Nakina's Fit Dog Silver application was submitted this week as we explored Rally competition options and found solutions for her Intermediate Tricks evaluation.
🐾 Making Great Progress
We officially submitted Nakina's AKC Fit Dog Silver title application to AKC this week and are now waiting for the results.
Training
We had a great private training session with Nakina's trainer this week.
Our Rally Skills class went extremely well. I also learned that Rally competitions can be completed virtually, which could be a great option for Nakina. It would allow us to gain competition experience without placing her in an environment that might be overwhelming due to the number of dogs present. It's something I'm seriously considering for the future.
Intermediate Tricks was a little different this week. Since Nakina's trainer's dogs are both sick, the class was taught by the assistant trainer. The assistant trainer talked a lot and had a slow demo dog. So Nakina spent much of the class in her crate. Even so, she handled the situation remarkably well. I was extremely proud of her patience and composure despite spending so much time waiting to work.
I also spoke with our Novice Tricks trainer about the possibility of evaluating Nakina for Intermediate Tricks, even though we are taking the class from another instructor. Because we will be missing the final two weeks of class and both of the trainer's dogs currently ill with no known resolution, I was concerned about getting the tricks tested before I leave for a trip at the end of the month. The Novice Tricks trainer was very supportive and said she would be happy to evaluate Nakina. Having an alternative plan in place feels like a huge relief.
Socialization
Training has remained the primary focus recently, so some of our other goals have temporarily taken a back seat. We'll eventually return to elevator work, grooming desensitization, and a few remaining socialization objectives, but for now the emphasis remains on building strong training foundations.
What's Next
- Emergency Stop & Hand Targeting — reintroduce and build consistency
- Down vs. settle — continue creating a clear distinction
- Stay — increase distance, duration, and distractions
- Recall — continue on leash in more distracting environments
- Travel Crate — zipping with no stress
- Grooming — begin grooming desensitization on the table
- Continue elevator desensitization
This week wasn't about earning a new title or reaching a major milestone. Instead, it was about finding solutions, adapting when plans changed, and continuing to move forward. Sometimes that kind of progress is just as important.