OB205: Creating Optimal Drive State for Learning and Competition

I tend to be a very intuitive trainer.  My primary background in training comes from experimenting, reading dogs and using my instincts.  More recently, I’ve become aware of the science and the value it brings to the table.  That being said, my “science” background is not very strong.  I tend to use explanations that are practical.  So please keep that in mind… I may have over-simplified some of the concepts and terminology.  My end goal is to give you practical tools to help you read your dog and manage your dog’s arousal level both in training and when trialing.

What exactly do I mean when referring to “drive state” and “arousal” in dog training. 

I am personally very guilty of using the words “drive state”, “high drive” and “low drive” very loosely without a clear definition.  As a teacher, that’s really not ideal.  Investigation of the words “drive state” and what they truly mean exposed the inaccuracy of my use of that verbiage.  I typically described a dog as ‘high drive or low drive.  And when observing a dog that is working, I would say he/she is either in a high, low or optimal drive state. The term I should have been using was arousal level. 

Drives in and of themselves are urges/desires that when triggered, cause a dog to act in a certain way.  They are innate and part of the dog’s genetic composition.  Certain training methods can strengthen or weaken these drives but all dogs have a baseline.  Drive states commonly referenced are prey drive, food drive, defense drive, hunting, play, and pack drives.  Ultimately these terms are more useful as descriptors of the individual dog’s basic makeup.  For example, Zeal has low pack drive, high food drive, moderate to low prey drive.  For me, that’s  information I will use in my training.  Since his food drive is high, that’s his primary reinforcer.  I worked really hard to improve his prey drive to make tugging and retrieving more valuable for him.  Dogs will have them to varying degrees.  I.e some dogs will have a “high” prey drive which results in a very strong reaction to objects they perceive as prey,

For the purpose of this class, I’m really referring to the dog’s level of arousal, what that means chemically and more specifically how it effects a dog’s ability to work and learn.  Before we investigate what that looks like in dogs, let’s be the dog.

Imagine you are on vacation, lying on the beach, totally relaxed.  Hear the waves and the seagulls, feel the sand and the sun.  Smell the pina colada, suntan lotion and fresh, salty air.  Take a deep breath.  That’s low arousal.  If I walked up to you and asked you to learn something new, or do a complex math problem immediately, it would be hard.  Your mind and body are just not there.  You would need some time to bring yourself into a mental and physical state where you could learn or perform a difficult task. 

Next think of something that in your life that was super stressful.  Something that really kicked up your anxiety.  When you feel anxious, your body goes on high alert, looking for possible danger and activating your fight or flight response. Some common symptoms of anxiety include: nervousness, restlessness, being tense. feelings of danger, panic, or dread, increased heart rate, rapid breathing, trembling, sweating, trouble concentrating or thinking about anything other than the present worry.  This is NOT an optimal time to learn!!  Or to be focused and perform at your best. 

Finally, think of something really exciting.  Maybe it was a goal you accomplished, someone you were meeting, an event that you’ve been looking forward to, a promotion, etc..  Now remember how that felt.  Your heart was racing, you had lots of energy, your head was spinning, maybe your palms were sweaty, you talked really fast, you couldn’t wait to share your excitement, you were floating on a cloud!!!  Actually, now that you think about it.. you had a lot of the same physical symptoms as when you were anxious.  That’s because symptoms such as elevated heart rate, stomach butterflies, sweating, upset stomach, and shaking are caused by cortisol surges to prepare your body for action (“fight or flight”)  All of these symptoms (and more) result from the arousal of the nervous system. Whether you're getting ready for a date or preparing to give a speech in front of your peers, the physical sensations are very similar.  The only difference is that you have positive feelings with one state of arousal and a negative feeling with the other.  In both instances, it is not an optimal time to learn and you won’t be performing at your highest level.  You need to get yourself out of fight or flight in order to learn and concentrate 

Now, back to our dogs.  If they have been resting in their crate or in some other “rest” position, their arousal level will be low.  They are distracted and thinking doggie thoughts.  What you are offering (work) may not be high enough value in that moment.  They will not be in an optimal state to learn or work.  It’s going to take them some time to bring their mental and physical energy up so they can concentrate, work and learn. 

If their arousal level is too high, they will also have difficulty concentrating.  Anxiety and excitement are often confused.  It’s not uncommon for people to watch a dog work and label it as excited and energetic when, in actuality, the dog is anxious.  If the dog is truly excited, to excitement makes it difficult for the dog to concentrate.  If the dog is anxious they are absolutely not in a good place to work and learn.  Because the symptoms of excitement are similar to those of anxiety, it’s not a comfortable state for the dog to be in, especially for an extended period of time. 

Our ultimate goal is to put our dog’s right in the middle.  Not under aroused and not over aroused.  Bright, alert, interested, focused and ready to learn and work.  Ready to concentrate on the task at hand.  Remember that dogs are living, breathing organisms.  They are not machines.  Their arousal level will vary and fluctuate.  That’s normal.  It’s OUR job to read the dog moment by moment and adjust our handling so we can manage their arousal level. 

IF my dog makes an error based on arousal level, that’s MY fault.  I will never fault or blame a dog for that.  For example, I can tug with Zayna until she gets super aroused.  I can then ask her to perform a task that requires concentration, such as Command Discrimination.  If she makes an error, such as anticipates, because her arousal level is so high she can’t concentrate, then that’s MY fault.  I put her in that state.  Then I asked her to concentrate.  She doesn’t have the skill set, so she makes an error.  The fix would be that I would tug less, or give her some calming cues (we will look at this in detail in this course) to bring her to an optimal drive state.  NOW I will ask her to perform Command Discrimination and now she will perform it correctly.

In another example, if I get her very aroused there is a high likelihood she will bark at me.  A shrill, grating bark.  Again, I can’t fault her for that.  She is doing it because she is so aroused.  When she is in an optimal drive state, she typically does not bark at me.  So again, that’s on me.

Conversely, if my dog was resting and I release them and immediately ask them to work, there is a good chance they will not perform in a way that meets my criteria.  Why?  They were just totally relaxed, thinking doggie thoughts and I didn’t give them time to bring their arousal level up to where they could focus.  All dogs need a few minutes (some more than others) to get into the right state.