Stress and Reward-seeking Behaviors
By: Eileen Koval, CDBC, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA, MSc
A major frustration for some owners is their dog’s endless energy. They repeatedly walk/run them, play fetch for hours, give constant enrichment activities. Yet, the constant high energy persists. They never seem to wear out and rest for long. Sometimes it worsens after certain changes in environment – such as visitors arriving to the home, the owner coming home from work, or attending group classes around other dogs. The high energy turns into uncontrollable behavior with the dog barking and/or lunging, jumping on people, mouthing hard at arms or hands, playing too roughly with other dogs, sharking treats (and fingertips!), and generally exhibiting what can appear like overly-excited behavior. They have difficulty consistently focusing on their human and may not follow known obedience cues particularly well in these moments. In those scenarios, the dog takes an inordinate time to calm down from changes in the environment…if they ever are able to completely calm down.
Unfortunately, most people do not realize they need to look beneath the surface at why their dog is displaying these behaviors, and why more exercise is not resolving the behavior issues. What appears as non-stop energy and bad behavior is often stress and/or anxiety manifesting in a different way than people may expect. Stress increases arousal and activates the reward-center of the brain, as the individual attempts to resolve their own imbalanced emotional state.
Higher energy levels can be normal for some breeds, but that differs from hyperarousal. Arousal is not a bad thing. In fact, it is something we try to elevate to a higher, more optimal level, in competitive dog sports. Arousal is simply an elevated affective state, and whether it is positive or negative can determine on the emotions felt by the individual. Elevated arousal can be felt with emotions such as happiness, excitement, frustration, anger, jealousy, or a conflicted mix of these. We all experience increased arousal at times, but it should be appropriate to the specific situation. A healthy individual should also be able to cope and calm down from the elevated emotional state in a reasonable amount of time.
During hyperarousal, the individual cannot cope and come down from the heightened emotional state. Emotional control can become dysregulated and dysfunctional. When this is suspected, a veterinarian needs to be consulted for appropriate evaluation, diagnosis and treatment, in addition to emotional and behavioral modification procedures. Stress hormones continue to be released for long periods of time, behavioral responses continue to be disproportionate to the situation, and emotional dysregulation ensues. Problematic behaviors can emerge as the individual reacts impulsively or disproportionately in situations. They also may exhibit reward-seeking, self-soothing behaviors in attempts to achieve homeostasis – in other words, trying to self-correct their imbalanced emotional state. Stress activates the reward-center of the brain, so we start seeking out activities that will help correct this by releasing dopamine and endorphins.
Common manifestations of hyperarousal
In dogs, this can include, but is not limited to:
· Jumping and mouthing visitors and cannot be redirected or calmed
· Jumping, mouthing owners after returning home, leaving bruises
· Constant, non-stop play behavior, never seeming to tire out
· Non-stop tennis ball fixation
· Fixation on dogs/people -- seeing or making new friends
· Obsessions with fetch or other stalking/chasing behavior
· Non-stop seeking of opportunities for practicing natural motor patterns (scavenging, destruction, guarding/watch dog, predation, etc)
· Humping/Mounting behavior that cannot be interrupted and redirected
An overly aroused individual may have difficulty thinking rationally, or may be teetering on the edge between rational and emotional/instinctual (limbic) thinking. This manifests in difficulties with regulating emotions, struggles with maintaining focus, and hindered learning abilities in those moments. Unfortunately, from the point of view of the owners, they often only see the unwanted behavior issues without realizing the underlying causes. Sometimes they resort to over-exercising the dog to try to wear them out, which usually only creates a dog with more stamina. Occasionally, it can result in unintentional injury since the dog may lack self-regulation to avoid reaching over-exertion. With the heightened emotional state and increased stress hormones, they may also push themselves through any pain. When increased exercise does not work, owners may unfortunately resort to physical punishment to try to stop the unwanted behaviors. Sadly, it damages the dog-human relationship while failing to yield any lasting, effective solutions. Problematic behaviors will continue to surface in until underlying causes are addressed.
My own dog, five-year-old Kooikerhondje Gilgamesh, has displayed hyperaroused behavior and emotions when he experiences flare ups of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). His poops are usually not terrible anymore with treatment, but during flare ups he experiences painful trapped gas in the belly and abdominal cramping. He cannot verbally convey to me how he feels, but this is noticeable with stiffening in his hind gait, less hind leg extension, and tightness and twitching in his back muscles when palpated. However, the most noticeable signs are that he becomes fixated on other dogs and people that he wants to befriend. He has trouble with impulse control during flare ups – being unable to give up opportunities to meet new friends or to visit with old friends. He may pull and whimper to try to get to them, whereas normally he would be able to wait calmly until the end of classes to see friends, or to ignore a dog we are passing on the sidewalk. He also constantly wants to do agility and to play. He only displays these constant reward-seeking behaviors when he is having physical pain from the IBD. When this is happening, I adjust my expectations of him. When we are not feeling well, we are not capable of the same level of behavior as when we are feeling 100%. Normally, I might have him wait until the end of class to see other dogs, but in these scenarios, I give him more opportunities to see other friendly dogs and people, if they are willing. Seeing friends helps him to cope with his pain and discomfort. It would be unkind and unproductive to force him to exhibit the same levels of self-control that are not realistic in those moments. As someone with systemic lupus and diabetes, I can relate to him on many levels with the struggle of coping with chronic physical pain. The only thing that is going to resolve hyperarousal and reward-seeking behaviors caused by pain is pain relief, or in the immediate moment, removing the individual from the challenging situation (for example, moving a much further distance away from other dogs and people).
What are the physical and behavioral signs of hyperarousal?
Dogs may look like they are over-excited to the casual observer, but if you look closely, there are a lot of stress signs there.
· Heavy, non-stop panting
· Facial grimace / stress ridges on the face
· Big, heavily dilated eyes
· Pacing
· Jumping
· Mouthing
· Counter-surfing or other scavenging
· Destruction
· Non-stop seeking of play or interaction (reward-seeking)
· Rough Play
· Mounting/Humping
· Restlessness, inability to stay still
· Lack of impulse control
· Barking/pulling/lunging at people, dogs, cars, etc
· Overly friendly behavior
· Repetitive or stereotypic behaviors
What causes this?
Hyper-aroused emotional states and associated behaviors can be caused by several factors, including things within the control of the current owners and also those outside the owner’s control:
· Genetics
· Lack of appropriate early and ongoing socialization
· Inappropriate living environment
· Maternal stress
· Social or other environmental issues that affect welfare and result in long term psychological stress
· Pain
· Other health issues
Some significant arousal issues can be resolved with changes to the environment, while others may require emotional/behavioral training to help teach relaxation and calm. Evaluation, diagnosis and treatment by a medical professional may be necessary if behaviors are outside the realm of what is “normal” or if the heightened emotional state fails to adequately change through behavior modification and other interventions. In these cases, anxiety itself can be considered a disease that requires diagnosis and treatment by a qualified medical professional. It may surprise people to hear that it is very common for me to work cases in which health issues (usually unbeknownst to the owner) cause persistent, elevated stress levels and hyper-aroused behavior. In cases with pain or health issues, the unwanted behaviors and underlying heightened emotional state do not go away through just training, environmental changes, or other procedures to address emotional and behavioral changes. They require diagnosis by a qualified medical professional and appropriate treatment. Then, we can work on emotional and behavioral changes.
Anecdotal examples from some of my past behavior cases:
· Chronic pain from previously undiagnosed structural issues (e.g. hip dysplasia, arthritis, joint issues)
· Pain from chronic soft tissue injuries
· Pain from IBD or other gut issues
· Endocrine disorders
· On-going pain from autoimmune issues
· Degenerative conditions
It is important to look at what is causing the elevated emotional state so that we can help the animal achieve the proper emotional baseline. No matter how much one practices training exercises, individuals will only be able to consistently offer the desired behaviors if they are in an emotional state where that is possible. Working with a qualified behavior professional (e.g. a certified behavior consultant, animal behaviorist with a graduate degree, or veterinary behaviorist) can help owners to sort through what is “normal” versus outside the realm of normal. Qualified behavior professionals can quickly identify signs of potential health or welfare issues, and then provide referrals to medical specialists for evaluation. Sometimes it takes a whole team! Just remember that without addressing the underlying causes, emotional and behavior issues will persist. Hyperarousal is something that can often be effectively addressed once we look beyond the focus of unwanted behaviors to empathize with the individual who is exhibiting them. It is crucial to see the behaviors in the context of the individual’s life and wellness as a whole to understand the needs behind them.
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References:
Bowen J, Fatjo J, Sepell JA, et al. “First evidence for an association between join hypermobility and excitability in a non-human species, the domestic dog.” Sci Rep 9, 8629 (2019), https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-45096-0
Sulkama S, Puureunen J, Salonen M, Mikkola S, Hakanen E, Araujo C, Lohi H. “Canine hyperactivity, impulsivity, and inattention share similar demographic risk factors and behavioural comorbidities with human ADHD”. Transl Psychiatry. 2021 Oct 1;11(1)501. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-021-01626-x
Tooley C, Heath SE. “Emotional Arousal Impacts Physical Health in Dogs: A Review of Factors Influencing Arousal, with Exemplary Case and Framework”. Animals (Base1). 2023 Jan 28;13(3):465. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13030465
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Eileen Koval, CDBC, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA, MSc (in Operations Management) is a fully certified dog behavior consultant with the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC). She believes the foundation of a good cross-species relationship is understanding the needs and normal behavior patterns of each dog as an individual, as he/she was bred to be. She enjoys helping humans and dogs communicate more effectively to create brilliant relationships with joy, purpose, and fulfillment for all species involved. She offers private consulting for serious dog behavior issues, obedience/manners, and agility training. Eileen developed a unique online course to help pet parents and trainers develop reliable snake avoidance behavior off-leash through positive reinforcement techniques. These techniques have been applied by trainers worldwide to teach dogs reliable avoidance of dangerous environmental hazards and off-leash property boundaries. She lives on a small ranch in Las Vegas, Nevada with her husband and their Nederlandse Kooikerhondjes.
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