The Blue Ribbon Emotions

The Blue Ribbon Emotions refer to systems of neural pathways in the brain that are associated with the core emotions that all humans, mammals, and birds have. This theory, published by revolutionary neuroscientist Jaak Panksepp in 1998 has since become an important piece of curriculum for animal trainers. The systems he discovered are as follows:

A dog’s natural predisposition to accessing different systems depends on their genetic makeup. Some dogs will be more genetically predisposed to accessing different systems in association to different environmental pressures. This is why understanding the history of a dog's breed is important when making a training plan for them.

These systems are like muscles, the more they are used the more powerful they become. They cannot fire off at the same time, but they can switch very quickly between each other. The more we flex the right systems at the right times, the better the dog’s emotional regulation skills become. The goal is to find a balance between the systems that enable the dog to have the best quality of life possible.

Seeking 

“The basic impulse to search, investigate, & make sense of the environment” 

The Seeking System is responsible for curiosity, problem solving, and anticipation. It’s a great system for learning skills, solving problems, and plays a big role in emotional regulation.

However, the Seeking System is not “good” or “bad” it can go either way depending on context. For humans the Seeking System is active both when we are learning a new instrument or sport and when we are actively battling an addiction. Its role in anticipation can cause it to activate unpleasant feelings of frustration/rage or good feelings associated with rewards. In dog training it is important to understand how to activate the Seeking System using conditioned cues and signals that promote cooperation and clear communication with you.  Otherwise this system will fire off in association to the dog's environment and can influence behavioral issues like leash reactivity, out of control prey drive, an inability to settle, and a general lack of cooperation with you.

Rage 

This system includes frustration and anger as well as rage. In social mammals like dogs this system is really strong in puppyhood and becomes harder to activate as the dog has biologically appropriate life experiences that build frustration tolerance and impulse control. A common cause of many behavioral issues like leash reactivity, demand barking, barrier frustration etc is a lack of appropriate life experiences that build frustration tolerance and impulse control in puppyhood. 

Instances of frustration through restraint (like with a leash or barrier) can escalate over time to aggression due to how the Rage System functions, even if the dog or puppy was not initially aggressive when restrained. This system is also easy to access if the dog is feeling fearful or anxious and has nowhere to escape to or if the dog is trying to solve a problem that is too difficult for them to solve. 

Fear

The Fear system is active not only when a dog is feeling fear and wishes to flee from a stressor, but also if a dog is shut down and in a freeze response. A dog choosing to do nothing out of fear may look “calm” but they are actually in a state of “learned helplessness” and are not regulating their emotions in a healthy way. 

When the Fear system is active it also fires off the Sympathetic Nervous System which in turn can shut off the digestive system, elevates heart rate, cortisol, and blood pressure. If the Fear System is being repeatedly activated and in turn activating these physical changes in the body, the dog will develop long term health issues. A dog who is constantly in a state of fear is not a healthy dog in their mind or body. 

Panic 

The Panic System includes feelings of anxiety and social attachment. This system can activate feelings of physical pain even if there is no physical injury (for example, feeling physically in pain and ill after having your heart broken.) The Panic System, like the Fear System also activates the Sympathetic Nervous System resulting in physical changes that can be detrimental if activated often. And like the Rage System, the Panic System is very strong when an animal is born & becomes harder to activate as the animal ages and is given biologically appropriate life experiences. This is why it is developmentally appropriate for puppies to have separation anxiety, their Panic System is still strong since they are so young and they need to go through specifically curated life experiences to overcome that anxiety. Creating healthy boundaries, understanding dog body language, teaching your dog biologically appropriate activities and games to help them decompress are all important parts of helping reduce the influence of their Panic System. 

Lust 

This system activates feelings of sexual desire. This system plays a role in the dog's emotional and social development. It is not taken away when the dog is spayed or neutered, just chemically compromised. There is now ample research that shows behavioral (and physical) issues manifesting from the removal of sex organs before two years old. While this system isn’t typically used in training the way that Play, Nurture, and Seeking are, it does have a big impact on helping a puppy develop into a well balanced adult dog. If you want to learn more check out my other post on the impacts of an early spay or neuter. 

Nurture

This system activates feelings of caring, love, and safety. This system is important but commonly misused and overused with pet dog owners. This system can only be active once the dog is already feeling somewhat safe and regulated. It is hard to transition a dog from Rage, Fear, or Panic into this system without Play or Seeking to help buffer the transition. Nurturing through massage or just your presence after Play is a great way to really fortify the emotional regulation skills you are building through Play. 

Play

“When all basic needs are met all an animal will want to do is play.” 

The Play System is my favorite system and arguably the most important one for many dogs. The Play System is responsible for joy and it is closely tied to healthy natural/social behaviors. Play itself is a crucial part of training as a huge part of your reward system with your dog. Obedience taught through play becomes more reliable and enthusiastic around distractions than obedience taught with just food rewards and/or pressure. Play is also a powerful way to get your dog out of a state of Rage, Fear, or Panic and into a healthier state of mind. In that healthier state of mind it is much easier for them to cooperate with you and make good decisions, leading to less conflict in training.  

Certain forms of Play must regularly be done in order to maintain biological fulfillment and a healthy mental state for all dogs. Some breeds of dog will need different forms of play to meet their biological needs. A border collie may need to learn to play herding games while a terrier may need to learn to play possession games etc.  In my opinion, play should be the foundation in which we build the cooperation & motivation necessary for a well trained dog.