Dogs are wonderful companions and can improve the quality of our lives immeasurably. It is also true that a dog with problem behavior can make life challenging and sometimes unbearable. One of the most problematic behaviors owners complain about is high prey drive in a dog. Owners may seek many solutions and consider whether neutering the dog will help reduce the prey drive.
Neutering a dog alters hormone levels and, therefore, will not have any effect on prey drive. Prey drive is a natural behavior for dogs. They are predators, and although pet dogs do not need to hunt, the basic instincts remain. Prey drive is not linked to dominance or hormones.
Many people feel that neutering a dog will alter the dog’s behavior and get rid of any unwanted bad habits. It is important to understand the forces that drive a dog to hunt.
Can Neutering Reduce Prey Drive?
Neutering refers to surgical desexing of the animal. In females, this reduces estrogen, and in males, it reduces testosterone. It will eliminate a female’s reproductive seasons or heats. It will lessen the urge to mate in males, although some males may still mount females in heat.
Neutering has varied effects on behavior, but scientific studies show conflicting results. It would seem that each dog has an individual response and must be assessed as an individual when considering neutering to alter behavior.
Neutering often reduces dominance in male dogs. It can therefore be helpful in dog-on-dog aggression. In some females, neutering may increase dog aggression. Females seem to show more variable behavioral responses to neutering.
One conclusion that all researchers agree on is that neutering does not reduce or eliminate prey drive. Neutering acts on the reproductive systems and hormones, which have nothing to do with prey drive.
What Is Prey Drive?
Before dogs were domesticated, they lived in the wild, hunting alone or in packs for food. In order to survive, they needed to have some mechanism that enabled them to hunt, catch and kill prey.
Since puppies needed to learn to hunt while relatively young, they could not learn enough from their mothers or other pack members in the short time available. In addition, dogs do not naturally learn vast amounts by imitation. The answer to this problem is that puppies were, and still are, born with a natural prey drive.
When dogs were domesticated, they were selectively bred for certain traits that the owners found desirable. In early times, dogs were used to assist people in hunting, so a high prey drive was desirable.
The prey drive was also modified by selective breeding to produce dogs capable of other jobs.
Herding Is A Modified Prey Drive
Herding is a modified prey drive, with herding dogs being highly prized by farmers. Many herding dog breeds have extremely high prey drives. Border collies trained for herding can fetch large prices, but they are not always the best pets because of their high desire to herd.
Everyone’s favorite rough collie, Lassie, probably had a high prey drive. It was just modified and not directed at humans.
Gun Dogs Have High Prey Drive
Some people still use dogs in hunting or field trials where the desire to hunt is considered an asset. Gun dogs such as retrievers, pointers, and flushing dogs have a high hunt drive. Their drive has been modified to include a soft mouth. This term means that the dogs seldom kill, chew, or eat the prey. They are taught to carry the prey back to the hunter.
Gun dogs are well known for having soft, gentle personalities and ideal family pets. This trait was essential in modifying their prey drive as they needed to want to work with their owner.
Prey Drive With Bite And Kill Instincts
The most problematic prey drive is probably prey drive accompanied by the instinct to bite and kill. This is the one that most pet owners are probably referring to when they say their dog has a high prey drive.
This prey drive was intentionally bred into some breeds. Terriers are feisty dogs that have a hair-trigger when it comes to sparking their hunt drive. They were bred like this to kill pests and hunt certain problematic animals on farms.
The cruel side of human nature emerges when considering breeds such as pit bulls and bull terriers bred for animal blood sports. These sports included dog fighting and bull baiting. These dogs have an extremely high prey drive accompanied by fighting and killing instincts.
Does Dominance Affect Prey Drive?
Dominance has very little to do with prey drive. Dominant and submissive dogs can be triggered by a small animal running or squeaking.
Prey drive is strongly affected by a dog’s sense of smell. The olfactory cortex in dogs is the most dominant sensory cortex. Dominance will not inhibit the dog’s reaction to smells.
How To Manage High Prey Drive-In A Dog?
High prey drive cannot be eliminated, but it can be managed. In dogs with a high prey drive combined with bite and kill instincts, precautions must be taken.
These dogs cannot be trusted with small animals or young children. If your dog shows these traits and you have young children, it is best to rehome your dog. A small child can be killed or permanently disabled by a dog attack. There are responsible organizations that can help you rehome your dog.
If you have cats or small breed dogs, you need to choose to either keep the high prey drive dog or the small animals. It is highly unlikely that you can keep both. It is unfair to the small animals to let them be mauled or permanently chased and bitten.
When exercising a dog with a high prey drive, they should always be securely leashed unless they are in a secured space. Dogs with high prey drive will quickly take off to chase prey. They can be injured by running into traffic or attacking dangerous or venomous animals such as snakes.
It is necessary to secure your dog to prevent it from attacking another smaller animal. As the attacking dog’s owner, you could face costly fines, lawsuits, or veterinary expenses.
Attach a GPS tracker to your dog’s collar in case the dog manages to get loose. A tracker will allow you to locate your dog quickly.
A strong recall and basic obedience are critical in managing a dog with a high prey drive. The American Kennel Club recommends a program called Predation Substitution Training.
Conclusion
Neutering does not help prey drive. Neutering works on the reproductive system. Prey drive is an instinctual behavior triggered by the smell, sight, and behavior of prey animals.
References
https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/training/how-to-channel-your-dogs-predatory-instincts-on-walks/
https://schertzanimalhospital.com/blog/dog-training-tips-to-reduce-a-high-prey-drive/
https://www.wikihow.com/Live-with-a-Dog-with-a-High-Prey-Drive
