Dogs and humans have been hunting together since canines were domesticated to survive. Hunting dogs are trained to have a specific skill set like a strong prey drive, endurance, and receptiveness. So, if you have a hunting dog, is it possible to untrain or retrain them not to hunt?
Untraining a hunting dog can be very difficult, but it is possible. It is important to recognize your dog’s prey drive, take their attention away from their prey, use positive reinforcement, and keep your dog busy with healthy activities. Patience is key!
Hunting dogs are trained to have a strong prey drive; other dogs have a strong instinct to hunt. This article will examine how to untrain hunting dogs, the most difficult breeds to untrain due to their high prey drive, and which breeds are commonly used as hunting dogs.
Untraining A Hunting Dog
It is important to know that the prey drive in dogs can never truly be untrained. It is in their nature to hunt, especially in certain breeds like Labrador retrievers and Terriers. However, if you by any chance have a hunting dog with a strong prey drive, it is possible to tame some of his behaviors.
Firstly, it’s important to acknowledge your dog’s prey drive and ensure you don’t encourage behavior like chasing animals. Some ways to untrain your hunting dog is by taking away his attention from prey and using positive reinforcement.
Recognize Your Dog’s Prey Drive
First, you need to pay attention to how strong of a prey drive your dog has. Hunting dogs usually have a very strong prey drive, and it can be challenging to even go for a walk with them. You must identify the type of prey your dog is interested in or triggers his behavior.
Also, take a look at the environment and what prey is present. Avoid walking your dog during dusk or dawn since this is the time most prey are active. If your dog tends to chase vehicles, take him for walks when there are fewer cars on the road, or walk a path away from roads.
Take Your Dog’s Attention Away From Prey
Secondly, once you have identified the dog’s prey drive and his triggers, you need to take your dog’s attention away from the prey. If your dog is hunting, it is important that you distract your dog to keep his attention away from the prey.
You can do this by playing with your dog or distracting him with an activity. Let your dog stay focused on you and the activity. Don’t reprimand him when he starts to hunt; try to take his attention away from the prey and use positive reinforcement to encourage obedience.
Don’t Encourage Your Dog’s Prey Drive
Prevention is key. Don’t allow or encourage your dog to chase other animals at any time, even if it is just in your backyard. Your dog will do the same when you are out and about. So as soon as you get a dog, it is important to discourage him from chasing and hunting other animals.
Use Positive Reinforcement
The easiest way to train, retrain, or untrain your dog is to reward him for good behavior by giving him treats. This way, he will want to obey you.
Teach Your Dog To Obey Your Commands
Teach your dog to come to you when you call, which is one of the most important lessons you can teach your dog. If your dog fails to obey your commands, consider enrolling your dog in obedience classes.
Keep Your Dog Active
Encourage healthy activities like walking, running, swimming, or climbing. Do these activities when there is less prey present; for example, prey are usually present during dusk and dawn, so avoid these times. If your dog likes chasing cars, do activities away from roads and vehicles.
Dog breeds with strong prey drives usually have a lot of energy, so you must ensure your dog exercises enough to burn off that extra energy. This much needed exercise will tire him out, so he won’t have time to hunt prey.
Dog Breeds That Have A Strong Prey Drive
Some dogs naturally have strong prey drives. These breeds include:
- Afghan Hounds
- Alaskan Malamutes
- Whippets
- Australian Cattle Dogs
- Yorkshire Terriers
- Beagles
- Weimaraners
- Doberman Pinschers
- Siberian Huskies
- Jack Russell
- Shiba Inus
- Rhodesian Ridgenbacks
- Samoyeds
- Airedale Terriers
- Xoloitzcuintli
- Greyhounds
- Saluki
- Pharoah Hounds
- Irish Wolfhounds
- Bull Terriers
- English Springer Spaniels
- Chihuahuas
Untraining these energetic breeds will be especially challenging since they already have a very strong instinct to hunt.
Popular Hunting Dog Breeds
Certain breeds make excellent hunting dogs. So, if you have a dog that is used to hunting, you will need to have a lot of patience since it won’t be easy to untrain them.
These breeds include Labrador Retrievers, American Foxhounds, American Pit Bull Terriers, Beagles, Bloodhounds, Boykin Spaniels, Brittany dogs, Chesapeake Bay Retrievers, Coonhounds, English Setters, German Shorthaired Pointers, Golden retrievers, Irish Setters, Jack Russel Terriers, and Weimaraners.
These dog breeds are known for their keen sense of smell and good hearing. They do not necessarily have a strong prey drive but have the talents to be amazing hunting dogs. For this reason, people usually train them to hunt.
Once they are trained to be hunting dogs, it can be challenging to untrain them. However, with time and patience, you can untrain your dog to hunt by redirecting his attention, ensuring he gets enough exercise, and through positive reinforcement.
Conclusion
Hunting dogs and dogs with a natural strong prey drive are difficult to untrain. But it’s not impossible! The first step is acknowledging your dog’s prey drive and then redirecting his attention. Prevention is also an effective method. Ensure your dog is not around prey when you walk him. If he encounters prey, take his attention off it by encouraging healthy activities.
Positive reinforcement is always a good method to train a dog to stop unwanted behavior. Remember, patience is key! You won’t untrain your hunting dog overnight.
References
https://tractive.com/blog/en/safety/hunting-behavior-in-dogs/amp
https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/training/how-to-channel-your-dogs-predatory-instincts-on-walks/
https://iheartdogs.com/11-dog-breeds-that-have-a-high-prey-drive/
https://www.whole-dog-journal.com/training/five-steps-to-stopping-unwanted-behavior/
