Low prey drive

[quote1254970859=Hugo] ... if the prey drive is a neccesary complement for a true guardian dog; if this (the low prey drive) is a common characteristic of all LGD; and why is that? Thanks in advance. hugo [/quote1254970859] Low prey drive is sure the common trait in LGDs. They hunt for food, and they are good hunters - they can catch and kill wild hogs, and they do it often in Tadjickistan, as well as in GA, where wild pigs came too close to the house. They catch and eat groundhogs and mice, - and whatever eadible come to their territory. But they won't leave their territory, other than with their masster (if any - the concept of the "owner" is not common to the shepherd's dogs). But if they are bounded with master, they can be used as "walking hounds", scenthounds, bloodhounds, and most often as wolfhounds - mainly in ateppe regions of Central Asia. Not to forget about bear hunt - few weeks ago two of my puppies (1.5 y old) working at the ranch in Rocky Mtns, were protecting the sheep from the black bear and mauled it to the point when it had to be shot by herder... So LGDs can hunt, but as most things they do - in their own way

I did not know the CO has low prey drive. I though is the oposite. ...

Because the CO is not an LGD.

[color=#3333cc]Admin worte Exactly! Most breeds are multipurpose and the LGD is first a Dog, second a Guardian Dog, and ultimately a Livestock Guardian Dog. So if we really think about it - the "marked sense of property" is probably what made them successful guardians and facilitated their adaptation to livestock duties. Nature and function took care of the rest. When there are no livestock to guard then the LGD just becomes a GD. Most of us already know this I think. EsqCaucasians wrote Well said. However specialization also occurred -different types doing different jobs with different phenotypes and differences in temperament. The dogs guarding the villages generally heavier and more aggressive to human strangers. (See village guard thread). . Astibus Wolf wrote ... Astibus wrote ... The Caucasian OVCHARKA is an LGD! The name says it. Is the Немецкая овчарка an LGD too? Hahaha, I knew this was coming, somehow I expected it earlier though. Well, all I can say is that one is an entirely and from the ground up designed breed and the inventor named it the way he saw "fit", whereas the other(s) are more or less self-evolved - in their beginning at least. Wolf wrote ... Is the KO breed an LGD? Nope. Same goes for the Sharplaninatz breed, for that matter. Et tu, Lupe? No, it's cool really, I kinda had a sense I'd be lynched from all sides for this. Nevertheless, and regardless of (the probably hinted) subsequent urban selection, the very fabric of a CO/Shar IMO is deeply rooted in Livestock Guarding Dogs. Nearly all their traits and qualities that we admire today in these dogs are based on classic LGD behavior. They protect, because they care! Literally. That "caring" has been instilled in them through severe selection in a rural life as livestock guardians and not as estate-guards. Their amplified parental instinct as well as reduced prey drive is, what was initially necessary and moreover imperative to make them highly effective LGDs. This same behavioral pattern is what we admire when no livestock happens to be around. An overly-protective and constant 'worry' is what distinguishes these breeds from many other guard breeds, where the motivation oftentimes is solely based on primitive aggression rather than meaningful protection. Here is what I believe (and no point to argue this as I specifically state that it is my personal belief): Without continuing to maintain the original LGD ancestry in these breeds, neither the CO nor the Shar in the long run will be able to do what they do best. Without reinforcing this elementary and critical foundation, they will eventually morph into 'dobermans'. I am convinced that these breeds NEED to remain LGDs in order to be the 'full package'. A tree without its roots is basically dead wood.[/color]Dan Andreita wrote I just read this, so the Co is not an LGD? guauuu is the first time I see this. Sorry about my ignorance .

[quote1255061226=Wolf] Because the CO is not an LGD. [/quote1255061226] i do agree with alex here, but one question. who told the russian CO or FCI CO like others call it has a high prey drive *-) it doesn´t look like a high prey drive to me. the situation is not a situation of defence and what i see here is NO DRIVE, beside being bored and protecting itself with a lack of skills and being bored is definitely not prey drive. ;) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXOQ-h3O1YU&feature=email

[quote1255106982=PUGNACES-BRITANNIAE-AK] it doesn´t look like a high prey drive to me. the situation is not a situation of defence and what i see here is NO DRIVE, beside being bored and protecting itself with a lack of skills and being bored is definitely not prey drive. [/quote1255106982] With the CO, prey drive in regards to prey/hunting and prey drive in regards to protection might as well be considered different drives.

[quote1255156657=Xamen13] With the CO, prey drive in regards to prey/hunting and prey drive in regards to protection might as well be considered different drives. [/quote1255156657] BINGO Kris!

[quote1255281590=Xamen13] [quote1255106982=PUGNACES-BRITANNIAE-AK] it doesn´t look like a high prey drive to me. the situation is not a situation of defence and what i see here is NO DRIVE, beside being bored and protecting itself with a lack of skills and being bored is definitely not prey drive. [/quote1255106982] With the CO, prey drive in regards to prey/hunting and prey drive in regards to protection might as well be considered different drives. [/quote1255281590] "Drives" are not this simple, as Kris states. This is a perfect example of why the drive theory is outdated and too general. I still use the term drive, but if you don't fully understand the concept of the behavior, you can confuse the use of drive or "low prey drive" to describe an action, when in fact, a CO has a healthy "prey drive," just in a certain manifestation. Here's an article about the subject... http://www.animalbehaviorassociates.com/pdf/RMN_drive_troubles.pdf