I have a question on prey drive. If a dog would go after a ball but not care about small animals is it still a form of prey?

Yes.

Dale,
Count yourself lucky to not have an animal aggressive dog.

Robert, Nice dog..Good to see some change. Is that the KNPV trained one?

Nope <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Originally posted by Dale Montondo:
I have a question on prey drive. If a dog would go after a ball but not care about small animals is it still a form of prey? Yep, usually unless the only reason he chases it is upon the request of his handler to play. then it is a trained form of play drive.
usually a dog chases a ball or toy mostly because of the movement of the perceived prey item. Good rearing imposes the idea on the dog that toys, balls, etc. are acceptable prey and they are kept from becoming accustomed to critters being prey items, or even punished for it. Of course that assumes you're not into hunting dogs that we want to chase certain prey items.

Interesting discussion.

A friend who's been involved in SAR for many years says that every Border Collie she's seen in SAR has been a "ball fanatic". Yet Border Collies who are full time herding dogs are very often uninterested in ball chasing or other toy games. The difference is not genetics. It's the way the dog is raised, and how its prey drive is channeled... into herding or into toy chasing/biting.

I've been of the opinion that it's better to channel a dog's prey drive into toy play than to leave it unfocused where it can end up being channeled into car chasing, bicycle chasing, or squirrel/deer chasing. Plus, the toy play is a great tool for training.

Laura Sanborn

Interesting reply -- when I first got my dog (now one) she did nto care about chasing the ball at all, but was very much into the idea of chasing animals.

Lots of two ball drive buidling and e-collar critter proofing and she now ignores the cats and chases the ball like a maniac -- but had we not done this, I think we would not have any cats and my friend with the farm would have no fowl.

This is an old thread but I did my search before I posted <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

OK - and my reason for asking is for future selection of dogs for cadaver work) where I would rather have a ball crazy dog

So Cyra is still crazy to CHASE a ball that is moving and will do so until she drops , and be very excited about the whole thing. Toby gives up on the game long before her. If I throw it in a good hiding place I can go in have a cup of coffee, come out and Cyra is still looking for it.

If a ball is just laying there she has zero interest in it. Toby will throw things in my lap all night trying to get me to throw them but Cyra could care less and will just lay on the floor. Cyra is the dog who will pick up anything loose on the floor and move it from one place to another.

Most ball dogs I have seen will see the tennis ball on the ground and go ballistic. For them just tossing a ball 2 feet into their mouth is a reward. For Cyra, she looks at me like I am an idiot

If another dog (not Toby) HAS a tennis ball, she will try to bully it away from them and take it to her crate in the car, then gaurd it.

(1) Have you seen dogs like this? - Is there a difference between prey drive and ball drive?
(2) Is there any way to build interest in a non-animated ball (one that is thrown for a short distance - e.g., pops out of a box?- as opposed to a long distance e.g., thrown)

It sounds to me like Cyra likes the interaction with you more than the chase. But, they both seem to like the ball, just playing with it in different ways. I play frisbee with my two, and the first came down the pike loving the frisbee, the other learned that it is indeed a lot of fun to play this (this other one is the one who has dominance issues that are now getting better). If I take the frisbee out, they BOTH know it is time for F.U.N.. One thing I don't do is leave the frisbee out for them to play with without me. I want then to equate the frisbee with working with me, and I always take it away when we are at the height of fun, read: before they get tired. I think you can build the interest in the object if you totally control when it appears, and not let them have them all the time, and keep the play sessions short, and leave them wanting more.
Julie

I guess I need to rephrase the question.

I do just that with the balls, but I am trying to understand the differences between dogs as I have seen this in other dogs - dogs who are obsessed with a ball

- in reality the dog who is crazy about the ball seems to have less prey drive than the dog who is so so about them unless they are moving.


Actually Toby is the one who is more interactive - I had to work hard to teach Cyra fetch as she wanted to chase the ball, kill it, and hide it. I had to work for her to realize that if she brought it back I would throw another. (two ball)