The Nerve Quadrant: Simplifying Nerve Quality in Working and Sport Dogs
Authored by Savannah Langdon and James Metz.
When it comes to defining nerves in the context of working and sport dogs, there are almost as many terms and definitions as there are trainers that use them. At its base, “nerve” is best described in terms of thick/thin, and strong/weak.
Good working dogs can be found in all four quadrants, as long as they have a good handler to help them reach their potential.
Different sports favor different nerve profiles- for example, IGP in general prefers a dog that is balanced in prey and aggression- a dog that may fall closer to the middle of the thick/thin line. While PSA caters more to a thick nerved dog, one who can remain in prey under high amounts of pressure.
The extremes (corners) of this quadrant are undesirable, for differing reasons. A dog in the corner of Thick/Strong may have such a high threshold that he may not perceive even an overt threat, which can be dangerous for the dog. A dog like this may have no sense of self preservation. If the dog also has low prey drive, it may not be a candidate for any kind of bitesports or PPD work, as it will not be able to work in prey OR aggression.
A dog in the corner of Thin/Strong may be a very dangerous animal- one who sees threats everywhere, tips into aggression quickly and easily but believes himself invincible- which can spell disaster for anyone he perceives as threatening, wether appropriately or not.
A dog in the corner of Thin/Weak is extremely flighty and fearful, perceiving a threat everywhere and lacking the confidence to investigate or work through his stress. This is a dog with a miserable life, needing a lot of support.
A dog in the corner of Thick/Weak may find it extremely difficult to perceive a threat, but if he does, he lacks the confidence to work through his stress and will quickly flee if he is pushed past his nerve threshold. Dogs like this can be deceiving, as their threshold is so high they may appear to be a much stronger dog than they really are- but when bred, can produce pups with a lower threshold, which then exposes the genetic weaknesses in the dog.
It is also necessary to understand that a dogs nerve threshold may appear to be different in drive than it is out of drive. Prey drive masks nerve; a dog may appear to be extremely thick and strong when training in prey drive, where nothing appears to rattle him- even in the upper levels of PSA where he may encounter chainsaws and box walls and high pressure from the decoys- and then be more easily bothered outside of training. A dog's appearance of strength when in prey drive also has to do with a combination of exposure and acclimation to stress in training.
A dog who appears invincible on the trial field but is sketchy in “real life” may have had the exposure and training to understand that nothing he sees in training us actually a threat, no matter how crazy. Genetically he probably has thick, but weak nerves; in training and trialing that may not be apparent, because nothing he sees in that context is taken as an actual threat, so he is able to stay in prey drive the whole time.
Describing a working dogs nerve may involve a lot more factors and details to paint as precise a picture as possible, but as a baseline understanding the terms thick, thin, strong and weak, and how to chart a dogs nerve profile can help breeders make the he best possible breeding choices, trainers create the best possible training plan for the dog in front of them, and owners understand their dog and how to help them navigate life and training goals.
Good working dogs can be found in all four quadrants, as long as they have a good handler to help them reach their potential.
Different sports favor different nerve profiles- for example, IGP in general prefers a dog that is balanced in prey and aggression- a dog that may fall closer to the middle of the thick/thin line. While PSA caters more to a thick nerved dog, one who can remain in prey under high amounts of pressure.
The extremes (corners) of this quadrant are undesirable, for differing reasons. A dog in the corner of Thick/Strong may have such a high threshold that he may not perceive even an overt threat, which can be dangerous for the dog. A dog like this may have no sense of self preservation. If the dog also has low prey drive, it may not be a candidate for any kind of bitesports or PPD work, as it will not be able to work in prey OR aggression.
A dog in the corner of Thin/Strong may be a very dangerous animal- one who sees threats everywhere, tips into aggression quickly and easily but believes himself invincible- which can spell disaster for anyone he perceives as threatening, wether appropriately or not.
A dog in the corner of Thin/Weak is extremely flighty and fearful, perceiving a threat everywhere and lacking the confidence to investigate or work through his stress. This is a dog with a miserable life, needing a lot of support.
A dog in the corner of Thick/Weak may find it extremely difficult to perceive a threat, but if he does, he lacks the confidence to work through his stress and will quickly flee if he is pushed past his nerve threshold. Dogs like this can be deceiving, as their threshold is so high they may appear to be a much stronger dog than they really are- but when bred, can produce pups with a lower threshold, which then exposes the genetic weaknesses in the dog.
It is also necessary to understand that a dogs nerve threshold may appear to be different in drive than it is out of drive. Prey drive masks nerve; a dog may appear to be extremely thick and strong when training in prey drive, where nothing appears to rattle him- even in the upper levels of PSA where he may encounter chainsaws and box walls and high pressure from the decoys- and then be more easily bothered outside of training. A dog's appearance of strength when in prey drive also has to do with a combination of exposure and acclimation to stress in training.
A dog who appears invincible on the trial field but is sketchy in “real life” may have had the exposure and training to understand that nothing he sees in training us actually a threat, no matter how crazy. Genetically he probably has thick, but weak nerves; in training and trialing that may not be apparent, because nothing he sees in that context is taken as an actual threat, so he is able to stay in prey drive the whole time.
Describing a working dogs nerve may involve a lot more factors and details to paint as precise a picture as possible, but as a baseline understanding the terms thick, thin, strong and weak, and how to chart a dogs nerve profile can help breeders make the he best possible breeding choices, trainers create the best possible training plan for the dog in front of them, and owners understand their dog and how to help them navigate life and training goals.
The thickness of a dog’s nerve indicates the threshold at which a dog’s fight or flight response can be accessed. The fight or flight response involves the sequence of aggression-defense-flight/avoidance. A dog with thin nerves is one that is very easily pushed from prey into aggression, defense or avoidance/flight. He is quick to perceive a threat, and may see danger where there isn't any real threat. A dog with thick nerves is one that does not easily perceive a threat. Even under high amounts of environmental and decoy pressure, the dog remains in prey drive. A dog who is well balanced in the middle of that spectrum is one who perceives a blatant threat, overt aggression from a helper, obviously suspicious behavior and clearly dangerous situations.
Strength of nerve is the capacity at which a dog functions while in the fight or flight state.
A dog with strong nerves is a dog that functions well under stress, a dog that retains clarity and confidence under pressure.
A dog with weak nerve is a dog that is easily overwhelmed when stressed, easier to push through the sequence of agression-defense-flight. In a bitesport dog, it is a dog that is more likely to be chased off the field by strong helpers/decoys.
A dog with strong nerves is a dog that functions well under stress, a dog that retains clarity and confidence under pressure.
A dog with weak nerve is a dog that is easily overwhelmed when stressed, easier to push through the sequence of agression-defense-flight. In a bitesport dog, it is a dog that is more likely to be chased off the field by strong helpers/decoys.
Relating drive states to our nerve graph, Prey drive is clearly at the upper left corner of Thick and Strong. A dog deeply into prey drive is not feeling threatened, and is at his most confident and strong.
Once the dog's nerve threshold has been crossed, the dog enters the fight or flight state. Within this state is the sequence aggression - defense - flight/avoidance. In that sequence, aggression is the strongest drive state. The dog has perceived a threat and has chosen to respond with aggression. He feels confident of his ability to win the fight and is forward, willing to pursue and engage his opponent.
In defense drive, the dog feels threatened and is no longer desiring the conflict. At this point, the dogs goal is no longer to defeat his opponent and win the fight, his goal is to make the threat go away. A dog in defense is not going to pursue his opponent; he desires space and will only fight as much as he has to, to make his opponent retreat.
If his defensive display does not convince his opponent to retreat quickly enough for the dog, he will resort to flight/avoidance. He may shut down, averting eye contact and making himself small, offering his opponent submissive posture in hopes that he will be left alone, or he may (if he has the option) turn and flee to a place he feels safe. This could be retreating back to the handler, it could be retreating back to his car or it could be simply runny away, creating enough distance that he feels safe.
Once the dog's nerve threshold has been crossed, the dog enters the fight or flight state. Within this state is the sequence aggression - defense - flight/avoidance. In that sequence, aggression is the strongest drive state. The dog has perceived a threat and has chosen to respond with aggression. He feels confident of his ability to win the fight and is forward, willing to pursue and engage his opponent.
In defense drive, the dog feels threatened and is no longer desiring the conflict. At this point, the dogs goal is no longer to defeat his opponent and win the fight, his goal is to make the threat go away. A dog in defense is not going to pursue his opponent; he desires space and will only fight as much as he has to, to make his opponent retreat.
If his defensive display does not convince his opponent to retreat quickly enough for the dog, he will resort to flight/avoidance. He may shut down, averting eye contact and making himself small, offering his opponent submissive posture in hopes that he will be left alone, or he may (if he has the option) turn and flee to a place he feels safe. This could be retreating back to the handler, it could be retreating back to his car or it could be simply runny away, creating enough distance that he feels safe.
Apart from the nerve quadrant, and in addition to charting a dogs nerve profile, it is helpful to also chart their other drives and qualities!
Genetic nerve thickness and strength are what they are- they can be masked or maximized (within their genetic range) with training and exposure, but the actual nerve profile is what they’re born with and is unchangeable.
The qualities below have a genetic baseline, but can be greatly changed with training, conditioning and exposure.
*Prey drive- prey drive is something that is almost always buildable- it’s an innate drive linked to survival, and even in dogs who display no prey drive in some contexts, you can almost always find it in others. Dog doesn’t care about a ball, toy, flirt pole, bite sleeve, but chases skateboards, cats or squirrels? The drive is there, but just has not been appropriately channeled.
*Possession- a sometimes underrated and under utilized quality, possession can be used to help increase prey drive, build confidence, and help the dog to be less affected by stress and pressure.
*Biddability- the dogs desire to work for their handler. Some dogs are born with a deep seated desire to want to work for, and with, a partner; some dogs are born more self-serving. A dog’s biddability can be improved with good relationship and consistent positive outcomes- I.e., the dog learning he can always count on being rewarded for working with his handler.
*Social Inclination- some dogs are born very social with people, desiring interaction with anyone and everyone. Social butterflies. Some dogs are born preferring not to interact with anybody outside of their own family, and some are right in the middle- socially neutral. Accepting of attention from strangers, but not the type to seek it out.
*Social confidence- like the name implies, some dogs are very socially confident around strangers, but that can express itself differently in a dog who is social compared to a dog who isn’t. A social dog desiring interaction with strangers can do so with a lot of confidence and self-assuredness, or may be quite timid and insecure, desiring interaction but not fully trusting the stranger they want attention from. Alternatively, a dog who would prefer not to be touched by anybody outside of his family can express that with low confidence, fleeing behavior, and avoidance; or the dog can express that with high confidence, demonstrated by the dog being willing to stand up for himself and communicate clearly that he insists he not be touched, with body language, growling, and even biting.
*Environmental confidence- a dogs environment has uncountable variables. Some dogs may be greatly affected by most of those variables, such as slick floors, new places, loud noises, heights, unstable, surfaces, etc. , or the dog may be only affected by a few of those variables. He may be confident in new places, enclosed spaces, and on unsteady surfaces, but may be quite fearful of loud noises, for example. It is important to note the dogs recovery when it comes to quantifying their environmental confidence. A dog that is displaying discomfort or a startle response, but recovers quickly, and is able to work through that stress can be considered as being more environmentally confident than a dog who falls apart under specific stimuli, and cannot recover.
*Handler Sensitivity- there is no right or wrong level of handler sensitivity, there can absolutely be personal preference, but high sensitivity or low sensitivity by themselves are not a negative or positive thing. Some dogs are very attuned to their handler and notice every emotion, touch, slight correction, every sound their handler makes. And some dogs are cheerfully oblivious, they don’t notice even hard corrections, and can be challenging to deter from undesirable behaviors, simply because they just don’t realize that you are trying to deter them.
*Handler Hardness- separate from handler sensitivity, a dog’s handler hardness indicates how they respond to correction from their handler. Some dogs are quite soft and too much eye contact, raised voice or angry tone, or even too much spatial pressure from the handler can be enough to trigger the dog to become submissive and either offer appeasement behaviors, or go into avoidance. Some dogs are extremely handler hard and respond to corrections with aggression, being all too willing to stand up for themselves, whether it is warranted or not. A very handler hard dog who is also sensitive, may respond with aggression to things as minor as a verbal correction, or hitting the end of his own leash too hard. A hard dog who isn’t at all sensitive may be able to take a substantial amount of correction without taking it personally, and don’t respond with aggression until the correction borders on unfair.
*Engagement- a dogs natural engagement is the amount of handler focus they have. Dogs are born with a natural level of engagement and this can be increased or decreased with handling and relationship. A dogs engagement is what allows it to focus on its handler even in new and/or very distracting environments.
Food Drive- a dogs food drive controls how hard and how long the dog is willing to work for food. This is not always parallel with the dogs desire to eat, some dogs will eat excessive amounts of food happily, but won’t actually work for it. Some dogs will do anything for food even with a full belly. This can be manipulated and conditioned but dogs with low food drive may always be somewhat challenging to motivate for a food reward.
Genetic nerve thickness and strength are what they are- they can be masked or maximized (within their genetic range) with training and exposure, but the actual nerve profile is what they’re born with and is unchangeable.
The qualities below have a genetic baseline, but can be greatly changed with training, conditioning and exposure.
*Prey drive- prey drive is something that is almost always buildable- it’s an innate drive linked to survival, and even in dogs who display no prey drive in some contexts, you can almost always find it in others. Dog doesn’t care about a ball, toy, flirt pole, bite sleeve, but chases skateboards, cats or squirrels? The drive is there, but just has not been appropriately channeled.
*Possession- a sometimes underrated and under utilized quality, possession can be used to help increase prey drive, build confidence, and help the dog to be less affected by stress and pressure.
*Biddability- the dogs desire to work for their handler. Some dogs are born with a deep seated desire to want to work for, and with, a partner; some dogs are born more self-serving. A dog’s biddability can be improved with good relationship and consistent positive outcomes- I.e., the dog learning he can always count on being rewarded for working with his handler.
*Social Inclination- some dogs are born very social with people, desiring interaction with anyone and everyone. Social butterflies. Some dogs are born preferring not to interact with anybody outside of their own family, and some are right in the middle- socially neutral. Accepting of attention from strangers, but not the type to seek it out.
*Social confidence- like the name implies, some dogs are very socially confident around strangers, but that can express itself differently in a dog who is social compared to a dog who isn’t. A social dog desiring interaction with strangers can do so with a lot of confidence and self-assuredness, or may be quite timid and insecure, desiring interaction but not fully trusting the stranger they want attention from. Alternatively, a dog who would prefer not to be touched by anybody outside of his family can express that with low confidence, fleeing behavior, and avoidance; or the dog can express that with high confidence, demonstrated by the dog being willing to stand up for himself and communicate clearly that he insists he not be touched, with body language, growling, and even biting.
*Environmental confidence- a dogs environment has uncountable variables. Some dogs may be greatly affected by most of those variables, such as slick floors, new places, loud noises, heights, unstable, surfaces, etc. , or the dog may be only affected by a few of those variables. He may be confident in new places, enclosed spaces, and on unsteady surfaces, but may be quite fearful of loud noises, for example. It is important to note the dogs recovery when it comes to quantifying their environmental confidence. A dog that is displaying discomfort or a startle response, but recovers quickly, and is able to work through that stress can be considered as being more environmentally confident than a dog who falls apart under specific stimuli, and cannot recover.
*Handler Sensitivity- there is no right or wrong level of handler sensitivity, there can absolutely be personal preference, but high sensitivity or low sensitivity by themselves are not a negative or positive thing. Some dogs are very attuned to their handler and notice every emotion, touch, slight correction, every sound their handler makes. And some dogs are cheerfully oblivious, they don’t notice even hard corrections, and can be challenging to deter from undesirable behaviors, simply because they just don’t realize that you are trying to deter them.
*Handler Hardness- separate from handler sensitivity, a dog’s handler hardness indicates how they respond to correction from their handler. Some dogs are quite soft and too much eye contact, raised voice or angry tone, or even too much spatial pressure from the handler can be enough to trigger the dog to become submissive and either offer appeasement behaviors, or go into avoidance. Some dogs are extremely handler hard and respond to corrections with aggression, being all too willing to stand up for themselves, whether it is warranted or not. A very handler hard dog who is also sensitive, may respond with aggression to things as minor as a verbal correction, or hitting the end of his own leash too hard. A hard dog who isn’t at all sensitive may be able to take a substantial amount of correction without taking it personally, and don’t respond with aggression until the correction borders on unfair.
*Engagement- a dogs natural engagement is the amount of handler focus they have. Dogs are born with a natural level of engagement and this can be increased or decreased with handling and relationship. A dogs engagement is what allows it to focus on its handler even in new and/or very distracting environments.
Food Drive- a dogs food drive controls how hard and how long the dog is willing to work for food. This is not always parallel with the dogs desire to eat, some dogs will eat excessive amounts of food happily, but won’t actually work for it. Some dogs will do anything for food even with a full belly. This can be manipulated and conditioned but dogs with low food drive may always be somewhat challenging to motivate for a food reward.