The German Shepherd's Prey Drive: Understanding And Managing Natural Instincts For A Well-Behaved Dog

German shepherds were bred to work. They have the endurance and intelligence to accomplish many tasks, which is why they are often used in law enforcement, the military, search and rescue, and much more.

They’re also known to be protective, confident, loyal, and brave. They have the ability and desire to learn. Although they also make loving pets, it should never be forgotten that it’s in their nature to live with purpose.

German shepherds also have a high prey drive. Although prey drive can vary greatly between each dog, working and sporting breeds have a much higher prey drive than non-working breeds.

Because of this, owning and training a German shepherd requires some knowledge of the breed as well as their prey drive. Understanding their unique characteristics makes it easier to train them while managing your expectations of their natural behaviors.

What is Prey Drive?

Prey drive is the innate instinct to chase and capture things, such as balls, squirrels, and birds. It is often found in working and sporting breeds, which is why they have a natural tendency to locate, chase, and catch moving objects.

Prey drive is why German shepherds are notorious for their love of balls. But, this same drive is also what makes trained police K9s great at apprehending suspects. This drive is deeply engrained in the breed and is one of the things that makes them so special.

However, prey drive should not be confused with aggression. An aggressive dog is driven by strong negative emotions and that is the motive for its aggressive behavior. Meanwhile, prey drive is instinctive and causes a dog to run towards moving objects.

Understanding prey drive is important for training and behavior management. While it's a natural behavior, it can sometimes lead to unwanted behaviors when not properly controlled and redirected.

Prey drive is often discussed in positive and negative ways. For example, you might hear someone say that their dog will chase anything that moves, which would be negative. Conversely, a dog winning a flyball competition would be positive.

Both of these behaviors would involve dogs with high prey drive. In the first example, the dog needs redirection and training. In the second, the owner has trained their dog to harness its natural drive and enrich its life.

The Importance of Training High-Drive Dogs

Training your German shepherd can help you teach your dog to control their impulses and respond to your commands while allowing them to channel their instincts in appropriate ways.

Some of the signs of a high prey drive include:

• Intently staring at small animals and birds
• Chasing moving objects, animals, and birds
• Obsessively following scents
• Love of balls, fetch, or other games that involve chasing small objects
• Stalking or tracking behaviors
• Herding people or animals
• Chasing bikes, cars, etc

As you can see, some prey-drive tendencies can be dangerous for dogs to engage in. A dog with high drive and no training can easily bolt after an animal, get hit by a car, or have their behavior mistaken for aggression.

The good news is, German shepherds are smart and love to please so with an investment into their training, you can manage these behaviors so your dog is safe. You can also enrich their lives by allowing them to enjoy their instinctive behaviors.
When training your dog, at minimum, they need to learn basic obedience skills such as having a reliable recall, impulse control heel, sit, stand, down, and stay. Knowing and obeying these commands can save their life.

Some other ways you can manage a dog with a high prey drive include:

Control their environment

You’ll also need to manage your dog’s environment so that they can’t escape your house, yard, or car when they see something they want to chase. Be sure they can’t jump your fence or bolt out of the front door when you don’t have your eyes on them.

Stay alert

Remain alert to external stimuli when out on walks. Be sure you can control your dog at all times. Be aware of your environment so you can spot things your dog might want to chase before they do, which will enable you to redirect their attention.

Play fun games

Play games that involve chasing, catching, and retrieving, such as fetch and flying discs.

Get involved in dog sports

Dog sports are a fun way to harness your dog’s instincts and burn off some of their energy. Some ideas you might check out include nose work, agility, dock diving, obedience, agility, tracking, and protection sports.

Owning a German shepherd is a joy. They’re a very devoted breed yet they do come with lots of responsibility. They require time, training, and the ability to manage their behavior and environment to ensure their safety and those around them.

Since they do have a working and prey drive, they are very active and excel at many things. With some basic training and plenty of exercise and playtime, you can easily meet their needs. However, if you want to get involved in more advanced training or organized dog sports, they excel at that, too.

The key to German shepherds is understanding they have lots of endurance and a strong work ethic. How you harness that energy is up to you. However, when owning one, you must be prepared to meet their needs or they can develop behavior problems.

We hope you enjoyed this article on prey drives in German shepherds. Please feel free to share with your friends.

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