New year, renewed focus — training classes begin as Nakina and I start the year with gratitude and big goals.
🐾 Happy New Year
I am so thankful for Nakina this year. She is an amazing dog, and I love her even more than I thought I could.
Training
With the holidays pulling focus away from training, I realized there are a few things we need to revisit. Nakina has started breaking her down-stay, so we’ll be reworking that foundation. Leash training, on the other hand, is going very well, and we’ve begun introducing recall work.
This week her group classes begin, which will help keep us on track while also providing valuable socialization. She’ll be enrolled in two eight-week courses — basic obedience on Mondays and the AKC Puppy STAR program on Tuesdays.
Socialization
I almost skipped practicing one additional elevator, thinking we were finished with that skill. Thankfully, I decided to try it anyway, as she showed some stress in the unfamiliar elevator. That confirmed we still have work to do there.
With her classes starting, we’ll also be placing extra focus on appropriate socialization with other dogs.
What's Next
- Sit — duration, distance, and distractions
- Down — duration, distance, and distractions
- Grooming — continue desensitizing to the Dremel
- Walking — calm leash walking on the left without pulling
- Recall — begin on leash in quiet environments
- Complete elevator desensitization
I’m so grateful to be starting the new year with such an amazing dog by my side.