This week was about understanding Nakina’s thresholds — learning when excitement begins so we can build systems that help her stay calm and successful.

🐾 Finding the Threshold

This week we spent a lot of time identifying Nakina’s triggers and thresholds so I can build better systems to help her progress to the next level.

Training

Nakina is doing excellent with both her 14-day focus program and her 28-day obedience challenge.

She is also doing wonderfully in both the hand targeting class and the emergency stop class. She’s such a smart dog and an incredibly fast learner.

The new session of her in-person classes begins this week. We are enrolled in Advanced Beginner and CGC (Canine Good Citizen).

Socialization

I intentionally stepped back a bit this week to better understand Nakina’s arousal threshold with people and other dogs. When she is within about two feet, her excitement increases significantly. Knowing that distance helps me set up training situations where she can stay thoughtful and successful.

I also revisited her challenges with the travel crate. I brought the crate into the house and rewarded her simply for interacting with it, then for going inside. Soon she was happily going in and settling. When I introduced zipping the crate, however, she showed some stress, so we’re slowing that step down and working through it gradually.

What's Next

• Down vs. settle — continue creating a clear distinction
• Recall — continue on leash in more distracting environments
• Car/Crate — calm, cued entry and exit from the car crate
• Grooming — begin grooming desensitization on the table
• Continue elevator desensitization

We’ll be camping for the next week, so I’m not sure how much formal training we’ll accomplish. But we’ll do our best to stay on track.