Field Guide · Glossary
Predatory drift
Health and safetyA shift during play, usually between dogs of very different sizes, in which a larger dog's behavior moves from play into predatory chasing, grabbing or shaking of the smaller animal.
How it works
It is a practitioner term, used by trainers and playgroup staff to describe events reported from practice, with no published research measuring it. The trigger usually described is the smaller dog behaving like prey: running fast in a straight line, yelping, squealing or struggling. Those movements and sounds can switch the larger dog from the give-and-take of play into the chase and grab links of the predatory sequence, which run differently: no pauses, no swapping of roles, and no response to the other dog's signals. Group settings where several dogs chase one are commonly described as raising the risk, and daycares and playgroups often separate dogs by size for this reason.
What it looks like
A large dog and a small dog are wrestling and taking turns chasing in a fenced yard. The small dog trips, yelps and scrambles away. The large dog's bouncy movement stops, the body goes low and fast, the chase turns silent and straight, and the large dog lunges for the small dog's back. Both handlers step in and separate them.
Commonly confused with
- Predatory motor sequence
- The predatory motor sequence is the chain of behaviors dogs are built around, often expressed safely through toys and chase games. Predatory drift describes that chain switching on unexpectedly during social play and being aimed at another dog.
Related terms