In the last posting to the blog, I talked about the 3 drives we like to see in a good hunting dog. While these are not the only drives we see and are looking for, they are three of the most important.
1. Hunt Drive - This is just what the name indicates. It is the desire to find or locate game or prey. The stronger this drive, the better for a good hunting dog. Dogs that give up the hunt easily may make a better pet than hunting companion. While we can certainly encourage hunt drive, it is still inherent within each individual dog. Some dogs will posess more hunt drive than others.
2. Retrieve Drive - Once game or prey has been located, retrieve drive is the desire to chase, catch it and bring it back to the pack or the alpha. While it's always nice to work with a dog that willing to bring the bird back, this is a drive we can shape through training.
3. Prey Drive - This is the drive to chase it, catch it, kill it & eat it. Too much prey drive is sometimes more than the average dog owner can handle. I like to work with dogs that have a fair amount of prey drive.
These 3 drives, in the right proportions are essential to a good hunting dog. While we can help motivate these drives, we can't put into the dog what isn't there. If they got, they got it. If they ain't got it, they ain't got it.
Canine Drives
by
Tim Harris
of Rug-ged Retriever Training
(
13-Apr-2012
)