11,828 answers about dogs
From a puppy’s first feeding schedule to a senior dog’s comfort care, dog owners ask it all — this page gathers the dog library of KinsLe Answers in one place. Browse by topic below, from feeding and training to health, grooming, safety and travel. Every answer is original, written by KinsLe, and tied to a real KinsLe feature.
2,117 answers in Choosing & Adopting — page 34 of 89
Yes — the English Springer Spaniel has one of the strongest bird drives of any popular family breed. The breed's name comes from 'springing' game birds into the air, and pet Springers still treat every hedgerow as a promise, quartering the ground with their nose and exploding after anything that flushes. Field-bred…
Yes, where birds are concerned — prey drive is written into the Cocker Spaniel's job description. Cockers were bred to push woodcock out of dense cover, and the modern pet Cocker still lights up at fluttering movement: pigeons scattering in the park, chickens in a garden, a budgie loose in the house. The drive is…
No — the Bernese Mountain Dog sits near the bottom of the prey-drive scale. This Swiss breed worked as a drover and cart dog on farms, bred to move calmly among cattle and poultry rather than hunt them, and most Berners will watch a squirrel cross the yard with mild interest and stay put. A young Bernese may lumber…
Low to moderate — a spark, not a fire: Boston Terriers blend bulldog and terrier ancestry from old Boston crosses, and while the terrier side will happily chase a squirrel across the yard, the companion side wins quickly. The pursuit is a game that ends early, the dog trots back pleased with himself, and a short…
Yes — genuinely strong, and the real terrier article: Yorkshire Terriers were working ratters in the mills and cottages of northern England, and the full sequence of orient, chase, grab and shake is still wired into a dog who may weigh three kilos. Mice, rats, squirrels and birds all trigger it, and a Yorkie mid-chase…
Moderate, and aimed mostly at birds: Cavaliers are true spaniels under the lapdog styling, and the old flushing instinct survives, so a flutter of wings or a squirrel's dash can send one joyfully across the park. The chase is merry rather than obsessive, the intent is rarely more than the pursuit itself, and most…
Very low: Bulldogs descend from bull-baiting dogs, but that world ended generations ago and selection since has prized calm companionship over drive, so the modern Bulldog's chase usually lasts a few theatrical metres before breathing calls time. Most watch squirrels climb fences with philosophical calm, and sustained…
Moderate to strong, and delivered at serious speed: the Doberman was built as a protection dog, not a hunter, so the chase is aimed at whatever flees or intrudes — a running deer, a bolting cat, a stranger's dog that turns tail. Focus is the multiplier, because where a spaniel chases happily, a Doberman chases with…
Yes — in herding form, because Pembroke Welsh Corgis were cattle drovers, darting in to nip heels and ducking the answering kick, and that chase-and-nip sequence survives intact in pet dogs. Expect herding of running children, lunges at skateboards and bicycles, and determined attempts to round up other dogs at the…
About as low as prey drive gets: Shih Tzus were bred in Tibetan and Chinese palace circles purely for companionship, with no hunting, herding or guarding job anywhere in their history, and it shows in adults who watch birds and squirrels the way they watch television. Puppies play-chase a leaf or a toy, but adults…
Lower than the breed's history suggests: Great Danes were German estate dogs used to hunt boar, but modern breeding selected for a calm companion, and most adults watch squirrels with mild interest before returning to the sofa. Individuals still chase — a deer crossing the field can switch on surprising speed — and at…
Moderate, and more playful than deadly: Boxers descend from German hunting dogs that held boar and bear, so the chase spark is real, and most will explode after a squirrel, a cat or a rolling ball. What is missing is the fixation — a Boxer typically breaks off, play-bows and comes bouncing back, and the bursts stay…
Yes — Australian Shepherds carry a strong herding drive that reads as prey drive in daily life, bred in on ranches where dogs moved sheep and pushed stubborn cattle. An Aussie will chase, circle and sometimes bump or nip at whatever runs — bikes, joggers, children, the family cat — because the drive is about control…
Yes — a Border Collie's chase instinct is among the strongest of any breed, though it is a herding sequence rather than a hunting one: eye, stalk and chase were bred in, while the grab-and-kill ending was bred out so sheep stayed unharmed. In a pet home that means intense staring at anything that moves fast,…
Yes, Siberian Huskies have one of the strongest prey drives of any common breed, and it is the catch-and-kill kind: given the chance, many Huskies will chase down squirrels, rabbits, birds and cats they do not know, moving with a speed and focus that surprises people who know them as clowns at home. This is a…
Yes, do not let the short legs fool you: Dachshunds were bred to go down burrows after badgers, and their prey drive is intense, focused and remarkably fearless for a dog of their size. A Dachshund will chase rodents, rabbits and birds with total commitment, dig determinedly after anything it can smell on the other…
Yes, Beagles have a very strong prey drive, but theirs runs through the nose rather than the eyes: a Beagle follows scent the way other dogs chase movement, and once a rabbit trail takes hold, your voice seems to arrive from a very long way away. This is a pack hound bred to pursue small game for hours, so the drive…
Miniature Poodles have a moderate prey drive: they share the Standard's retrieving ancestry in a smaller package, so a squirrel, a fluttering bird or a scurrying mouse will reliably switch one on. The chase is enthusiastic but usually manageable, because a Mini is quick and keen yet small enough that a secure garden…
Yes, Standard Poodles have a real prey drive, because beneath the sculpted coat this is an original water retriever, bred to plunge in after shot birds and bring them back through cold water. A Standard will lock onto a squirrel, a duck on the pond or a fluttering bird with athletic intent, and a chase covers ground…
No, French Bulldogs are one of the lowest-prey-drive breeds you can choose. A Frenchie may waddle after a pigeon that lands too close or bounce hopefully at a squirrel in the park, but this is a companion breed built for laps and short outings, and its flat face and compact body mean any chase runs out of steam within…
Yes, German Shepherds have a strong prey drive, shaped by herding work, where chasing and controlling movement is what keeps sheep gathered and moving. In a pet home that same drive transfers readily to squirrels, cats, bicycles and joggers, and a Shepherd's chase is focused and committed rather than idle, which makes…
Golden Retrievers sit at the low end of the prey-drive scale: they notice birds and squirrels with real enthusiasm, but the instinct underneath is the retriever's urge to chase and carry, not to catch and kill. Most Goldens can be called away from a chase far more easily than a terrier or a true hunting breed, and the…
Labrador Retrievers do have a prey drive, but it is the gundog kind: a strong instinct to notice birds, give chase and, most of all, carry something back, rather than a drive to catch and kill small animals. A Lab will happily thunder after a squirrel or a flushed pheasant and can pull hard on the lead when something…
Yes, a West Highland White Terrier generally fits work-from-home life well, because it is a small, busy dog that is quite content to organise its own day around the house while you get on with yours. Expect a self-appointed supervisor: window patrols, brisk commentary on deliveries, and a firm opinion that your lunch…
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