Recognizing the Right Signs of Hunting Instinct

A puppy's hunting instinct often becomes visible at an early age, between 8 and 16 weeks. As a specific primal instinct, it is just as much a part of a dog's nature as the social herd or pack instinct, as well as the territorial and sexual instincts. Once the domestic quadruped reaches six months of age, the hunting instinct develops further. Therefore, it is important at this early age to unmistakably recognize the significant symptoms of the canine hunting drive.

The species-typical signs of the development of the hunting instinct in your young furry friend are clearly evident:

• in the hunting sprint towards suddenly appearing small birds
• in playful chasing of other dogs
• in intense sniffing and intense digging in pursuit of small creatures like mice
• in extreme cases, in obvious poaching of deer, rabbits, and hares

The natural hunting instinct is particularly pronounced in special dog breeds like the "English hunting dog." However, a pronounced hunting behavior is no less typical for small hunting dogs. Two smaller, widely known dog breeds that exhibit a strong hunting instinct are the Wire-haired Dachshund and the Fox Terrier. External characteristics for hunting dogs, such as the Irish Wolfhound, are long noses or large hanging ears.

There are also dogs that have a smaller, less pronounced hunting instinct and are therefore better suited for inexperienced dog owners. You can find more details in this article: Calm Dogs Without a Hunting Instinct

Why should you train your darling out of their hunting instinct?

Probably the most significant "personality trait" for dogs – especially in hunting breeds – is optimal impulse control. This ethological term means that your furry best friend is able to effectively control their feelings and behavioral instincts. Given the sometimes very strong hunting instinct, it also becomes relevant that you cannot let your dog run freely with their hunting drive in every situation.

Your anti-hunting training for dogs

Our detailed step-by-step guide

#First Step

Generally, every furry friend learns best through play. For this reason, the innate play drive in puppies can ideally be incorporated into targeted anti-hunting training at the same time.

For example, hide nearby when you are out with your furry friend in the wilderness. This encourages your dog to track you down in the bushes. As soon as he has found you, reward him with a tasty treat or his favorite toy. Through these efficient reinforcements, your loyal four-legged friend simultaneously learns to focus on you as his owner first when faced with challenging stimuli that trigger hunting behavior. This very first training goal is a fundamental step for the ongoing behavioral development in anti-hunting training.

#Second Step

Teach your beloved pet orienting heel commands through further exercises. This clearly conveys the message to your puppy that he is not allowed to react uncontrollably, "just like that," to environmental stimuli.

Your beloved dog should intuitively grasp that he must – on every occasion – first wait for your clear commands for release. Such effective, behavior-controlling commands include "Down!", "Heel!", "Wait!", "Stop!" or supplementary instructions for recalling the dog. Use your dog treats or other rewards situationally again for reinforcing behavioral conditioning.

#Step Three

Increasingly use supportive lure objects (perhaps a favorite toy) to redirect your dog's concentration towards your active training commands. This way, you increase the chances of success for your specific puppy training to curb the species-specific canine hunting instinct. You will learn about additional tools you can use to increase the efficiency of all your exercises later.