Definition of prey levels

[Castlemaid]

Originally Posted by x11

so what do you call a dog thats a true cold blooded killer of prey animals and will hunt/chase them untill its pads are gone and it is all but mortally wounded but is generally a dull dog that cannot handle repeition or even blink at a ball/rag waved around its face??

a large class of dogs that fit the description.

Myself, I would call that hunt drive/predatory instinct.

[GSDElsa]

IMO the desire to chase animals isn't really a direct correlation to "prey drive" in the sense that it translated well into work-related drive. I've seen the laziest, lowest-drive dogs on the planet go batty for chasing a squirrel but have no interest in, say, doing obedience for a ball reward. I think chasing animals is just that--a predatory instinct to chase animals! Some might disagree, but I guess I've just seen to many very ho-hum dogs like to chase little animals to much to take the action very seriously in relation to "drive."

[Kyleigh]

OK, so I am calling it the wrong thing? I'm getting confused ... it's late in my world, so don't beat me over the head yet!

[GSDElsa]

Originally Posted by x11

makes sense, people are always blathering about the things that make bite-work type dogs either sport LEO etc is heightened survival instincts - the reality is most of the high level bite-work type dogs actually have no survival instincts imo - they have lots of fizzy drive which is a contradiction in the wild.

a lot of the dogs i see as most likely to survive in the wild cos they partially do are the last dogs to excell at any bit-work with the man type stuff or other performance sports. as much as i think i learn i cannot reconcile what i see so it fits the theories i hear. if i get this one sorted i will have arrived at a new level. so far no joy.

Well lets not forget "bite work type dogs" are bred to work WITH humans, not in their absence. A bred desire to need to hunt prey on their own is not a characteristic that is focused on. So you probably are right....a GSD would probably strave long before a sight hound

[x11]

thats a shock to the linguistics;

"the desire to chase animals isn't really a direct correlation to "prey drive"..."

no wonder they have to update dictionaries

[GSDElsa]

Originally Posted by Kyleigh

OK, so I am calling it the wrong thing? I'm getting confused ... it's late in my world, so don't beat me over the head yet!

Well no, but to me chasing animals shouldn't be the sole factor in determining prety drive. Take a sight hound (as previously mentioned)...they are bred to chase animals....but lots of dogs will chase animals....so to say a sight hound is a good representation of the breed because they chase and kill animals...not sure about that. But what about the whole picture? Flirt pole. Lure coursing. Ball being thrown so it rolls fast across the lawn....how does your dog react to all those NON-animal chasing, but prey driven activities?

Not saying that your dog DOESN'T have high prey drive, just saying that I don't think that should be the sole indicator of a low or high prey drive dog. Like someone else mentioned....pack drive and biddability also plays a factor. I have no doubt that my dogs would LOVE to go chasing that neighborhood cat, but they don't dare....(well, chimpmunks are Elsa's weak point......something about that sound and she zones out, lol!)

Someone quite likely disagrees with me, but that's my own opinion!

[x11]

pretty drive?????

[x11]

"...so to say a sight hound is a good representation of the breed because they chase and kill animals...not sure about that..." that is the entire point of their existence any sight hound that is not like that is not a sight hound ..its a cull.

"...NON-animal chasing, but prey driven activities.."

this thread is doing my head in

[GSDElsa]

Originally Posted by x11

"...so to say a sight hound is a good representation of the breed because they chase and kill animals...not sure about that..." that is the entire point of their existence any sight hound that is not like that is not a sight hound ..its a cull.

"...NON-animal chasing, but prey driven activities.."

this thread is doing my head in

The point is that ANY dog can decide to go chase animals.....even those who are horribly low drive and lazy. So the point being....a good sight hound won't just chase a real animal, they will be stimulated and put in drive by the act of chasing ANYTHING visually, not just real prey.

So if the lazy lab next door and the sight hound down the street will both chase neighborhood cats....but the lab won't so much as glance at some crazy person running around with a plastic bag on the end of a whip....but the sight hound loses his mind at the same activity....who is low prey drive and who is high?

I realize it doesn't make sense, but I just think too many dogs have that short burst desire to KILL SOMETHING ALIVE! for that to be the sole judge of prey drive. Hopefully I'm making sense to someone!

[codmaster]

Originally Posted by gagsd

No.

Might want to try it?????