I don't have much to contribute except that hyperactivity does not always equal drive. Many times it does not.
A dog with real drive will not let anything get in the way of what it wants...like imagine a ball obsessed dog. Their focus and intensity is on another level. Extra energy certainly helps drive, but many hyper dogs are off the wall and cannot focus on one thing.
I do not think of drive as being "real" or "fake", but rather as a spectrum, so there are higher drive dogs (such as one with its complete focus on a ball) and lower drive dogs (such as those that are not interested in anything).
I agree when you say drivey dogs have a focus/intensity. And that hyper dogs are out of control/off the wall.
So my thoughts are:
Drivey-Dog with focused and controlled energy.
Hyperness- Dog with unfocused, uncontrolled energy.
What I am wondering is, where is that energy in the hyperness coming from? I would assume the dog has to have SOMETHING that is motivating it to be in that high state of mind/hyperness. And if something is motivating the dog, wouldnt that just be sort of an uncontrolled/unfocused drive?
In short, if something is alive, You can motivate it.
Just out of curiousity, and slightly off topic, but how would you train a dog that is not interested in anything? (not toy, food (even cheese, meat, etc), handler driven, etc.) I have seen dogs like this in some of the classes I have been in, and they typically don't get very far because of the lack of motivation for anything. But cookies for the owners for having the patience they have!
Many dogs with high energy levels in pet homes don't get properly introduced to things that could help them channel their energy into a productive drive, and thus become hyperactive.
You're assuming the people in question want to train their dog in the first place. Most pet people I know mostly just want a dog who is kind of...intrinsically good and entertaining and rather calm overall, and see an energetic, potentially motivated dog as a challenge rather than an opportunity for awesome.
I met someone the other day whose dog, when cued "sit", snaps instantly into this tight sit and freezes there, eagerly prepared to explode into a release to something else. The owner sighed and said, "Why can't you just...sit?" and would have genuinely preferred a slow shuffle into a sit followed by disinterest in moving again any time soon.
:yikes: I would be like OMG! Yes! haha.
But yes, I do realize most pet homes do not want to go through the time and energy to train their dog various things, or even care if their dog knows anything other than being able to just "be a dog".
And hyperness is really just lots of energy and a lack of impulse control. Doesn't really say how easily the dog is motivated or focused, to me.
Yeah, I definitely agree the first thing I would be training a hyper dog would be impulse control type games.
But, it brings me back to this..
So my thoughts are:
Drivey-Dog with focused and controlled energy.
Hyperness- Dog with unfocused, uncontrolled energy.
What I am wondering is, where is that energy in the hyperness coming from? I would assume the dog has to have SOMETHING that is motivating it to be in that high state of mind/hyperness. And if something is motivating the dog, wouldnt that just be sort of an uncontrolled/unfocused drive?
Would you agree or no? Why?
(Just curious about what the thoughts are, I am not sure if I am right in my thinking, just something I was thinking about and wanted others to explain what they think!) Thanks!