References :
Every dog breed has some natural instinct to hunt, or are at least attracted to small animals. If you don’t want your dog to chase squirrels etc, or have small pets in the house, you want to look for a breed with low prey drive. Generally, you might want to avoid terriers and spaniels as they tend to be bred as hunting/retrieving dogs.
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Prey drive is how much the puppy wants to kill small animals. High prey drive means a dog that is very likely to bolt after, chase and kill any smaller animal. Therefore it is very important to consider prey drive before buying a dog or puppy. Your cute little puppy could maul and kill your cat while you use the bathroom or watch TV.
High prey drive dogs can not live easily with cats and other small animals. They MUST be raised with the smaller animals you’d expect them to live with, and must constantly be watched and NEVER be left alone with smaller animals. They must also always be on-leash when outside, unless in a secure area. Because you never know when they’ll see a bird and bolt after it - gone, just like that.
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A "prey-drive" is a naturally inherited desire to chase small mammals. Even if you "don’t intend on" having your new puppy chase your cat, some breeds have a deep-rooted instinct to do just that.
If you don’t want a dog with a prey drive, stay away from hounds, sight hounds, and terrier breeds. Stick with the small companion breeds (Papillon, Cavilier, poodle, Maltese, etc…)
Although, most small terrier breeds can be okay with small mammals if raised with them. But that doesn’t mean they won’t attempt to eat a rabbit hopping across your yard!
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Trainer, Foster