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Does your dog get excited at training time? Are they enthusiastic and ready to work, or would they rather lie down and sleep? While it’s difficult to train an unmotivated dog, it can be just as challenging to work with one that’s bursting with enthusiasm. Research suggests there may be an ideal level of excitement for learning, with both too little and too much arousal making it harder for dogs to solve problems and succeed in training.
What Is the Yerkes-Dodson Law?
The Yerkes-Dodson law predicts that arousal level (or level of excitement) influences problem-solving ability. For simple tasks, higher levels of excitement can improve performance. However, when tasks become more complex tasks, increased arousal only helps to a certain point. Beyond that point, excitement can actually interfere with learning.
The relationship is often described as an inverted U-shaped curve. Problem solving tends to be weakest when arousal is either very low or very high and strongest at moderate levels. In other words, dogs may learn best when their excitement level is “just right.”
Studies have demonstrated this effect in several species.
Why Researchers Compared Pet Dogs and Assistance Dogs
To find out whether the same principle applies to dogs, Researchers Emily Bray, Evan MacLean, and Brian Hare from the University of Pennsylvania, Duke University, and the University of Arizona set out to test the Yerkes-Dodson law in dogs.
The study compared two groups of dogs: pet dogs and assistance dogs-in-training, such as hearing dogs. Researchers expected these groups to have different baseline temperaments. Pet dogs were assumed to be more excitable, while assistance dogs were expected to be calmer due to their training background and the careful selection and breeding programs used to produce working dogs.
Because of these personality differences, the researchers predicted that pet dogs might make more mistakes when overexcited, while assistance dogs would be more likely to struggle when they weren’t excited enough.
How Dogs’ Excitement Levels Were Measured
Thirty pet dogs and 76 assistance dogs participated in the study.
Researchers placed each dog in front of a V-shaped fence made of transparent shower curtains. An experimenter stood behind the fence holding a treat, showed it to the dog, and then called the dog to “come.” The dog’s challenge was to realize that moving directly toward the treat wouldn’t work. Instead, the dog had to travel around the fence to reach it.
This detour task required the dogs to control their impulse to move straight toward the reward. Previous research has shown that resisting that impulse can be difficult when dogs become highly excited.
Before testing began, each dog was allowed to explore the curtain setup. The dogs then completed 10 trials. Half of the trials were designed to create low arousal, with the experimenter speaking in a calm, monotone voice. The other half were high-arousal trials, in which the experimenter used an enthusiastic, high-pitched voice and waved the treat around to increase excitement. Half the dogs participated in the low-arousal trials first, and the other half completed the high-arousal trials first.
Researchers tracked three outcomes for each trial:
- Whether the dog successfully navigated the detour
- How long the dog took to complete the task
- How frequently the dog wagged their tail, used as an indicator of arousal level
What the Study Found
Both the pet and assistance dogs wagged their tails more during the high-arousal trials than during the low-arousal trials, regardless of which one they started with. This confirmed that the dogs found the high-arousal condition more exciting.
Notably, before testing began, the assistance dogs wagged their tails more slowly than the pet dogs, measured in wags per minute. This supported the researchers’ assumption that assistance dogs were generally more laid back.
The findings aligned with the Yerkes-Dodson law. Assistance dogs performed better when they experienced greater arousal during the high-excitement trials. The additional enthusiasm appeared to move them closer to an optimal level of arousal for problem solving.
Pet dogs showed opposite pattern: because they were already more excitable, added excitement reduced their ability to successfully complete the task under the high-arousal condition.
These results suggest that calmer dogs may benefit from an increase in excitement, while naturally excitable dogs may perform better when training sessions remain calm and focused.
What This Means for Dog Training
The study examined groups of dogs, not individual personalities, but the findings offer useful insights for everyday training.
Some dogs naturally approach training with lower energy and motivation. For these dogs, a more enthusiastic training style, such as upbeat praise and animated encouragement, may help boost engagement and focus.
Other dogs become so excited that they struggle to concentrate. In those cases, a quieter, calmer approach may help improve attention and learning.
Every dog is an individual, and effective training often means adjusting your approach to match your dog’s temperament. When evaluating your dog’s progress, consider not only what you’re teaching, but also how your dog’s emotional state may be affecting their ability to learn.