New free download: Predatory Motor Patterns
Lili Chin
Several readers of my new book, Dogs of the World, have told me how much they love the Predatory Motor Patterns chart on pages 42-43 and I've received a few requests to make this available as a download or separate poster.
I spent a lot of time working on the original graphic; revised it over and over again to be sure that it could be easily understood (a big thank you to my editors at Ten Speed Press for asking all the questions!) I am proud of the outcome and pleased that professional dog trainers find it valuable.
Some notes about this chart:
My illustrated chart - Predatory Motor Patterns - was based on a small chart in Raymond Coppinger's How Dogs Work, and other research.
The point I wanted to get across is that predatory behaviors are totally normal in dogs (as it is in cats and other animals) and doing these behaviors is powerfully reinforcing to them. These behaviors are DOG behaviors rather than breed behaviors. Every dog is an individual. In some breeds they are more pronounced and exaggerated due to generations of selective breeding.
Unfortunately, people try to stop their dogs from doing things like hunting, chasing, digging, killing small creatures etc. by using unethical and aversive tools like shock collars. Or in the case of cruel and uneducated people like Kristi Noem, they also shoot their dog.
Predation is not aggression
"Predation" also gets misinterpreted as "aggression". Learning to read a dog's body language contextually is essential.
The behaviors we tend to label "aggressive", like growling, lunging, biting... are distance-increasing. ("I'm going to make you go away!") They communicate to us that a dog feels unsafe or wants more distance from something.
The behaviors we label "predatory" have the opposite function. The staring, stalking, chasing, biting etc. are distance-decreasing behaviors. ("I'm gonna get you!") We often see some of these behaviors in play. They are FUN to do.
A little reminder that what a behavior looks like does not predict the function of the behavior. See Topography & Function.
"High prey drive" = Lowered thresholds
I am not yet familiar with the work of Simone Mueller whom I've heard a lot about (Predation Substitution Training) but I am aware she teaches ethical and force-free ways to work with a dog's predatory needs. This is from her blog:
In many dogs, ... the stimulus thresholds that trigger this predatory behaviour have been greatly lowered by breeding. This means that the dogs then react faster to external stimuli, meaning they display predatory behaviour faster and more frequently. But this does not mean they are ‘high-drive’ dogs. It is simply because they have a lowered stimulus threshold, making them react quickly and often inappropriately.
Putting a dog's sensitivities and talents to work is what humans have done for centuries. We are the ones who have always decided on what is "appropriate" for dogs to do - for good or for evil.
High-energy biddable dogs who love to "hunt" have been trained as scent-detection dogs for wildlife conservation. Which is an awesome thing. On the other hand, it's worth knowing that dogs have too been exploited for terrible agendas, like being turned into weapons by militarized colonial systems to hunt and "grab-bite" human beings. Right now, Israel uses imported European military dogs to attack Palestinian civilians, including children and the elderly.
Pet dog training
Punitive and suppressive tools are neither effective, ethical, nor necessary.
My friend Sarah has a newly-adopted dog who could not relax or do anything else whenever he was outdoors. He would instantly become fixated on hunting and killing lizards, even destroying plants to get the lizards to come out so he could kill them. Was he having fun? It was hard to say. In this case, the lizard-killing obsession was a problem for everyone. This doggo is now learning to relax, has a strong recall, and can enjoy other non-lizard-killing activities when outside.
There are R+ trainers who specialize in dogs with strong predatory behaviors. There are trainers who can help dog-lovers teach their environmentally-sensitive dogs a strong recall and how to chill out. There are ways to build connection and trust using safe activities suited to whichever part of the predatory sequence brings a dog joy and satisfies their needs. Without harming people, wildlife, or livestock.
From Emma Cross (a PST trainer):
Dogs need "safe" ways to practice these behaviors to meet their needs without causing added frustration. Outlets for these behaviors will not increase predatory behavior when done correctly, but rather will help to lessen it over time.
I hope this infographic can shine a fresh light on why we need to stop blaming and punishing dogs for doing behaviors that are natural to them, and to think about what is good welfare in dog breeding and guardianship.
