But is a recovery something that is taught or does it have to do with general temperament?
I think that there is something to both...there is an inherent "bounce-back" that they just naturally have...some can bounce back quickly, some don't. Just like some react/startle/etc to some things and not others. But I think there is a lot to be said for teaching coping skills. Inara used to be way worse in settling down after a reaction, but with time and training and treats, she settles very quickly now (for the most part). Just like everything, there's no black and white.

I do wonder too...just musing here, if there is a difference in recovery due to the speed of the reaction. I recover fairly quickly from things that startle me or make me jump in surprise...but things that really scare me...it takes me a bit longer to come "down" from that level of fear. So I wonder if it's a dog-by-dog thing...or just a "how startled/scared were they?" If that makes sense.
I try and do a good job of controlling Inara's environment, so she doesn't have time to really escalate her behaviors...so she can wind down pretty fast.
"I don't have any idea if my dogs respect me or not, but they're greedy and I have their stuff." -- Patty Ruzzo
"Dogs don't want to control people. They want to control their own lives." --John Bradshaw