The Prey drive in dogs is an instinctual response to stimulus in the environment. It is a set of behaviors related to hunting. All dogs will express these genetic responses to differing degrees, and in different situations. It is a normal part of a dog's natural behaviour. With some breeds being selectively bred to have stronger prey drives than others.
Understanding prey drive can provide you with opportunities to play with your dog in ways that satisfy these instinctual needs, improving their quality of life and well being. Some Prey drive behaviours: Stalking, Chasing, Digging, Shredding, and Chewing.
Play is an excellent way to engage these natural prey behaviors in a safe and controlled manner. Most dogs will enjoy and benefit from opportunities to express their play drive.
Different types of play relate to different types of prey drive .
A herding breed may enjoy chasing, while Hounds may enjoy stalking and flushing prey out and Terriers will be thrilled to dig and shred. Identifying the breed influences in your dog can give you clues on types of activities your dog may enjoy, remember every dog is an individual and their behaviours will be unique.
Personal Play.
This will be unique to your dog. There are no shortcuts or formulas to this and it takes time and practice to find out what really engages your dog. Some dogs might like to chase or be chased, others might prefer physical play like wrestling and pushing and others might like you jump around with them but have no physical contact. The key is to experiment and be observant to how your dog responds through their body language to what ever you try.
Toy Play.
The game you choose to play should reflect what your dog already enjoys and probably depend on their breed. For example, sight-hounds usually prefer to chase, bully breeds usually prefer to grab and hold and terriers often prefer to shake and destroy! Use this as a starting point only as every dog is an individual and there will always be exceptions to the rule.
Toy selection is also vital to get the most out of your play sessions so check out your local pet store for ideas and or make your own depending on what sort of player you have.
Play is a simulation of hunting and scavenging, most breeds have been selectively bred for one or some parts of the hunting sequence (predatory action sequence) to be emphasised - once you know which part of the sequence is naturally rewarding for your dog you have a great starting point for play.
Tug.
A game of Tug is great because, with a little skill, you can incorporate most of the Predatory sequence components into the game. Here's how a play sequence with tug might look like:
Toy acts like prey - hiding then peaking out and hiding again
Dog becomes attentive to the toy and starts to track it's movement with its eyes
Prey tries to escape simulated by some 'misses' to encourage chase.
Dog finally grabs the toy and the fight to take down the prey starts through some tugging, toy still struggling to escape
Strongest pull from the dog wins the toy in the kill bite
Dog is allowed to possess the toy by keeping it and parading with it.
Watch these videos for some training in tug:
Food play.
Food play builds interest in food as a reinforcer because it combines food with prey and hunt interests. Rewarding with food isn't just about handing the dog a piece of food. There are many factors that go into using food effectively, including where, how and when you offer food. You can also incorporate food play into building engagement with your dog. There are different ways to use food as play; throwing a treat in the air for your dog to catch, rolling it along the ground for your dog to chase or doing some fast luring and near misses to increase their motivation to get the food.
Prey drive is a natural instinct in dogs that stems from their evolutionary history as hunters and scavengers. By observing your dog's behavior you can provide rewarding outlets for their instincts. In doing so you can enhance your own bond with your dog and improve their well-being.
Sources:
Practical Dog Training Book. 2023. Jo Thorne
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