Field Guide · Glossary
Threshold
Reactivity and fearThe point at which a dog stops being able to think clearly about what is happening around them.
How it works
Below it, a dog can notice something, take food and respond to a cue. Above it, cues, food and consequences all stop landing, because the dog is no longer processing what follows what. This is a statement about state and timing rather than about willingness. It also sits in a different place for every dog, and in a different place for the same dog on different days, since the previous few hours change where the line falls.
What it looks like
A dog can watch another dog at a hundred and thirty feet, take a treat and look back at their handler. At sixty feet they stop eating, and the same treat is refused. Somewhere between those two distances is where this dog's line currently sits.
Commonly confused with
- Trigger stacking
- Threshold is the line itself. Trigger stacking describes how that line moves closer across a day as stressful events accumulate, which is why a dog can manage something on Tuesday and not on Thursday.
Related terms
Where this comes up
In the reading list
Gear that helps
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High-value freeze-dried training treats
The paycheck. For reactive work the reward has to beat the trigger, so we keep these tiny, soft, and genuinely exciting, not everyday biscuits.
Treat pouch (clip-on)
You can't reward fast enough digging in a pocket. A pouch you open one-handed changes your timing, and this one has a magnetic close plus a built-in clicker.
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