Today, a rabbit decided to make a nest just feet from my back deck. This happens to be the same place where I let the dogs out everyday, which makes me question the scent abilities of the bunny, but that is besides the point.
The point is that both Lainey (off-leash) and Pablo (who has been with me for about a month now and was on leash) were able to quickly divert their attention from the rabbit back onto me when asked.
Dogs have many drives. Two of the most powerful are prey drive and food drive.
As it sounds, prey drive is the instinctual need to chase something that is smaller, perceived as prey, especially if it runs away.
Food drive is a dogs willingness to work for food. Instinctually, this comes from dogs being hunters, and most dogs still will do anything if you have a piece of bacon in your hand.
But what happens when these drives compete? 
Your dog chases down the street after a neighbors cat. Do they respond when you yell, “Fluffy, want a treat?”

I currently have two dogs living under my roof as my own. Lainey, a boxer from a breeder purchased at 10 weeks old, and Pablo, a 1-2 year old mixed breed dog pulled off the streets of Mexico, it is rumored that he was picked up after being thrown out the window of a car.

Lainey has had quite the cushy upbringing, a full box of toys from day 1, off-leash training, frequent visits to the beach, family members homes, pet stores, and the best veterinary care we can afford. She’s also had a loving home from the day we picked her up. In fact, she’s really been a part of the family since then.

Pablo, on the other hand, has had a life we could only imagine as being crappy, although it is difficult to know for sure. From what we have heard, he lived in a beach town, but was thrown from a moving vehicle, chased off of farms with machetes, and ate out of dumpsters.

These two dogs live side by side in my home, and even though their lives started out completely differently, they are treated EXACTLY the same.