The relationship between voluntary movement initiation (VMI) and caudate nucleus dopamine receptor dynamics was analyzed in two rat strains. Charles River CD/F F-344 (CR-CD/F) and Zivic-Miller CD (ZM-CD) rats (male, 125–150 g) were trained to rapidly release and reset a response lever to avoid electric shock. Whereas 86% of all CR-CD/Fs completed training, only 43% of the ZM-CDs were able to do so. Of those rats completing training, the CR-CD/Fs showed marginally higher avoidance percentage and significantly faster VMI latencies. Physiologically, the more behaviorally-successful CR-CD/Fs showed significantly higher affinity for binding than the trained ZM-CDs and the large group of ZM-CDs which could not be successfully trained. In contrast, the trained ZM-CDs showed significantly higher density of dopamine receptors B max than the ZM-CDs which failed to train and the trained CR-CD/Fs. The behavior-physiology continuum is summarized as follows: CR-CD/F Rats=highest affinity and lowest B max—rapid, highest percentage avoidance; Trained ZM-CD Rats =lowest affinity and highest B max—slower, high percentage avoidance; ZM-CD rats that failed training=intermediate affinity and B max—avoidance failure.