Dog Behavior - Over-Excitability And Inhibition in Dogs

If you know a dog that has been "branded" a problem dog, over-excitability is a term used to describe most of these dogs.  They are extremely susceptible when they are stressed by strangers, social isolation, new surroundings, other dogs, stimulation, physical restraint and sudden loud noises. 

The opposite end of the spectrum are highly inhibited dogs that react to stress by total inaction or stiff, slow movements, and apparent depression (they seem to lose contact with their environmental).  This problem usually arises when the owners sleep at night, or when the dogs are left alone, especially for a long period of time.  It is this stress of being ignored, even when the owners are present, may cause an introverted behavior or stimulate toward extroverted over-activity.

Both excitability and inhibition can be heightened by many herbs and synthetic drugs, as well as those extracted from living tissues.  The fact that such drugs do not affect all dogs in the same way, supports the belief that dogs (and people) may experience altered behavior by taking these drugs.  

The fact that seemingly mild stressful experiences may induce these reactions may help explain a good deal of what is generally described as "spontaneous aggression".    In this case, the part of the nervous system responsible for defensive behavior, such as a dog's biting, can be stimulated but not fully activated by mildly threatening experiences.  However, depending on the particular dog's nervous system makeup, repeated stimulation can push the dog over the brink and into a full-blown "rage".  This behavior can last up to several minutes and must play itself out to exhaust the imbalance and restore equilibrium.  The dog then often resumes its usual friendly personality, or may even appear confused.

Most dogs that are highly excitable usually exhibit a behavior problem for which the owners have applied various degrees and types of punishment.  This may not be the optimal response to your dog's unwanted behavior, and may even do more damage to the dog than calmly talking to animal and trying to assure them that everything is all right.  This reduces the risk of the incident mushrooming into an outright "rage" where the dog, or person, could be injured.