Skip to content

What Is Prey Drive in Dogs?

by | Jun 11, 2025 | Albany Dog Trainer

What Is Prey Drive in Dogs?

Prey drive is one of the most powerful and misunderstood instincts in dogs. While it can lead to challenges like chasing squirrels or ignoring commands, it also plays a key role in a dog’s natural intelligence, energy, and focus.

Understanding prey drive is the first step to working with your dog—not against them.

What Is Prey Drive in Dogs?

What Exactly Is Prey Drive?

Prey drive refers to a dog’s instinctive desire to chase, catch, and sometimes kill moving objects. It’s a behavior passed down from their wild ancestors—essential for survival and hunting.

But in modern dogs, prey drive expresses itself in many different ways:

  • Chasing squirrels or rabbits

  • Lunging at birds or bicycles

  • Obsessing over toys or balls

  • Intense staring or stalking

  • Pouncing or shaking objects

While it may look like play or misbehavior, it’s rooted in instinct.

The 5 Stages of Prey Drive

Many experts break down prey drive into a series of behaviors:

  1. Search – sniffing or scanning for movement

  2. Stalk – moving slowly or locking eyes on prey

  3. Chase – running after the target

  4. Grab bite – catching or grabbing with the mouth

  5. Kill bite – shaking or biting with force

Most dogs don’t go through all five stages—especially those bred to retrieve or herd rather than kill. But knowing which stages your dog tends to follow helps guide how to manage their drive.

What Is Prey Drive in Dogs?

Why Do Some Dogs Have Stronger Prey Drives?

Breed plays a major role in prey drive. Dogs bred for hunting, herding, or guarding often have higher natural instincts to chase and focus on movement.

High prey drive breeds include:

  • Border Collies

  • German Shepherds

  • Huskies

  • Terriers

  • Belgian Malinois

Lower prey drive breeds include:

  • Great Danes

  • Bulldogs

  • Basset Hounds

  • Cavalier King Charles Spaniels

That said, prey drive also varies from dog to dog—some couch potatoes may surprise you with a squirrel sprint!

Is Prey Drive Bad?

Not at all! Prey drive isn’t aggression—it’s instinctual behavior. In fact, when properly managed, it can be a valuable tool in training. Dogs with high prey drive tend to be:

  • Energetic and enthusiastic

  • Excellent at sports and games

  • Highly focused and intelligent

However, unmanaged prey drive can lead to problems:

  • Running off or ignoring recall

  • Injuring small pets

  • Lunging on leash

That’s why understanding this instinct is so important.

How to Tell If Your Dog Has High Prey Drive

Watch for signs like:

  • Obsessive focus on moving objects or animals

  • Chasing things immediately after spotting them

  • Difficulty responding to commands when distracted

  • Shaking toys violently during play

If you notice these traits, don’t panic—many dogs have strong prey drives and can still be great pets.

What Is Prey Drive in Dogs?

Conclusion

Prey drive is natural and often beneficial—it fuels a dog’s curiosity, focus, and athleticism. The key is understanding it, recognizing the signs, and learning how to work with it constructively.

In the next blog, we’ll explore which breeds are known for high (and low) prey drive, and what that means for your lifestyle.