Is Your Dog Overjoyed…or Just Overwhelmed?

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Understanding Arousal: A Key to Safer, Happier Dogs

As dog owners, it’s easy to see our dog’s heightened behaviors—jumping, spinning, barking, hard pulling, etc., in response to something like a visitor’s arrival or saying hello to a new dog—and interpret them as excitement. Often, we assume their big energy means they’re just feeling happy and exuberant. But high arousal doesn’t necessarily equal happiness. In fact, the opposite is often true.

Today, we’re talking about physiological arousal in dogs, including:

• how to spot the difference between “happy arousal” and “unhappy arousal”
• why dog trainers are so darn preoccupied with helping to lower dogs’ arousal levels in stressful situations (spoiler alert: it’s because unhappy arousal is risky business)
• how to help and support your dog through times of unhappy arousal

Let’s dive in!

Defining Arousal

First things first: let’s define the term arousal, as it’s most often used by dog behavior professionals.

Physiological arousal refers to the level of activation within the body’s nervous system. Arousal is your body’s way of getting ready to respond to something important. Think of it like pressing the gas pedal in a car—your heart might beat faster, you breathe more quickly, and you feel more alert.

Heightened arousal can occur during positive moments, like when your dog sees their favorite toy and feels excited; and during negative moments, like when your dog gets put behind a gate in a new situation and feels frustrated and uncertain.

To simplify things for this newsletter, we’ll refer to positive arousal (when heightened arousal occurs along with feelings of joy or happiness) as “happy arousal”, and to negative arousal (when heightened arousal occurs along with feelings of fear, anxiety, uncertainty, anger, or frustration) as “unhappy arousal”.

Happy Arousal vs. Unhappy Arousal: How to Spot the Difference

Recognizing the difference between happy arousal and unhappy arousal is not as easy as it sounds. The two can look very similar, even to seasoned dog owners.

Imagine two different dogs, Della and Harry, each reacting to an unknown guest entering their home. Both dogs display higher-arousal behaviors including: barking, jumping up on the guest, wagging their tails furiously, spinning in circles, and running back and forth from their owner to the guest.

Two happy, excited dogs? Maybe. But maybe not. Let’s fill in this picture with more details.

Della (Happy Arousal)
As the guest enters, Della lets out a couple of happy woofs as she does a quick spin. She woofs again as she bounces on her front paws in a happy little dance, then bounds off to grab a toy, body wiggling, paws everywhere. She approaches the guest and jumps up with soft paws, then lands and leans into the guest’s legs with a wiggly, curved body. Her tail wags in big, sweeping strokes. She lopes over to her owner, looking a bit like a furry rocking horse, does a big shake-off, then leans in for some pets with a relaxed, open mouth, tongue hanging out the side. Her brow is soft and free of tension.

Harry (Unhappy Arousal)
Harry rushes quickly toward the guest with his tail wagging high, stiff and fast. He immediately starts jumping up at the guest, raking his nails down their leg with his tensed paws. When the guest tries to reach out and pet Harry, he tosses his head, puts four paws on the ground and starts spinning in circles. After 5-6 rotations, he stops and begins barking sharply and persistently, his eyes wild (whites showing, pupils dilated) and his head jerking toward the ceiling with each bark. His tail continues to wag stiff and fast. He runs at the guest again, this time doing a big jump-and-push-off, then sprints to his owner before careening off into a bout of zoomies around the living room. He brow is wrinkled and tense. He is panting heavily with the corners of his lips pulled tight. Any attempt from the guest to pet Harry results in a quick increase in arousal, and more jumping, spinning, and barking.

Both dogs are experiencing heightened arousal and displaying it through behaviors like barking, jumping, spinning, etc. But those behaviors actually look very different, due to the dogs’ different emotional states.

Key Differences in Happy vs. Unhappy Arousal

• Tension vs. Relaxation
  • Unhappy arousal tends to come with stiff, tense body language, while happy arousal is loose and wiggly.
  • This tension (or lack thereof) shows up in small parts of the body, like the brow, ears, and corners of the mouth, but also in the dog’s overall body posture and carriage.
    
• Approach Style
  • Dogs in happy arousal typically move toward a stimulus of interest (person, other dog, etc.) with curiosity or excitement, often showing playful or bouncy energy.
  • Dogs in unhappy arousal might also move toward the stimulus, but the approach is usually faster, more direct, and lacks playful body language.
    
• Vocalizations
  • Happy arousal vocalizations are playful and short-lived, such as a few happy barks that punctuate other behaviors.
  • Unhappy arousal vocalizations are often more persistent. They sound sharp or even frantic, and are often accompanied by jerky head movements and “wild eyes” as described in Harry’s scenario above.
    
• Responsiveness to Social Cues
  • Happy arousal dogs tend to remain aware of others and respond appropriately to social signals, like requests for space.
  • Unhappy arousal dogs often seem oblivious to social cues like requests for space, likely because their brain and body are more focused on the source of their frustration, fear, anxiety, etc.

These can be good indicators that your dog might feel uncomfortable—or at least, conflicted (for example, excited but also nervous)—about the situation** in front of them.

In general, I have found that the *higher* the arousal level (like out-of-control spinning, barking, or jumping) that occurs in common, everyday situations, the more likely there is some element of uncertainty, anxiety, or nervousness in the mix.

**This is an important point to internalize. Sometimes, we almost reflexively dismiss signs of unhappy arousal if they conflict with our view of our dog as a social, happy individual. But both things can be true! A dog like Harry, for example, may be a social dog who truly enjoys interacting with people under certain circumstances. AND, his behavior is telling us that may also feel a little worried or uncomfortable with certain types of guests, with his current “guest routine”, or with meeting new people inside his home.

Unhappy Arousal is Risky

There are important reasons to learn to recognize the subtle differences between happy arousal and unhappy arousal. (Reasons that explain why your dog trainer or behavior consultant seems so endlessly preoccupied with relaxation work, settling skills, and managing arousal levels!).

Here are three behavioral health risks that come along with unhappy arousal:

1. Increased Risk of Lasting Negative Memories
When a dog is already in a state of unhappy arousal, and they experience something scary or stressful (to them), their brain is more likely to store that moment as a strong memory. This is like a survival mechanism—vividly remembering a bad experience helps them avoid similar situations in the future.

For example, if your dog is already feeling amped up and anxious about other dogs while out on a walk, and they get startled by a big, fluffy white dog coming around a corner barking at them, they might develop a lasting fear of big, fluffy white dogs. In contrast, if they hadn’t already been feeling amped up and worried, the experience with the big white dog would more likely have been been just an acute (in the moment) stressor that didn’t have any lasting impact on your dog’s behavior.

2. Increased Risk of Strong, Negative Conditioned Associations
Unhappy arousal also makes it easier for your dog to form strong, lasting negative associations between unrelated things that happen at the same time. This is how classical conditioning works in general (check out our free Classical Conditioning Crash Course if you’d like to learn more), but conditioning effects are often amplified when in a state of unhappy arousal.

For instance, if your dog in a state of unhappy arousal—perhaps they’re generally fearful and anxious about the sights and sounds of outside—and they are approached by a stranger just as a jackhammer starts up at a nearby construction site, your dog might more easily and strongly associate the stranger with the fear they felt. If the same situation—stranger approaches, jackhammer starts—had happened when your dog was relaxed or in a state of happy arousal, formation of a negative association would be less likely. These types of negative associations can lead to lasting fear or aggression toward strangers, even though the person wasn’t the actual cause of the scary event.

The Connection Between Arousal & Learning

In the case of both memory formation and classically conditioned associations, high arousal states enhance synaptic plasticity in the amygdala, a key brain region involved in processing emotions like fear and assigning emotional significance to events. This heightened plasticity strengthens the connections between the amygdala and other brain areas, like the hippocampus (critical for memory) and the sensory cortices (important for perception).

During high arousal, stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol are released, which further enhances the brain’s ability to encode emotionally significant events—especially negative ones. This “boosted” encoding explains why both traumatic memories and conditioned associations tend to be stronger and more persistent under high arousal conditions.

3. Increased Risk of Aggression
Research on humans (see reference list at the end of this newsletter) indicates a strong link between high levels of unhappy arousal and increased acts of aggression. Negative emotions such as fear, anger, pain, and frustration—especially when accompanied by high arousal—can lead to an increased likelihood of aggressive behaviors.

Why? Heightened negative arousal, often driven by fear, frustration, or anxiety, triggers the sympathetic nervous system and activates the fight-or-flight response.  Stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol flood the system, increasing the likelihood of impulsive, defensive behaviors. Further, the emotional center of the brain, the amygdala, takes over, while the rational part that controls impulses (the prefrontal cortex) becomes less active. This combination of intense emotional reactivity and reduced self-control means a dog is less able to assess a situation rationally, and more likely to respond aggressively to a perceived threat or source of agitation.

Common Situations When Unhappy Arousal is Confused for Happy Arousal

There are certain “high energy” situations in which dog owners commonly mistake unhappy arousal for happy arousal in our dogs. Here are a few:

1. When Guests Arrive (or, When Meeting Small Children) 

A knock at the door can lead to big displays of arousal in many dogs. While we often see this as enthusiasm, it can also indicate unease or nervousness about the change in their environment. Your dog might feel uncertain about the new person but express it in a high-energy response that masks their discomfort.

2. On-Leash Greetings with Other Dogs  

When dogs meet on-leash, they don’t have the freedom to approach each other naturally, leading to arousal mixed with frustration or anxiety (check out our recent blog, On-Leash Greetings, Yes or No?, for more on this). If your dog becomes overly bouncy, vocal, or intense upon seeing another dog, it could indicate mixed feelings: they may be excited, but the leash tension or unfamiliar dog could also be triggering nervousness.

3. Reuniting Home After Time Alone 

When you get home, it’s easy to assume your dog’s frantic energy is pure happiness at your return. But for some dogs, that intense arousal also reflects relief or anxiety from being alone, especially if they experience separation distress.

4. Visits to Busy, Noisy, or Stressful Places  

Bustling environments like a vet’s office or busy park can lead to high arousal that looks like excitement but is actually your dog’s attempt to cope with stress. Hyper behaviors here might mask feelings of uncertainty or anxiety.

Helping Your Dog Manage Unhappy Arousal

If you notice signs that your dog is experiencing unhappy arousal, you can take steps to help them feel more at ease:

1. Keep Your Energy Calm  
Dogs pick up on our emotions, and calm energy on your part can help them relax. Avoid adding to their arousal with excitement or frustration. Instead, do your best to stay calm, cool and collected. (See our blog on Co-Regulation for tips and advice.)

2. Teach Relaxed Behaviors  
Practice behaviors like “down” or “settle” to help your dog develop a more relaxed response to stimulating events, like guest arrivals or your return home. Reinforce these calm behaviors with treats and praise to make them rewarding.

3. Give Them Space 
In situations like on-leash greetings or when guests arrive, offer your dog some space. This reduces pressure to engage and allows them to process the situation without feeling overwhelmed.

4. Reinforce Relaxation (cued or not)
Reward relaxed postures, quiet behavior, and calm responses with treats, slow massage, and/or calm, quiet praise (whatever helps your individual dog relax). Bonus tip: sometimes, in situations like guest visits or your arrival home, rather than waiting to reward calm, it’s most effective to simply provide your dog with a yummy, long-lasting food toy (like a Kong stuffed with cream cheese and chicken). This redirects their attention and prevents them from practicing their normal, over-aroused behaviors, while also helping to calm their nervous system and bring them to a more relaxed state.

5. Implement Predictable Routines
Just like people, dogs feel a lot more comfortable and relaxed when they know exactly what to expect in a given situation. So, be sure to create simple, predictable routines for those situations where your dog struggles with over arousal.

Being an In-Tune Dog Owner

Understanding the difference between happy arousal and unhappy arousal lets you be a more in-tune dog owner. Observing your dog’s body language and tuning into subtle cues can reveal what they’re really feeling and help you provide the support they need. You avoid accidentally misreading their behavior and putting them in situations where they’re notably uncomfortable.

When you can recognize your dog’s emotional state and take steps to help them find calm and relaxation in these heightened moments, you’re setting them up for genuine happiness—without the nervous energy.

Questions or thoughts to share?
Send us an email at [email protected]

References:

Emerging Role of Microglial Autophagy in Neurological Diseases
https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/24/22/16327

Adverse Childhood Experiences and Their Impact on Mental Disorders in Young People
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00787-021-01797-4

Fear Conditioning and Brain Mechanisms of Emotional Memory Consolidation
https://www.biologicalpsychiatryjournal.com/article/S0006-3223(02)01669-4/abstract

Fear Conditioning Explained: Physiology of Motivated Behaviors
https://library.fiveable.me/key-terms/physiology-motivated-behaviors/fear-conditioning

The Neural Basis of Emotional Memory and Fear Conditioning
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychiatry/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2022.1015349/full

Experimental Protocols for Studying Arousal and Emotion
https://link.springer.com/protocol/10.1007/978-1-0716-3218-5_5

Emotional Arousal and Memory Consolidation: A Cognitive Neuroscience Perspective
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3063443/#:~:text=In%20summary%2C%20the%20current%20study,not%20the%20case%20for%20positive

The Biological and Emotional Causes of Aggression
https://open.lib.umn.edu/socialpsychology/chapter/10-2-the-biological-and-emotional-causes-of-aggression/

What Is Hyperarousal? Symptoms and Causes
https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/hyperarousal

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