Games and Toys for High Prey Drive Dogs

Entertaining Games and Toys for High Prey Drive Dogs

If your dog has a high prey drive, you can invest in some games and toys for high prey drive dogs to keep them happy. Among the easiest to use is a stuffed Kong, which encourages a dog’s scavenging instincts and is both mentally and physically stimulating.

Another great game for a dog with a high prey drive is hiding objects. Like, hide and seek, this game involves hiding an object or an old toy. When the object is hidden, your dog must stay and wait until you hide it. The object can be a Kong filled with treats or a favorite toy. 

Toys and games for high prey drive dogs should also provide opportunities for your pet to develop self-control and learn cues for play and stop play. Dogs with high prey drives will appreciate using games that encourage them to exercise their natural hunting instincts.

A high prey drive is an important trait of a dog’s personality. While most dogs don’t show this behavior, it helps train your dog to perform tasks that are useful to humans. For example, high-prey-drive dogs may be great for agility training, military jobs, and police work. 

A high prey drive also makes your pet excellent at herding livestock and may even contribute to keeping rodent populations down. If you want to know about games and toys for high prey drive dogs, continue reading this article. 

What Are Games and Toys For High Prey Drive Dogs?

What Are Games and Toys For High Prey Drive Dogs
How to Know If Your Dog Has a High Prey Drive

There are many different types of games and toys for high prey-drive dogs, and some are better than others. For example, you can get a play bone, an automatic-moving toy that your dog can retrieve and then chase. Some of these toys can be controlled by an app on your phone. Some of them even dispense treats to the dog. This is a great way to channel the prey drive and keep your dog happy.

While playing with your high-prey-drive dog can stimulate the prey drive, be sure to keep a few things in mind. High-prey-drive dogs are likely to hurt themselves and other people. It is important to understand the different aspects of your dog’s high prey drive and play games and toys to redirect the drive. While you may be tempted to encourage your dog to chase after birds and squirrels, you should be careful to keep it contained.

Although high-prey-drive dogs are great companions, you should always be sure to keep them in a secure place when you’re not around. High-prey-drive dogs are very territorial and could easily kill a cat or other small animal. In order to contain their behavior, you can invest in some toys and games. It will help to satiate their prey drive and prevent destructive behavior. 

While training your dog to stay away from small animals is an excellent way to curb your dog’s prey drive, you should also understand that it will probably continue to be a problem in the long run. If you don’t want to spend years retraining your dog, you can use games and toys for high prey drive dogs. They are not only fun and beneficial for your dog’s behavior, but they are also healthy.

Flirt poles are great for high-prey-drive dogs because they work on your dog’s predatory instincts. The lure attached to the flirt pole is a small, squishy toy that stimulates your dog’s natural prey drive. You should use a “leave it” command if your dog gets bored with the toy or otherwise destroys it.

The chaser tug is another great way to get your dog to play in this manner. The tug toy mimics the action of a hunting dog and is available in rabbit and sheep-skin versions. To encourage the prey sequence, the tug toy must be used in interactive play. As with any game or toy, it is important to supervise the toy or game, as this will help your dog focus its energy and reduce the chances of it becoming a livestock chaser.

How to Know If Your Dog Has a High Prey Drive?

If you’ve noticed a strange pattern of behavior in your dog, it’s likely he or she has a high prey drive. Dogs can be yelping, barking, and jumping up and down at the mere sound of a stray dog, a squirrel scampering through the attic, or a rabbit thumping on the ground. The earliest signs of a high prey drive are often accompanied by restless, nervous, and unnerving behavior.

Predatory dogs tend to exhibit aggressive behavior in many contexts. They might fetch a dead or injured animal and chase it erratically. Often, these dogs will do so without any intent to harm them. Similarly, dogs with high prey drives may also chase and pick up small animals like squirrels without the intent of harming them. However, in some cases, this behavior may result in serious damage.

While a high prey drive does not necessarily mean a dog is dangerous or destructive, it can lead to dangerous behavior, especially when it comes to leash use. This can be particularly problematic in the presence of children, as an 80-pound dog may have more strength than a human three times its size. Nevertheless, a high prey drive dog is usually harmless and can be managed simply by engaging in activities that involve chasing, catching, and retrieving. 

Prey drive in a dog is a natural instinct. But the problem arises when you allow your dog to practice this behavior in a domestic setting. If he or she is allowed to hunt in the wild, it may become a nuisance and endanger humans or small pets. It’s always best to monitor a dog’s behavior before allowing it to reach dangerous levels.

Games and Toys for High Prey Drive Dogs

Toys and Games for High Prey Drive Dogs

If your dog has a high prey drive, you may be wondering how to redirect his instincts. These dogs are often extremely intelligent and energetic, and they may need help redirecting their prey drive. Here are some games and toys you can use to redirect their behavior. 

  • Frisbee

The most common way to channel your dog’s prey drive is through training games. Games such as frisbee, flyball, fetch, and tennis ball are all fun activities for dogs, and they can help channel their natural instincts. The first step in training your dog to play with the frisbee is to get him excited about it. You can start by playing tug of war with him. The game will encourage his focus on you.

Once your dog is ready, try to replace the tug with a frisbee and reward him by tossing it near you. To create an exciting game for your dog, use a positive marker. Then, reward your dog for other aspects of the frisbee sequence, such as fetching the disc, chasing the roller, or playing tug-of-war.

  • Check-in Training

Check-in training is an effective way to curb a dog’s excessive prey drive. This type of training is inexpensive and easy to implement. The best time to conduct the training is when the weather is pleasant. A training treat or stimulus will be needed to reinforce the command. By using this method, the dog will periodically check in with its owner, interrupting its laser-like focus on prey.

A high prey drive dog can be trained by engaging it in activities that mentally challenge it. A high-prey-drive dog should only be allowed to walk off-leash in an area with no other dogs or pets. 

  • Redirects

Redirects for dogs with high prey drives are crucial to training your dog’s impulse control. Intense staring and hyper-focused behavior are common symptoms of high prey drive. Redirecting these dogs requires a better activity to stimulate their drives. Often, a better item is more appealing to a dog than the first.

It’s important to remember that dogs can learn to redirect their own behavior fairly easily, but redirections for dogs with high prey drives should be given more focus. Redirecting a dog’s attention requires prompt action before or shortly after the dog notices a possible prey object. You can use toys or treats to redirect your dog’s behavior. 

  • Fetch

Many breeds of dogs have a high prey drive. These dogs have a natural instinct to chase fast-moving objects. While strong prey drives can lead to trouble, they are also often desirable traits, making them great family members and companions. Fortunately, there are ways to make your dog as happy as possible, including learning how to play fetch.

Using a stuffed toy can be a safe way to teach your dog not to chase fast-moving objects. Fetch activities for dogs with high prey drives are fun for your dog and help curb its destructive behaviors. 

  • Take Long Walks

To train a dog with a high prey drive, you’ll have to know what kind of reward your dog responds to. Some dogs respond best to toys or treats. If your dog’s prey drive makes it difficult to control your impulses, bring along a toy or treat with you to distract them.

The best way to curb your dog’s prey drive is to give it plenty of exercise. Excessive pent-up energy can lead to dangerous behaviors. Try taking your dog out for long walks to burn off pent-up energy. It’s also important to make sure you meet your new pet before adopting her.

  • Scent Games

Scent Games are a great way to get your dog to work on his tracking abilities. Scent games are fun for both you and your dog. Dogs have a very strong sense of smell and can quickly learn to distinguish different objects, people, and animals by smelling them.

Scent games allow you to work on your dog’s tracking skills by combining scent with physical activity. You can even find scent clubs that teach beginners how to play these games. Dogs with high prey drive have a natural instinct to sniff other dogs and people. These instincts help explain why dogs come back to their owners after running off. 

3 Best Games and Toys for High Prey Drive Dogs

Games and Toys for High Prey Drive Dogs

Toys for dogs with high prey drives can be a great source of entertainment for these pups. Here are a few suggestions.

  • Playbones

Providing an active, engaging toy for your dog is crucial to curbing their overly-high prey drive. Many pet owners are turning to automatic moving toys like Playbones to help their dogs stay calm while playing. You can give your dog a treat with a manual toy or use a smartphone App to control it.

As mentioned above, dogs with high prey drive often act out of instinct. It’s important to recognize that this drive differs from breed to breed. When choosing a toy, consider your dog’s personality, behavior, and physical appearance. Think of your dog’s prey drive as a set of cups with holes in them. 

  • Zeus Bulldog

Zeus Bulldog toys are made especially for these high-prey drive dogs. These toys have unpredictable sound effects and come with 3 AAA batteries. The cover can be machine-washed. Another toy for high-prey-drive dogs is the Wicked Bone, which responds to different forms of touch. It also has multiple modes of driving and playing.

This interactive smart toy makes playtime a joy for your dog. High-prey-drive dogs can be dangerous to have around, causing them to engage in dangerous behavior. Zeus Bulldog toys help manage this behavior and teach your dog how to interact with humans.

  • IDig

IDig toys for dogs with high prey drive are a great option for your dog if your pup has this natural instinct. These puzzle toys stimulate your dog’s natural need to dig and hunt. They are safe, affordable, and provide plenty of stimulation for your dog’s active yet calm nature. For best results, try using IDig toys in areas where your dog spends most of its time.

The IDig by iFetch is a great option for dogs with high prey drive. Made from durable fabric, this toy can be buried in a hole, and your dog can get the toy or treat from inside the toy. Interactive and puzzle toys are also ideal options for dogs with high prey drives. Each IDig has three different flaps for your dog to explore. 

Some of My Favorite Products For Dog Owners

I hope this article has helped you just a bit in everyday life as a dog owner. Being a dog owner for more than 25 years, I’ve tried many different products with varying success, but these products below are some that I can highly recommend to every dog and their owner without hesitation!

These links are affiliate links, so if you do end up using the links, I will earn a commission. But it’s products that I use daily myself, and I have the utmost praise for.

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Dog Training: If you’ve ever owned a puppy, you know that it requires a lot of training to grow into a well-behaved adult. Brain Training for Dogs has helped me immensely with the mental training part of raising a dog, and it’s something I strongly recommend you consider.

Grooming: If you have a dog in your home, you’re going to need a brush, and for this, I recommend a Hertzko Self-Cleaning Slicker Brush. For that price, you simply can’t beat this brush for everyday grooming.

If you’re looking for the most up-to-date recommendations, check out my recommended products section that I’ve created to help every dog owner!