Prey = 60
Pack = 65
Defense – Fight = 25
Defense – Flight = 5

Prey drive is all about chasing, stalking, killing (as in stuffie toys) and all around fun time mayhem.

Pack Drive is about being with your Peeps, furred or otherwise. It’s about doing things with your Pack.

Defense Flight and Fight are about how you handle difficult or challenging situations.

Qor’s pack and prey drive scores are very high which makes for an interesting balance. It means that when a cat crosses our path on our walk, she REALLY wants to chase it… but her pack drive is high enough that a touch from me or a “we don’t chase kitties!” will get her back to my side and kitty lives another day. Qor will definatly whine about it, up on her toes and almost dancing in excitement, but she won’t lunge.

Let’s look at Defense Fight and Defense Flight. Her flight score is pretty low so if for example, the lure of kitty was just TOO much, a check on her collar won’t shut her down, but will get her attention back on me… (we can this working through defense to get back to pack).

So, since her Fight score is higher than her Flight score, if she were challenged by another dog, she would rather fight it out than run away… what fun. But with such a high pack score, she is more likely to try and work it out first.

Perfect example was today at daycare.

Evidently, one of the Labrador puppies who is about 8 months has suddenly decided he is all about Qor. Qor is (recently) spayed but this little guy is a show dog so he is still intact (and beautiful I might add). Anywho, he was sniffing her and pretty much making himself a bit of a pest. Qor
rolled over on her back, showed her belly and did all those “submissive” things. Until, he tried to mount her.. and then she launched herself at him and let him have it, politely. He would back down…… and then start the whole thing all over again… too funny!

For more info on the Volhard Test, I highly recommend their book Dog Training for Dummies

 Now, I’m not saying this is wrong or ineffective…. just that it goes contrary to what I’ve learned (it may work perfectly well….  I don’t know)

When we teach heeling in the Volhard Method we use “passive use of the leash”.  Meaning the dog is wearing a training collar (often the “Volhard Snap Around” or a properly fitted prong collar <–only for some dogs) and the leash is held in control position.  (All but a few feet of the leash rolled up in the right hand.  Right hand on right hip. The leash is held in the left fist which is also on the hip.    The dog is on the left side.. the clip of the leash is hooked to the training collar and the clip is parallel to the ground)

When you step off and say “heel”, you step with your left foot, which means if your dog doesn’t move with you, the leash tightens (since your leg is tightening it) and your dog gets a physical reminder to move.    If you dog lunges forward, your hands stay in control position and the dog gets a physical reminder (tightening of the collar) to stay where they should.  This is  passive use of the leash since the handler is not actually yanking on the leash.. the dog is making the leash tighten.

Now I know a lot of folks will say this is cruel or mean.  But remember, we are praising the dog every step that is correct.. this inspires them to stay where they should.. of course, the handlers pace and tone of voice make a HUGE difference in how well and how quickly the dog figures out where to be.

So this morning, while walking Qor (who walks beautifully on a leash.. even when not in a heel) and I was contemplating the method that Cynthia sort of described and thought about how Qor would have done with that method.

The answer is “not well”.

One of the things we learn in Volhard is to work with the different Drives a dog has.  Prey and Pack drive are the two we work with most, but often we have to work through Defense fight or flight to get to either one. 

When we lure a dog with a treat, we are working in PREY drive.  Prey drive is “let me get it! let me get it!”  which usually means that the dog is paying little if not attention to their PACK.  When we ask our dogs to heel, we ask them to stay in PACK drive.  According to the Volhard method, we remind our dogs to stay in pack drive through touch (I often touch my dogs before I leave them in a sit stay).. or sometimes we work through Defense to get to Pack. 

When the dog gets a physical correction (Defense) after lunging (Prey), they are reminded to stay in heel position (Pack Drive)

You can test your dogs natural drives with the Volhard Canine Personality Test

These are Qor’s Drive Scores
Prey   = 60
Pack   = 65
Defense – Fight  = 25
Defense – Flight = 5

I’ll analyze these in another post… this one is long enough!