Character Sheet 🐾

Campaign: 08/15-09/23

Decatur has been such a fun and rewarding project dog during his extended stay! He’s got a personality as big as his curls — a little bit of sass, a lot of heart, and a ton of potential. Over the past several weeks, our focus has been on teaching him that calmness is not just possible, but also gets him access to what he wants most.

From the very beginning, Decatur showed me that he’s a bright, active, and highly sensory-seeking dog. He is curious about everything and wants to experience the world fully — which can sometimes push him over the edge into hyperarousal. His work here focused on helping him develop skills to regulate himself in those moments so he can use that wonderful brain of his to make better choices.

🌟 What We Focused On

• Arousal Regulation: Learning that offered downs and taking treats are the “green light” that he’s ready to move forward.

• Impulse Control: No more dragging humans to the nearest sniff — waiting for engagement earns him the chance to go explore.

• Attention and Engagement: Balancing his environment-taking-in time with moments of connection.

• Jazz Up/Settle Down: Practicing how to switch between fun, exciting play and calm, focused behavior. Because he does benefit from extra space to move and “shaking off nerves” this is going to be HUGELY beneficial once he has the hang of not staying permanently spun up.

• Confidence Building: Gradually increasing difficulty of environments and distractions to set him up for success.

🧠 Big Breakthroughs

One of Decatur’s biggest breakthroughs came when he realized that slowing down actually gets him more freedom. By waiting for that offered down and taking food after a big moment, he can rejoin the fun more quickly — and we saw him start to offer those downs on his own!

Another proud moment was seeing him navigate busy, chaotic environments — from neighborhood walks to outings at dog-friendly stores — with an increasing ability to check in, breathe, and choose connection over spinning up further.

❤️ My Trainer Takeaway

Decatur is a dog with so much potential. He is smart, driven, and loves his people deeply. While he may never be the kind of dog who just “switches off” on his own in all situations, he’s showing us that with the right structure, clear expectations, and fair decompression time, he can thrive.

I rarely recommend extending a Board & Train stay, but with Decatur, I could see he was right on the precipice of breakthroughs. Keeping him a little longer allowed us to work through those moments and help him find more stability before heading home. I’m so glad we had the extra time — it really paid off.

🏡 Keys to Success at Home

• Stick to the Up/Down Protocol: This is your best tool for gauging when he’s ready to move forward or needs more time.

• Short, Predictable Outings: Keep things short and successful, building his confidence gradually.

• Structured Decompression: Regular sniffing sessions or Sniffspot visits will help him reset after harder work.

• Consistency: The more predictable the routine, the more easily Decatur can settle and focus.

He’s ready to continue his journey with you, and I can’t wait to see him keep leveling up. He’s a special guy, and with the right guidance, he’s going to shine.