.....my dogs who did flyball would not touch prey animals - even when given the go ahead.

But - as I say - we shall have to disagree....the actions are very different from what I have observed.

that doesnt matter, as both are expressions of the same prey drive. hence their is no such thing as ball drive, play drive, flyball drive, tug my arm drive, etc, etc.

re (fly)ball v animal, the abscence or prescence of targetting one or the other (or both) isnt relevant, as its all prey drive anyway

what about just sheer excitement

I don't agree.

In my observations there is a difference.

what about it?

FAO tupac 'excitement' post

what observations?

From doing Flyball and ball games and watching my dogs 'hunting' (and in a couple of cases following that through to its natural conclusions).
The attitudes of the dogs are completely different, and, if the play is not continued with the owner, often the dog will loose the ability to do so. I have not seen that with a developed prey drive.

their would be a difference in your observations, as they are different expressions (different environment, different cirumstances, different criteria, different intensities), of the same prey drive.

sorry if i misunderstand you, but i thought you just said you couldnt get your dogs to hunt live animals, even when you asked them?

of course the dog will stop playing if the owner stops the game, the prey has passed, as would the dog stop hunting the live anmnal if that prey passed.

I agree with this. You can stop play, but stopping hunting is MUCH more difficult.

of course

live breathing prey

toy prey