Field Guide · Glossary
Over-arousal
Reactivity and fearA level of excitement high enough that a dog can no longer think clearly or respond to cues.
How it works
The important point is that the emotion involved does not have to be negative. A dog can pass the point of usefulness on excitement alone, and an over-aroused dog listens about as well as a frightened one. It is often missed for exactly that reason, because a happy dog bouncing at the end of a leash does not look like a dog in difficulty. Arousal also takes time to come down, so several exciting events close together accumulate.
What it looks like
A dog at the door before a walk is spinning, barking and jumping. Asked for a sit they know perfectly, they cannot hold still for even a second. Nothing is frightening them. There is simply too much going on inside.
Commonly confused with
- Threshold
- Threshold is the point at which coping stops. Over-arousal is one way of arriving there, driven by excitement rather than fear, and it produces much the same loss of function.
Related terms
Where this comes up