Dogs are known for their loyalty, companionship, and unique personalities, but some breeds are especially recognized for their strong prey drive. This instinct, inherited from their hunting and working ancestors, makes certain dogs highly alert, energetic, and driven by movement.
Breeds with high prey drive often excel in activities like agility, tracking, or hunting sports. However, they may also require consistent training and supervision around smaller animals due to their instinct to chase. Knowing which breeds exhibit these traits helps match a dog’s energy and instincts to an owner’s lifestyle.
In this guide, we explore the top 9 dog breeds known for high prey drive, highlighting their characteristics and care considerations. Understanding these traits is essential for potential owners to ensure a safe and fulfilling environment for both the dog and the household.
Top 9 Dog Breeds Known For High Prey Drive
Discover the dog breeds whose instincts make them unstoppable hunters and energetic companions.
1. Irish Setter
A Legacy of Graceful Hunters
The Irish Setter was bred in the 1800s in Ireland to be a swift, elegant gundog, covering wide open fields with ease, according to the AKC. Loved for more than two centuries, this breed is as playful at home as it is bold in the field.
Keeping the Coat Gleaming
With a long, silky mahogany coat, Irish Setters need frequent brushing to prevent tangles and mats. Regular ear cleaning and nail trims are also essential to maintain their overall health. Their grooming routine keeps them looking glossy while supporting an active, energetic lifestyle.
Born to Chase and Retrieve
Irish Setters have an instinctive prey drive, originally honed to locate and “set” gamebirds for hunters. Their boundless energy, keen nose, and agile build make them enthusiastic hunters and tireless playmates. This natural drive translates into high-energy games of fetch and a love for adventure.
2. Border Collie
Masters of the Herd
Border Collies trace their roots to the sheepdogs of the British Isles, developed along the England-Scotland border to manage flocks on rugged terrain. Agile, intelligent, and tireless, these muscular dogs became celebrated for their precision, energy bursts, and uncanny ability to control livestock.
Grooming for an Active Life
With a medium-length double coat—rough or smooth—Border Collies require weekly brushing to prevent tangles and occasional baths. Their grooming routine supports both health and performance, ensuring they’re ready for long play sessions or herding work.
Instincts That Drive Their Every Move
Border Collies are the epitome of high prey and herding drive, naturally motivated to chase, herd, and focus intently on moving targets. Their intelligence and energy make them excel in agility, Frisbee, and obedience sports, while also channeling their instincts into play and work.
3. Greyhound
Nobility on the Run
Greyhounds are one of the oldest dog breeds, tracing back over 8,000 years to ancient Egypt and early cave drawings. Bred to chase game by sight, their athletic elegance has made them both hunting dogs and beloved companions for millennia.
Sleek Coat, Simple Care
With a short, smooth coat, Greyhounds are low-maintenance and only require occasional brushing and baths. Minimal grooming and moderate exercise needs make them surprisingly easy to care for despite their sprinter’s physique.
Born to Chase
As sight hounds, Greyhounds have an instinctive prey drive that compels them to chase small, fast-moving animals. This natural ability made them legendary hunters and modern racing stars. While calm at home, their bursts of speed and focus reflect the hunting heritage that defines the breed.
4. Bluetick Coonhound
Midnight Trackers of the South
Bluetick Coonhounds trace their roots to early American hunting lines, blending French staghounds, English Foxhounds, and other hardy breeds. Developed in Louisiana, they were prized by frontiersmen for trailing raccoons and big game across rugged terrain, as per WebMD.
Grooming That’s Easy on the Eyes
With a sleek, glossy black-and-blue coat, Blueticks require minimal grooming, just weekly brushing and occasional baths. Regular nail trims and teeth brushing keep these active dogs in top shape. Their low-maintenance coat lets them spend more time running, tracking, and exploring the outdoors.
Driven by Scent and Instinct
Bluetick Coonhounds are scenthounds through and through, with a relentless prey drive that fuels hours of tracking trails, old and fresh. Their bell-like baying and focused determination reflect centuries of hunting heritage.
5. Rhodesian Ridgeback
African Hunters with a Legendary Ridge
Rhodesian Ridgebacks were bred in southern Africa to track and confront large game, including lions, earning the nickname “African Lion Hounds.” Muscular and athletic, they combine strength and endurance with intelligence.
Sleek Maintenance for a Rugged Dog
With a short, dense coat, Ridgebacks are low-maintenance dogs and require only weekly brushing and occasional baths. Minimal grooming allows them to spend more time running, exploring, and staying active with their families.
Instincts that Track and Protect
Rhodesian Ridgebacks have a high prey drive, originally honed to pursue and corner dangerous predators. This natural instinct makes them excellent hunters and trackers, but requires supervision around smaller pets.
6. Basenji
Africa’s Ancient Yodeler
The Basenji is one of the world’s oldest dog breeds, originating in Central Africa and prized by tribes for hunting small game. Depicted in ancient Egyptian, Babylonian, and Mesopotamian art, these “barkless dogs” survived for centuries largely unchanged.
Sleek Coat, Simple Care
With a short, fine coat, Basenjis are easy to groom, needing just weekly brushing and occasional baths. Their catlike grooming habits keep them naturally clean, while regular nail and teeth care ensures they stay healthy.
Independent Hunters at Heart
Basenjis have a strong prey drive and exceptional agility, making them skilled hunters and trackers. At home, they are affectionate and playful, but when a scent or movement catches their eye, their instinct to pursue takes over.
7. Siberian Husky
Arctic Workhorse with a Heroic History
The Siberian Husky was developed by the Chukchi people of northeast Asia over 3,000 years ago as a sled dog and companion. Brought to Alaska in 1909, the breed gained fame for the 1925 “Great Race of Mercy,” when teams of Huskies carried life-saving diphtheria serum over 674 miles to Nome, as per Britannica.
Thick Coat, Easy Care
Siberian Huskies have dense, plush double coats that keep them warm in freezing temperatures. Weekly brushing is usually enough, though daily grooming is recommended during shedding season. Minimal bathing is needed, and routine ear, nail, and dental care ensures a healthy, well-kept dog.
Energetic, Independent Hunters
Bred to run long distances, Siberian Huskies require at least one to two hours of exercise daily. They excel at sledding, skijoring, and other pullingsports but can be mischievous if bored. Independent and strong-willed, they have a high prey drive and may chase small animals, so secure yards and early training are essential.
8. Beagle
A Storied Hunter’s Past
The Beagle’s roots trace back to England in the 1500s, where they served as clever rabbit and hare hunters for gentlemen, as per PDSA. Bred to work in packs, these small hounds thrived on teamwork and tracking prey on foot, earning the nickname “foot hounds.”
Grooming Made Simple
With a short, dense coat in classic black, tan, and white, Beagles are remarkably low-maintenance. Weekly brushing and occasional baths keep their fur shiny, while their droopy ears and deep chest make them robust yet manageable.
Driven by the Nose
Beagles are famed for their extraordinary scenting ability and unrelenting prey drive. They love to follow trails for hours, chase balls, and even pursue small animals if off-leash. This strong instinct to hunt is what makes them excellent trackers and keepers of the chase, even in modern family life.
9. Australian Shepherd
From European Hills to American Ranches
The Australian Shepherd’s journey began in the Pyrenees with Basque shepherds and their nimble herding dogs. These dogs voyaged to Australia, mixed with Collies, and finally arrived in California, where ranchers admired their intelligence and work ethic.
Fur, Fitness, and Care
Aussies have medium-length, double-layered coats in merle, red, or black shades that require weekly brushing to stay healthy. Their agile, muscular bodies benefit from regular exercise, and joint or eye supplements can help maintain health as they age.
Herding Instincts Meet Prey Drive
Australian Shepherds possess an irresistible drive to herd and chase, whether it’s livestock, small animals, or even children. Their sharp focus, intelligence, and agility make them natural problem solvers and highly motivated hunters in instinct, even in a modern home setting.
Conclusion
Understanding dog breeds known for high prey drive is essential for pet owners who want a well-behaved, happy companion. A dog’s prey drive can influence interactions with other dogs, small animals, or even children, so early training and early socialization are key to managing instincts safely.
Dogs with high prey drive are often working dogs or hunting dogs, but they can also make great family dogs when their instincts are managed responsibly. Certain breeds, including herding breeds and intelligent breeds, may herd children or chase smaller dogs and small prey like guinea pigs or rabbits.
Many dogs with high prey drive are wonderful dogs that love tug of war, spotting prey, or chasing birds and big game, reflecting their dog’s instinct and natural energy. While some breeds excel in police work or hunting bears, even bachelor’s degree–level intelligent breeds need impulse control and proper socialization.
