Dogs have travelled some distance  along the evolutionary road since the time when they hunted and killed for food. However, all dogs still have the ability and inclination to attack in certain circumstances. In some dogs, this drive is quite pronounced and dog owners must be able to recongise and control it.

Some breeds are still selectively bred for their tendency to chase or stalk prey and at least capture, if not kill and/or eat them. Notable among these are the Terriers, Dachshunds, sighthounds and various hunting breeds. It is no wonder then, that pet dogs occasionally succumb to their ancestral tendency, even without special training.

Dogs are often inadvertently trained to kill.

For example, some dog owners have urged their pets (sometimes playfully) to chase cats, squirrels and stray dogs.

These same owners are then often left horrified when their dogs bring home the neighbour’s lop-eared Rabbit as a trophy of the chase.

Sometimes other animals, usually cats, have “trained” dogs to become killers. They do this unknowingly by sitting on fences, rooftops, in trees or beyond fences, tantalising the dog from a safe vantage point. After enough of this teasing, the dog becomes sufficiently frustrated to attack an animal when the opportunity presents itself.

Dogs that kill other animals are usually, but not necessarily, of the excitable type and react aggressively or dominantly to other species or smaller dogs.

The killing of smaller dogs or cats by larger dogs can often occur in urban areas as a result of dogs not being given a lot of ‘natural’ exposure to animals which they might consider legitimate quarry.

Child deaths as a result of dog attacks (especially those committed by lone dogs) usually occurr at or within the dog’s “territory,” or have involved a child who has innocently given off visible or audible signs provoking the dog to ‘hunt’. Of course, this is NEVER the child’s fault and dog owners have a responsibility to ensure their pets are never given the opportunity to engage in the pursuit of what they might mistakenly consider to be legitimate quarry.

A small percentage of dogs are stimulated in the most primitive way by the screaming of any animal: their reaction is to kill that animal. Wild canines have killed members of their own pack that cry out after they have become trapped or are injured. The dog is, after all, an animal and animal instincts should never be underestimated.

Dogs that kill other animals should be differentiated from those with a fighting problem. Most dog fights end before either of the combatants is seriously injured. These episodes rarely result in the death of either dog. Predatory attacks aimed at killing the prey animal are deliberate, with the fangs aimed at the base of the prey’s neck just above the shoulders. If the prey is on its back, the soft flesh of the throat or belly is attacked. A predatory attack also usually includes violent shaking of the victim. Rarely does a domestic dog actually eat its kill, though some that prey on chickens and other fowl tend to do so more often that cat or dog killers.

Owners should recognise and understand their dog’s personality type. K9 Magazine has published a dog ownership personality test which can help with this.

Canine Personality Test - Requires Registration