Prey drive?

J

JessieLove09

Forums Regular
Do your Shelties have prey drive? My previous Sheltie Mixes did. First time we noticed it was when we started finding dead rats in our backyard. At first we thought it was the cats in our neighborhood. Then one day I was out back with my parents and saw Simba stalking something. I called her over and she lunges and growls. Then she comes walking over with a dead rat in her mouth all happy and proud. My mom freaked out and we took Simba to the vet to be checked out.

The next incident was when I was out in the backyard and we had this bush that had a birds nest and a baby bird fell out. It ended up all the way under our lemon tree where I was trying to get it out, and then I see Simba sneaking up on it and then she lunged and bit the bird and killed it. I immediately called her over away from the dead bird and had my brother dispose of it. Then after that we started finding headless birds in the yard.:dead:

I am just wondering if anyone here has Shelties who have a prey drive? My dogs were mixed so the prey drive could be from the breed they are mixed with(I don't what they are mixed with.)

My current dogs(German Shepherds) have prey drives and it is expected of the breed. Is it expected of Shetland Sheepdogs?
 
I always took "prey drive" to mean the desire to chase moving objects. So yes, one of my two has a very high prey drive.

But, I don't think she would kill. I think she would chase, then herd something.

So I think in your sense of the word "prey drive" (to chase and kill), then neither of mine have it.
 
I see prey drive as the chase instinct, seperate from the need to bite or kill.

Herding breeds show the stalk, chase and drive aspects - thats part of the herding instinct. On the whole it should not manifest in a need to kill what they chase. In fact, breeds like shelties, that use nipping to herd smaller animals, should have fairly soft bites. ACDs and other cattle breeds have a harder bite but they would still be destroyed if they used this as a kill or injure.

That is not to say a sheltie will not kill a small animal/bird, usually by over-zealousness rather than intent. One of the beauties of shelties is you can trust them around smaller pets, they are a very gentle herding breed.

When you say your GSDs have prey drive do you mean bit/kill instinct or chase/drive instinct? Perhaps that is because GSDs have evolved as a working breed in different spheres where other behaviours are bred for.
 
Treader loves to chase things. I don't think he's ever killed anything, though. Well, other than bugs, I've seen him kill ticks.
If a cat doesn't run away from him he'll do the play bow and bark at it. XD I think he thinks cats enjoy being chased by him or something.
 
we have rabbits where I live and I know that Belle would love to chase them. whether or not she would kill them is something I do not want to find out. She is also very interested in crows.
 
Justice and Ember have caught and killed a rabbit. I don't know who did the actual killing but I have a hunch it was Ember. Ember loves to chase anything that moves rabbits and squirrels are her favorites.

Diva likes to chase and bark but that it about it. Herding is prey drive stalled before the kill. At least so I read. Ember is my only dog I haven't seen "herd". She just chases ,growling all the way. She doesn't chase my cats though. But she tried to chase one of Rachels and got slapped in the head by the cat and yelled at by me for it. None one else looks at the cats. Weird thing is Ember does not like to play ball or tug or play with toys. She is just weird.
 
Thanks for the input everyone. I was just wondering what everyone else's version of this. I don't really think it means killing, but rather stalking it or chasing it. In no way do I let this behavior get out of hand. I guess my dogs had high prey drive, and it got a little out of hand. My currents like to chase little animals, and cats. I don't think its wrong to have prey drive. I was just wondering if it was common for shelties.

In GSDs they want prey drive for dogs in training for police work, narcotics, Schutzhund, herding, and military work. They don't do it to get the dog to kill.
 
My girls do not have a prey drive....thank goodness because I have an open cage full of 4 little guinea pig friends that would be very upset :eek2:
 
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