Does your dog have a high prey drive?

One of the signs of prey drive in dogs is their ability to hunt or search for their prey using their senses.

Some dogs may sniff the air to catch a scent, sniff the ground to follow a trail, or scan with their eyes to spot a movement. Does your dog do any of these things? If yes, then your dog may have a high prey drive. Answer this question to find out more:

Which of these best describes your dog?

My dog does not hunt or search for prey at all.

My dog may hunt or search for prey occasionally, but I can easily distract them or call them back.

My dog often hunts or searches for prey, but they stay close to me or respond to me easily.

My dog frequently hunts or searches for prey, and they may run far from me, ignore me or bark and lunge on the lead when they do.

My dog constantly hunts or searches for prey, and they become obsessed. They always run far from me if they can. They ignore me. They bark and lunge on the lead if I have them on a lead.

One of the signs of prey drive in dogs is their tendency to eye their prey.

This is when they go completely still and stare intensely at their target. This behaviour is often seen in Border Collies, as they use it to help them control the movement of sheep. Does your dog do this? Answer this question to find out more:

How intense is your dog's eyeing behaviour for prey?

My dog does not eye prey at all.

My dog may eye prey occasionally, but I can easily distract them or call them off.

My dog often eyes prey, but they stay calm and wait for my cue.

My dog frequently eyes prey, and they may tense up or tremble with excitement.

My dog constantly eyes prey, and they become fixated, barking, lunging, or pulling on the lead when they do.

One of the signs of prey drive in dogs is stalking their prey.

This is when they lower their body and their head and move slowly toward their target, trying not to scare it away. This behaviour can be seen in Setters and Pointers as they get closer to a hidden bird without startling it into the air. Some dogs may also stalk other animals or toys as if they were prey. Does your dog do this?

How intense is your dog’s stalking behaviour for prey?

My dog does not stalk prey at all.

My dog may stalk prey occasionally, but I can easily distract them or call them off.

My dog often stalks prey, but they stay calm and wait for my cue.

My dog frequently stalks prey, and they find it hard to listen to me, often exploding into chasing.

My dog constantly stalks prey, and they become fixated. I cannot get their attention at all, and they will explode into chasing.

One of the signs of prey drive in dogs is their ability to chase their prey.

This is when they run toward their target and follow it if it moves away. The behaviour is common in most dogs and some dogs may chase other animals, toys, cars, or even people who are jogging or cycling, as if they were prey. Does your dog do this? If yes, then your dog may have a high prey drive. Answer this question to find out more:

How intense is your dog’s chasing behaviour for prey?

My dog does not chase prey at all.

My dog may chase prey occasionally, but I can easily distract them or call them off.

My dog often chases prey, but they stay within my sight and respond to me easily.

My dog frequently chases prey, and they may run far from me or ignore me when they do.

My dog constantly chases prey, and they always run far from me and ignore me when they do. If I have them on a lead, they will bark and lunge when the lead stops them chasing.

One of the signs of prey drive in dogs is a tendency to grab-bite their prey

This is when they close their mouth around their target and apply pressure. This behaviour is useful in dogs such as terriers as it enables them to quickly dispatch rats and mice. Answer this question to find out more:

How intense is your dog’s grab-bite behaviour for prey?

My dog does not grab-bite at all.

If my dog grab-bites another animal, they release quickly and don't cause injury. If it is a toy, they usually drop it again quickly.

If my dog grab-bites prey, they may cause minor injuries. If it is a toy, they usually hold it and chomp on it. Or hold it and shake their head.

If my dog grab-bites prey, their bite is hard and if the prey is another animal, there will be injury requiring medical attention. If it is a toy, their grip is hard and I can often see the toy flatten between their jaws.

I am concerned about my dog's grab-bite. If they grab-bite, they bite hard and do not let go easily. I would be concerned for the safety of an animal caught by my dog. If it is a toy, I sometimes notice that my dog has a hard time letting go of the toy again.

One of the signs of prey drive in dogs is their ability to possess their prey.

This is when they hold and carry their target in their mouth, either to bring it back to their owner or to keep it for themselves. This behaviour is found in domestic dogs, especially in retrieving breeds like Labradors and Spaniels, as they have been selectively bred for it. They can carry objects gently and without damaging them. Answer this question to find out more:

How intense is your dog's possess behaviour?

My dog does not possess items at all.

If my dog possesses an item, they will bring it to me quickly and give it to me.

If my dog possesses an item, they drop it when asked or easily exchange it for a treat.

If my dog possesses an item, they tend to run away with it or hide it from me.

Possess is a concern for me. My dog will become aggressive if approached when they have something and has bitten, or I am scared they will bite.

Possess is a concern for me. My dog swallows items and I'm concerned about medical problems as a result.

A key part of prey drive in dogs is the kill-bite.

This is when they hold and shake their target with the intention of killing it. This behaviour is useful for dogs like working terriers, as it helps them to quickly dispatch rats. Answer this question to find out more:

How intense is your dog’s kill-bite behaviour?

My dog does not kill-bite at all.

My dog may kill-bite when playing with a toy, but they remain calm and release the toy quickly when asked.

My dog kill-bites when playing with toys. They get excited and will sometimes find it hard to let go of the toy, but they show no signs of directing this toward other animals.

My dog has performed a kill-bite on another animal. However, they were able to listen to me and stopped very quickly.

My dog has performed a kill-bite on another animal. I could not get them to stop, and the other animal was killed or badly injured.

What your dog would do if they could matters as well.

Do you feel as if the intensity of your dog's behaviour toward prey would be higher if you weren't careful about where you walk and about when you let your dog off the lead?

Yes. I take care so that my dog remains able to listen to me and that does reduce the intensity of what I see them do.

I don't alter my walking habits to reduce the intensity of my dog's behaviour.