Story and photos by Karen Dugan Holman, B.S., B.S.E., M.S.
I often feel a nudge, guiding me to select a topic to share. Several sequential events helped me realize the importance of this topic.
The first event: On a beautiful, sunny, wind-free Sunday in February 2024, my sweet little terrier Halo and I took a walk together. (My readers might remember that I wrote about Halo’s rescue for the January-February 2024 issue of this magazine.) As we walked, I saw a flash out of the corner of my eye. A large dog broke through its gate, hunkered down, stalked, zeroed in, and fixated on Halo. I had no time to pull out bear spray, compressed air, or any other weapon to protect Halo — and myself. I had not a second to pick her up. The dog nose-punched Halo’s ribs and then grabbed her by the neck and shook and shook. I have never heard such screams from my pup.
The dog’s owners ran to help me, along with several neighbors and workers. The owners repeatedly called “Stop,” “Off,” “Leave it,” but the dog never heard them. It was as if it had noise-canceling earphones on.
Several people were instrumental in saving Halo’s life. What would have happened if nobody had been there to help me? I shudder to imagine. It was a very unfortunate accident, and the dog’s owners accepted full responsibility. The dog escaped while they were moving, and somehow the gate was not latched.
It was a very long recovery for Halo — stitches, weeks of medical care, crating, and her first use of a surgical suit. The antibiotics for my own injuries from the attack created nausea. My physical scars are finally healing, but emotionally, it took weeks for me to be able to sleep. I replayed the images of the event through my mind. How could I have prevented the situation, and how could I have kept this fixated dog from grabbing Halo and doing his best to kill her? It was terrifying. I felt completely helpless.
The second event: The next scenario happened not long after Halo’s attack. A friend of mine was riding her bicycle with friends. She is a seasoned rider and very knowledgeable about animal science. She was attacked by two dogs with a history of attacking bicyclists who rode quickly on the street in front of the pet owner’s house. The attack was unforeseen and knocked her to the ground hard. The friends riding with her used their bikes to fend off the dogs as one dog was trying to drag her. My friend was seriously injured and is facing future surgeries.
The owner’s fence was in disrepair, and it was simple for the dogs to escape and pursue their prey. The dogs did not respond to the owner’s attempts to call them back into their yard.
The third event: Last, I was enjoying a recent bike ride. When I was almost home, a terrier ran out of her backyard, with the owner yelling and chasing her. At first, I was terrified. But the dog responded to her owner and stopped short of tripping me up with her joyous romp of freedom. She ran back into the owner’s arms. He apologized to me and said “Have a great day” as he went back into his yard and closed the gate. This dog was relaxed and happy, just sharing her puppy hellos.
A common thread exists in these scenarios. These dogs were all owned pets, not strays. What do you do if a beloved pet exhibits prey drive? Those pets can be wonderful companions for you and your family, but you must understand that they are a predictable risk, especially with smaller animals, children, and moving objects. Safety must be a priority.
Prey Drive (Predatory Aggression)
Predatory behaviors are an instinctive or natural desire to chase, capture, and often kill prey. All dogs are born with some degree of prey drive. Puppies reflexively respond to movement by chasing. The intensity can vary dramatically. Some dogs enjoy chasing running children, bicycles, a ball, or a cat (although most will not harm the children or cats). The dogs might nip or “herd” people in the heels, calves, and thighs if they try to run away. The dogs can be in such an intense state that they cannot be redirected or called back. Others will fixate on movement, chase, and then kill. Wild canids such as coyotes or wolves will stalk, chase, and kill to hunt and survive.
The ethology or breed type of domesticated dogs is a major predictor of a dog’s drive and prey drive. Experience and situations are additional factors that can determine the level of prey drive a dog will possess. In the movie Up, the cue “Squirrel” is often used to redirect guard dogs to enjoy a chase instead of hurting the main movie characters. Chasing can be enjoyable and rewarding for dogs. The more they are provided with this opportunity, the more they are likely to repeat the behaviors in the future.
Can You Eliminate Predatory Behaviors?
You cannot reliably control, correct, or punish your dog’s predatory behaviors. High value reinforcement is unlikely to be effective to redirect dogs in the moment.
In some cases, using a dog’s prey drive in play, training, or other outlets might enable better behaviors. Training techniques are complicated. They might include a very strong call of “Off,” “Leave it,” and “Wait.” For those techniques to be effective, you should develop a valuable reward system. Replacing inappropriate prey drive with a play sequence of chasing a ball or Frisbee, participating in scent activities such as nose work, and engaging in fly ball or sporting pursuits can be excellent ways to channel the dog’s predatory behaviors.
Management Is Critical
The most reliable technique to decrease the prey-drive sequence is to provide a safe, managed environment for your dog. Secure containment is an absolute necessity. You are responsible for keeping your dog with high prey drive confined to prevent any possibility of an attack. Make sure your fence is high enough so your dog cannot climb out. Be sure all gates are locked and secure. Never let your dog off leash. In most communities, it is the law to keep your dog on a leash. A simple bell on the dog’s collar can alert other animals or children that the dog is near.
Provide a safe location inside your home where the dog can relax when visitors or unfamiliar people are present. You are responsible and liable if your dog injures, terrorizes, or kills. Make sure your dog is up to date on vaccinations and health checks in case of a dog bite. Do not let your guard down. The consistency of your safety preparations and protocols can keep every human and animal in your community safe.
Happy tails, Karen
Animalbehaviorok.com
