Prey Drive - Way To Test?

[Pointees]

In ness' example, I would want to know more specifics about the body language of each dog. I swear you can tell intention in the body language. I've exposed a few different dogs to my rabbits and you can tell in an instant if there's any hope for the relationship and how much. I would trust my mum's intensely toy obsessed dog with my rabbits as long as they weren't able to run. She would trigger if she saw a running bunny zoom past her, and she's big enough that she would be likely to hurt them if she caught them whether she meant to or not. On the other hand, my mum's Vallhund can't be in the same room as my rabbits. He tries to bust into their cages. He doesn't play chase games, and rarely plays tug, but he'll snap a lizard up before you realise it's even there. My Vallhund is a tugging fiend and loves to chase things, but he's thoroughly trusted in a room with caged rabbits. He ignores them. To me, a dog that chases is not necessarily prey driven, and a dog that tugs is not necessarily prey driven. A prey driven dog is one that knows rabbits are for biting even when they've never laid eyes on a rabbit before.

This is like living at my house.

My two Pointers can be around my rabbits, unless one goes zooming by - then the rabbit would have no chance. These two will say 'good morning' to the rabbits (give them a big sniff through the cage) and walk off. One was brought up with the rabbits, the other just knows that the rabbits are part of the family IF they are in the cages.

My GSP tries to eat the cage to get to the rabbits. He runs around the cage barking and you have no control over him. This boy hadn't seen a rabbit until he came here (at 10 months old).

[MonElite]

I'm inclined to forget about drive all together and call it scenting. Seeking drive, perhaps, if you must. Unless it's followed by a few other hunting behaviours.

I know that my dogs track in food drive. Im talking tracking as following footsteps of a person.

My dogs also air scent and will chase a rabbit in a field, and that is done in prey drive. When they air scent and its not followed by a hunting behaviour its simply becasuse there is not enought trigger for them to go into drive, not that they are not driven dogs.

[Quickasyoucan]

I'm inclined to forget about drive all together and call it scenting. Seeking drive, perhaps, if you must. Unless it's followed by a few other hunting behaviours.

I know that my dogs track in food drive. Im talking tracking as following footsteps of a person.

My dogs also air scent and will chase a rabbit in a field, and that is done in prey drive. When they air scent and its not followed by a hunting behaviour its simply becasuse there is not enought trigger for them to go into drive, not that they are not driven dogs.

I agree with this.

As I said before, when Jake is playing seek games he wags his tail furiously, yesterday I was caught unawares as a skateboard (his favourite prey item) went past the cafe where we were sitting and he was on leash, he displayed the same tail wagging activity (albeit more intense) because he obviously couldn't move fast to chase the skateboard being on leash.

He looked the same maybe more intense as he does when playing seek games and believe me when it comes to skateboards he is very definitely in prey drive I don't think scenting is a different thing at all just one part of a prey drive spectrum.

[huski]

He looked the same maybe more intense as he does when playing seek games and believe me when it comes to skateboards he is very definitely in prey drive I don't think scenting is a different thing at all just one part of a prey drive spectrum.

I tend to agree especially when you consider the original purpose behind scenting.