How to Live with a Dog with a High Prey Drive
Decide whether a dog with a high prey drive is right for you., Do some research on high prey drive dogs., Spay or neuter your dog., Get your dog microchipped., Teach your dog to recall reliably., Crate train your dog., Observe your dog's individual...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Decide whether a dog with a high prey drive is right for you.
Before you bring a dog with a high prey drive into your home, carefully consider whether you will be able to provide an appropriate home environment for the dog, and what impact the dog will have on you and your family.
Things to consider include:
Do you have enough space? Dogs with high prey drive do best in areas where they can get plenty of exercise, and are not likely to have run-ins with other neighborhood pets or children.
For example, a home with a large, fenced-in yard is a good environment for a high prey drive dog.
Are you able to commit a lot of time to training and exercising your dog? Do you have small pets or young children who might be at risk from a high prey drive dog? Keep in mind that some aggressive high prey drive dogs are incompatible with smaller animals or very young children, as they may severely injure or kill them. -
Step 2: Do some research on high prey drive dogs.
Before you adopt or purchase your dog, learn what types of breeds have high prey drive and what kinds of behaviors you can expect from the type of dog you plan to bring home.
While there are many types of dogs with high prey drive (e.g., whippets, terriers, malamutes, and hounds), prey drive can manifest itself in different ways – or cause different potential problems for you and your household – depending on the breed, size, and individual temperament of the dog., While hunting drives are largely based on genetics, spaying or neutering your dog can help deter instinctive hunting behavior.
Spayed and neutered dogs are generally calmer, less dominant or aggressive, and less territorial.Be aware that since hunting drives are deeply instinctive, spaying and neutering will not eliminate these behaviors entirely. , Ask your vet to microchip and register your dog.
This will make it easier for you to relocate your dog in the event that the dog runs away or gets lost.
Microchipping is a quick and relatively painless process with a low risk of complications.
Once you have your dog chipped, make sure to keep the registration information up to date., It’s essential to teach your dog the command word “come.” Reliably recalling your dog, or telling it to come, can prevent unruly or dangerous behavior, especially if you ever let it off its leash outside.Use reward-based training.
Start at a modest distance and say, “Come!” Wait for it to come to you or physically show it want you want it to do.
Wave a toy if necessary.
When it comes to you, make a big deal out of it.
Give it praise and a small food treat.
Repeat 20 times per training session to condition the dog to associate reliably recalling with a reward.
It could take weeks or even months to ensure the association is solidified, so be patient and persistent. , If you have a cat, smaller dog, or other pet, crate training can give you peace of mind when you leave the house.
Dogs are den animals that find security in enclosed spaces, so the crate can be both calming and great for other pets’ safety.It’s essential not to punish your dog wit the crate.
If it misbehaves and you immediately yell and throw it in the crate, it will not associate the crate with security.
Be sure to put toys and familiar scent articles in the crate with the dog to keep it entertained and calm.
Consider using puzzle or dispenser toys to keep it busy. , In order to best manage your dog, you should get to know both its individual personality and the dispositions of its breed or mix of breeds.
Find out if its breed was selected for hunting, and if so, whether it was meant for ground game or for birds.Prey drive has to do with genetics and is generally unrelated to a dog’s upbringing, so knowing breed traits is important.
For example, dogs bred to flush birds, such as retriever breeds, might chase, but are unlikely to bite or attack.
In addition to knowing breed traits, observing your dog's playtime habits will help you know how much activity you'll need to give it in order to manage its prey drive. -
Step 3: Spay or neuter your dog.
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Step 4: Get your dog microchipped.
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Step 5: Teach your dog to recall reliably.
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Step 6: Crate train your dog.
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Step 7: Observe your dog's individual and breed tendencies.
Detailed Guide
Before you bring a dog with a high prey drive into your home, carefully consider whether you will be able to provide an appropriate home environment for the dog, and what impact the dog will have on you and your family.
Things to consider include:
Do you have enough space? Dogs with high prey drive do best in areas where they can get plenty of exercise, and are not likely to have run-ins with other neighborhood pets or children.
For example, a home with a large, fenced-in yard is a good environment for a high prey drive dog.
Are you able to commit a lot of time to training and exercising your dog? Do you have small pets or young children who might be at risk from a high prey drive dog? Keep in mind that some aggressive high prey drive dogs are incompatible with smaller animals or very young children, as they may severely injure or kill them.
Before you adopt or purchase your dog, learn what types of breeds have high prey drive and what kinds of behaviors you can expect from the type of dog you plan to bring home.
While there are many types of dogs with high prey drive (e.g., whippets, terriers, malamutes, and hounds), prey drive can manifest itself in different ways – or cause different potential problems for you and your household – depending on the breed, size, and individual temperament of the dog., While hunting drives are largely based on genetics, spaying or neutering your dog can help deter instinctive hunting behavior.
Spayed and neutered dogs are generally calmer, less dominant or aggressive, and less territorial.Be aware that since hunting drives are deeply instinctive, spaying and neutering will not eliminate these behaviors entirely. , Ask your vet to microchip and register your dog.
This will make it easier for you to relocate your dog in the event that the dog runs away or gets lost.
Microchipping is a quick and relatively painless process with a low risk of complications.
Once you have your dog chipped, make sure to keep the registration information up to date., It’s essential to teach your dog the command word “come.” Reliably recalling your dog, or telling it to come, can prevent unruly or dangerous behavior, especially if you ever let it off its leash outside.Use reward-based training.
Start at a modest distance and say, “Come!” Wait for it to come to you or physically show it want you want it to do.
Wave a toy if necessary.
When it comes to you, make a big deal out of it.
Give it praise and a small food treat.
Repeat 20 times per training session to condition the dog to associate reliably recalling with a reward.
It could take weeks or even months to ensure the association is solidified, so be patient and persistent. , If you have a cat, smaller dog, or other pet, crate training can give you peace of mind when you leave the house.
Dogs are den animals that find security in enclosed spaces, so the crate can be both calming and great for other pets’ safety.It’s essential not to punish your dog wit the crate.
If it misbehaves and you immediately yell and throw it in the crate, it will not associate the crate with security.
Be sure to put toys and familiar scent articles in the crate with the dog to keep it entertained and calm.
Consider using puzzle or dispenser toys to keep it busy. , In order to best manage your dog, you should get to know both its individual personality and the dispositions of its breed or mix of breeds.
Find out if its breed was selected for hunting, and if so, whether it was meant for ground game or for birds.Prey drive has to do with genetics and is generally unrelated to a dog’s upbringing, so knowing breed traits is important.
For example, dogs bred to flush birds, such as retriever breeds, might chase, but are unlikely to bite or attack.
In addition to knowing breed traits, observing your dog's playtime habits will help you know how much activity you'll need to give it in order to manage its prey drive.
About the Author
Claire Reyes
Creates helpful guides on practical skills to inspire and educate readers.
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