At Valor K9 Academy, we know that a dog’s drives—innate, instinctual motivations—play a major role in behavior and training. Understanding these drives helps us guide training, select the right puppy for a family or service role, and build stronger bonds.

Here are the five most common drives we evaluate:

1. Prey Drive

Prey drive motivates a dog to chase, capture, and sometimes kill moving objects. It’s expressed differently across breeds—some are highly focused hunters, while others have a mild chase instinct. Understanding prey drive helps us design appropriate outlets and games.

2. Food Drive

Food drive refers to a dog’s motivation for food rewards. High food drive makes dogs highly trainable and responsive to positive reinforcement, while low food drive may require alternative motivators like play or praise.

3. Hunt Drive

Hunt drive is a dog's instinctual impulse to hunt or search for something using their sense of smell, hearing, and/or taste. Dogs with high hunt drive make excellent working dogs and excel in venues like Search & Rescue. 

4. Pack Drive

Pack drive reflects a dog’s desire to follow, engage, and cooperate with humans or other dogs. Dogs with strong pack drive bond closely with handlers and thrive in structured training environments.

5. Defense Drive

Defense drive motivates a dog to protect itself, its territory, or its family. This drive is critical in service, protection, and working dogs, but must be balanced to prevent overreaction.

 Conclusion

Recognizing and understanding dog drives allows us to tailor training, select the right puppy, and foster confident, well-adjusted dogs. Each drive has a place in healthy development, and proper evaluation ensures your dog reaches their full potential.

For more detailed guidance on assessing and channeling these drives in puppies, our Puppy Head Start course provides step-by-step instruction and expert insights.

Written by Amy Pishner

About the Author: 

Amy Pishner is the head trainer for Valor K9 Academy and the co-founder of Valor K9 Academy Online. She has been training dogs for nearly two decades, specializing in German Shepherds and working dogs, and is passionate about helping pet owners with all aspects of dog training and care.