Working Dog Terms

Working Dog Terms Explained

Working dog language can be confusing. Here are a few terms buyers may hear when researching German Shepherds.

Drive

Drive is a dog’s internal motivation to pursue a behavior or reward. This may include food drive, toy drive, prey drive, hunt drive, or social drive. Drive is useful when it can be directed and developed.

Nerve

Nerve refers to a dog’s mental strength and stability under pressure. A dog with good nerve can experience stress, surprise, or challenge and still recover, think, and function.

Environmental Confidence

Environmental confidence is the dog’s ability to move through new places, surfaces, sounds, objects, and situations without excessive fear or avoidance.

Biddability

Biddability is the dog’s willingness to work with the handler. It does not mean the dog is soft or submissive. It means the dog is receptive to communication and partnership.

Hunt Drive

Hunt drive is the desire to search, investigate, and continue looking for something even when the reward is not immediately visible. This trait is especially important in detection and search work.

Recovery

Recovery is how quickly a dog returns to normal after being startled, pressured, or challenged. Fast recovery is often more important than never reacting at all.

Social Neutrality

Social neutrality means the dog can be around people or animals without becoming overly fearful, overly reactive, or overly distracted. For many working dogs, neutrality is more useful than excessive friendliness.

Clear-Headedness

A clear-headed dog can think while excited. This is important because working dogs need drive, but they also need the ability to learn, respond, and make good choices.