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A dog’s levels of stimulation and excitement related to activation of the sympathetic nervous system in measured amounts. Play can raise arousal (a blended state of the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems). Stress can raise arousal, too (edging more into the “fight-or-flight” parts of the sympathetic nervous system). Keeping an eye on arousal is important in training as each dog will have their own thresholds for arousal. Each dog will also express arousal in their own way, based on their genetics, learning, and environmental conditions. Customizing training strategies to match and manipulate arousal are pivotal in designing successful protocols.
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