Is stalking breed specific?

[Maxy24]

I was just wondering if stalking behavior (I don't know what else to call it) is specific to certain types of dogs or if all dogs do it. Like when you throw a ball and the dog runs after it but then starts walking really slowly at it and finally pounces on it.

I've just never seen it before until Tucker and was wondering if lots of dogs do it.

 

[Laurelin]

I'm pretty sure it's just related to prey drive. Mia never stalks balls, they're too fun for her- she goes 200 mph after them lol. But Mia crouches down and stalks ducks and some other animals. Tail goes down, head goes down, she tenses up and crawls low to the ground. I've always heard it was related to more advanced prey drive. That said I do think it's more common in some breeds. BCs for example are generally very slinky.

Paps in general are pretty catlike in their movements I've found. They like to stalk and pounce and climb.

 

[CaliTerp07]

Dunno, but Lucy does it all the time. On our walks, she's generally in front of me, but if she sees a squirrel or a bird she'll drop back and start slllllowly creeping up on whatever poor critter is about to get a heart attack.

 

[Linds]

I agree with Laurelin, I think you can see it in any dog and have seen all my dogs do it at one time or another. But will find it's more prevalent in certain breeds or types of dogs.

Traveler who is a through and through herding breed does the crouch and stalk or lay down and wait behavior all the time

 

[Laurelin]

I've actually seen this behavior more in my papillons than my herders (who were shelties). Then again shelties are a much more upright style herding breed. They were more apt to come in for the heel nip than anything else. (Summer heel nips too though)

My favorite is when Mia stalks Summer. Summer seems to never appreciate it.

 

[PWCorgi]

We have a Westie that stalks the other dogs at daycare, it is hilarious!

 

[corgipower]

It is a prey drive type of behavior, but I would agree it's more common in some breeds. Certainly not a behavior seen in my malis very often ~ they're more the "crash into it head first, do a few somersaults, look like we meant to do that and figure out what happened later" type.

 

[Beanie]

Yeah, I think in herding dogs you will see it in a more modified way than some of the breeds that haven't had their prey drive modified so much. And depending on how their herding style was modified, you'll see it differently. Auggie stalks birds, but he won't stalk squirrels or rabbits, he just flat out chases them. Then again, squirrels and rabbits will flee and flee almost if not immediately, engaging his chase drive - but birds don't always move right away, especially pigeons who are pretty dumb and tend to stay put until the last possible second. I suppose if he didn't have context for squirrels and rabbits that mean "chase this thing and go fast" and they didn't run immediately, he might stalk them, but he already knows they will run and he can chase them, so that's what he does. He's been able to stalk up to and catch birds before, though so he's been rewarded for a slow stalk with them, so he's more likely to repeat that behaviour with them... and unfortunately for me, since I'm not really delighted with my dog snagging birds, he gets better at it the more practice he is allowed. =P

 

[mrose_s]

Buster occasionally does it when stalking an animal. His usualy tactic is find it and go flat out at it though.

Quinn is awesome to watch, she stalks birds when we're out and when she's playing witht he other dogs she'll stalk towards them slowly and lie down. Its the coolest thing to watch.

 

[Linds]

Quinn is awesome to watch, she stalks birds when we're out and when she's playing witht he other dogs she'll stalk towards them slowly and lie down. Its the coolest thing to watch.

Same here with Traveler, I LOVE watching him. I always get a giggle when he does just what you discribe Quinn doing to other dogs but then the other dog doesn't even agknowledge him

 

[mrose_s]

lol, the others dogs just bowl her over half the time looking at her like "seriously... why would you just dive in front of me?"

She thinsk that cat is the best, because when she runs around in fron of him, he actually stops, so she can lie down and wait, and when he turns and walked off she can do it again.

 

[Linds]

:rofl1: Ohhh Quinn, too bad you guys are all they way over in Australia or I would say a Quinn and Traveler play date would be in order

 

[Laurelin]

Mia likes to stalk Summer while Summer is going to the bathroom. Summer will be doing her business and Mia will either crouch or lie down and stare intently at Summer. Then she'll inch forward and forward. By this time, Summer is growling at her. The second Summer is done, Mia becomes spring loaded and launches herself at her sister. Mia thinks it's lots of fun, but Summer doesn't. :lol-sign:

 

[Romy]

Charlie is a pro stalker. It's part of being a pointer. There's no way he'd be able to point if he ran up and scared the bird off.

There's been a handful of times he's slunk up on quail and literally gotten his nose within a foot of the bird before going into a point. It's pretty incredible.

My brother's akita is a stalker too. I don't know much about the breed history, but he says they were used for bear hunting and would stalk bear like a large cat.

 

[jenv101]

It is a prey drive type of behavior, but I would agree it's more common in some breeds. Certainly not a behavior seen in my malis very often ~ they're more the "crash into it head first, do a few somersaults, look like we meant to do that and figure out what happened later" type.

:rofl1: Riley stalks bugs and birds, but the rest of the time will just go crazy (if its a rabbit, squirrel etc) I guess he figures his speed is no match for things that fly.

 

[stafinois]

It is a prey drive type of behavior, but I would agree it's more common in some breeds. Certainly not a behavior seen in my malis very often ~ they're more the "crash into it head first, do a few somersaults, look like we meant to do that and figure out what happened later" type.

This. Malis are way too RIGHTNOWRIGHTNOWRIGHTNOWRIGHTNOW to stalk. My AmStaf does it a lot, though.

 

[Southpaw]

Juno stalks a lot... never saw her do it though until a BC did it to her. Don't know if it's just coincidence or if she's just the "monkey see, monkey do" type, because there are other behaviors of hers that she never did until being around other dogs who've done it. And I mean like, she starts these behaviors the same day that she's been around them.

At our dog park, there's a trail you have to walk before you get to the actual large, open area where all the dogs play. And once we're coming to the end of the trail, Juno sloooooows down and slinks her way to the other dogs. If another dog is approaching her at the same time, then she'll end it by lying down for a few seconds before pouncing lol.

 

[Snark]

Well, no telling what's in Riley's background but he is known as Crouching Tiger...

The boys don't stalk, although they're good at the freeze and pounce. My Rottie mix would stalk, too, but my beagle/terrier mix never did...

 

[StillandSilent]

Argon stalks things. He's never as sneaky as he thinks he is, but he does try!

The best stalker I ever had was a Boston Terrier/ACD (yes, you read that right) at the shelter. I once watched him stalk a leaf all the way across the parking lot, though he never quite made it in for the kill.

 

[Renee750il]

The Filas do it. Looking at Kharma, if you didn't see her face and ears, you'd swear you were watching a lioness hunting -- even the tip of her tail twitches slightly like a cat's.

It really sets the other dogs' nerves on edge, lol. She is a little TOO into it and you can see the panic set in for a second when they see her almost on top of them -- they aren't really 100% sure she's not serious.