While all dogs can have different temperaments depending on their upbringing and personality, some dogs have long lineages being involved in protection, hunting and even fighting. These breeds will have a naturally higher prey drive.
A Higher Prey Drive
A higher prey drives means that these dogs might require a bit more effort, whether that’s more training or knowing when they can and can’t be off leash. Still, these dogs are lovable all the same and deserve all the affection in the world.
Greyhound
The greyhound is an impressive breed with many adaptations that make it a natural-born hunter. They have a wide field of vision and are universal donors. With early training and a strict owner, they can be perfectly fit as family pets.
Border Collie
Border Collies are one of the most popular breeds in the world. They have a lot of heritage in herding livestock and have a naturally strong prey drive. Thankfully, if their owner can give them enough physical activity and they are raised with other animals, they are perfectly fine.
Beagles
Beagles were bred to track the scents of animals and hunt them down, just like their larger cousin, the foxhound. Because beagles were bred to primarily hunt rabbits, they could pose a danger to cats if they weren’t raised with them.
Alaskan Malamutes
Alaskan malamutes have their lineage in being sled dogs. They’d transport cargo and people in a small pack. Today, the breed still has a strong prey drive which means unsupervised interactions with other small pets and animals isn’t recommended.
Bull Mastiffs
Bull mastiffs were originally bred for protection in the 1800s and is still an imposing dog today. They make great guard dogs but their prey drive means that they can show aggression towards cats and even other dogs.
Weimaraners
Weimaraners are some of the most courageous dog breeds. The large dogs were bred to help hunters take down big animals, even bears. Due to their large size and high prey drive, they may not be a good fit with other, smaller pets. Making sure the breed is stimulated may help deal with this to a degree.
Samoyeds
Samoyeds originate in Siberia as a herding breed. They are extremely friendly to people but may compete for attention with other animals. Although their prey drive is not as high as other breeds on this list, they still have a tendency to chase an animal if they run.
Australian Shepherds
Despite being named the Australian shepherd, they were actually bred in California in the 1900s. This breed quickly became popular in Australia and around the world for its ability to herd livestock. Australian shepherds are extremely friendly and good with kids, but they may chase anything that moves, including domestic pets.
Siberian Husky
Siberian huskies are similar to their cousins, Alaskan malamutes. They are smaller than malamutes and were also used to pull sleds. Huskies are notorious for ignoring the commands of their owners, even with training. So be careful leaving them off leash with other animals.
Yorkshire Terriers
Yorkshire terriers were bred to be the perfect size for tracking and hunting rodents by chasing them into their burrows. Despite their small size, their prey drive means they can chase other, equally small animals like cats.
Chihuahua
Chihuahua, even though their are small, have a medium prey drive which means they can hunt anything they manage to size up. Thankfully, they don’t normally go after any animal larger than them, but pests like mice are easy prey.
Source:
20 Dog Breeds With High Prey Drives and Strategies to Channel it
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