Can you build Hunt Drive in a young dog

[DSGirl]

I know you can build and improve the drives with work. But what I am wondering is if anyone has had a young dog with very little hunt drive and worked with them and built it up to a much higher level. I have never really done any hunt drive work with Gage, so when I had him looked at last night he did very little hunting for the toy. He is super prey driven, so I am wondering if I can build the hunt drive with him. I know that prey and hunt are 2 different drives, but can one be used to improve the other? Thanks for any input:)

[leih merigian]

IMO, the answer is yes, but you've gotta start out really slow/easy, make it a ton of fun, and only increase the difficulty as your dog is ready for it.

Example, start him out hunting for a cookie, and it's like two feet from him. This is how I start a baby puppy at this kind of stuff, anyway. The find is the reward at this point, and the find just needs to be rewarding enough to make it fun. Plus, you have a party when he finds it. Use toys, play with him with the toy when he finds it, etc etc etc.

JMO, of course . Ultimately, you'll still be limited by his genetic inheritance, but you can do a lot to maximize whatever he does have.

[Choochi]

I agree, I think you could teach it as a behaviour just like any thing else and by doing so I suppose you would be increasing the drive. Key would be a very high rate and history of reinforcement and lots of motivation building, starting with easy and quick finds and gradually building in duration of the search as the dog's ability to withstand that pressure without giving up gets better.

[vneerland]

Basics should come factory installed though. I think you can improve drives, in general, but you cannot make what just isn't there.

[DSGirl]

Thanks for the in put:) It all makes sense.

Judith,

I think the main reason that he didn't hunt for the toy yesterday was because the lady took him and didn't let me do anything with him, just took him and did the test by herself, which I wasn't to thrilled about anyways. He wasn't scared or anything of her, but had no desire to be around her either. He seems to be more of a one peson dog. For me, when I did a hunt test on him today, he did hunt for it for a little while and looked for it with a little encouragement, until he found another toy that I didn't realize was out there. Than he was happy and took off with the toy he had found, lol. So I think he has some hunt drive, just not as much as I would like. I would like to build it if I can, and if he just doesn't have it, than oh well. Didn't hurt anything to try, lol. Thank you again for the thoughts, I agree that they have to have something to start with. Here's hoping he does have some:)

Thanks again everyone for the advice and suggestions, I really apprecaite it.

[Drizlaru]

Like others have said, short answer is yes, you can build drive to hunt for an object. Within the means of his or her genetics. However, like any drive, you can also alter the intensity and focus which is in addition to a higher level of drive.

If you want to get into the real nitty gritty of it. Check out the nosework course.

http://michaelellisschool.com/courses.htm

Check out this story, it's of a real MWD (Fama) and handler (David Winners). More episodes are being added as he has time to write more. His wife has been sick lately though, so he hasn't been able to write much. Well worth the read though!

http://www.littlerivercanine.com/home/f ... -bomb-dog/