06/02/2026
I have just found this amazing graphic from the book 'Dogs of the World'
This will help you understand your dogs behaviour better.
This will help you understand how to satisfy your dogs breed outlets.
If you have a mixed breed, you may see a mix of these behaviours.
Anna, you know who I am referring to 😃
The most important thing to note is that predatory behaviour is completely natural and we should never try and change the dog, the predatory patterns need to come out somewhere.
EDIT:
From the comments, it’s clear that this graphic hasn’t landed the same way for everyone, so I’d like to offer a little more context around its intention.
The key message is not that all dogs of a particular breed will display all parts of the predatory sequence. Dogs are individuals first. Which parts of the sequence are expressed — if any — is influenced by many factors, including the environment the dog lives in, access to appropriate releasing stimuli, learning history, training approaches, selective breeding, and lived experience.
This graphic is intended as a general reference tool, not a prediction or a rule. It offers a broad framework to help people understand what might be seen in certain breed groups, rather than what will be seen in every dog. Think of it as a starting point for observation and curiosity, not a box to place dogs into.
It’s also important to acknowledge the role humans play. We have shaped dogs through selective breeding, management, and training choices, and with that influence comes complexity. When we breed for certain traits, suppress others, or place dogs in environments that don’t align with their needs, the natural expression of behaviour can become altered, fragmented, or misunderstood. This doesn’t mean something has gone “wrong” with the dog — it usually means the dog has adapted to the conditions around them.
Used thoughtfully, this graphic can support better conversations, more compassionate expectations, and a deeper understanding of why dogs may express behaviour differently, even within the same breed.
The aim is not certainty, but awareness.
