Take a breath

A couple of things. Lowering arousal - think about how it can help us to take a deep breath. And to give the dog something to focus on when asking for duration in stillness.
Also as a diagnostic tool for arousal. If the dog can look at me and take a breath, then I know he’s in a good state of mind. So something like an agility start line, which is highly arousing; if the dog can’t breathe for me, then I need to lower that arousal.
 
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