08/24/2026
“ I have a high drive dog”- but do you really?
This is something I don’t see talked about often but it’s a valuable subject to touch on, especially in the golden world where the breed is split( a post for another day).
I hear a lot of “ this is a high drive dog,” but sometimes what you’re actually seeing is arousal- not drive! Understanding the difference can completely change how you train, raise, and work with the dog in front of you. It has certainly influenced my breeding decisions!
DRIVE is a dog’s motivation to pursue a specific goal : get the bird, the ball, the disc etc. A dog with strong drive may have intense motivation and grit to retrieve, hunt, chase, work for food, engage with a handler, search for scent, or complete a task. Drive has a clear direction and purpose. A high-drive dog can absolutely be excited, but good working drive often comes with more of a thought process while working, the ability to solve a problem with a level head.
AROUSAL on the other hand, is the dog’s level of physiological and emotional activation. A dog with high arousal can look like:
• Frantic movement
• Barking or screaming, whining etc
• Jumping, spinning or pacing
• Difficulty taking food when amped up
• Losing previously learned behaviors
• Mouthiness or excessive nipping
• Fixating on other dogs or stimuli
• Being unable to settle after excitement
A dog can be highly aroused without actually having much drive at all, or both can true in the same dog- high drive, high arousal.
The dogs I personally love working with are dogs with a decent amount of drive coupled with a solid “ off-switch,” my other favorite trait!
That ability to regulate arousal without losing drive is something I seek out and select for in my dogs and something that will dictate a lot of my breeding decisions going forward, it’s also the reason behind many difficult washes and hard decisions!
A well rounded, versatile family dog shouldn’t be a dog with high arousal and it sucks to notice that in your dogs and make the decision to end lines and wash dogs- but in the end, it’s necessary for the betterment of the breed as a whole ❤️
