What's On Top Episode 1: Arousal, Movement, and Connection in Dogs

In this first episode of What’s On Top, Crystal dives into a topic that’s been sitting at the front of her mind lately… arousal. Not the human kind. The dog training kind.

Arousal isn’t good or bad—it’s just information. And when we learn to read it, shape it, and work with it instead of against it, our dogs become more thoughtful, connected partners.

Crystal shares her experiences with her Malinois, Checkmate, and how over-arousal shows up as toy-shopping, impulsivity, and loss of thinking. She also talks about Rad-ish, who can shoot high or drop low in arousal and how movement has become her bridge back to balance.

This episode explores:
• how movement puzzles and canimetrics helped Crystal reconnect her dog’s mind and body
• the surprising power of simple warm-ups like leg weaves, paws up, and bow
• why “calm” isn’t always the answer
• how arousal can go up or down… and still be “too much”
• a case study of a Labrador whose jumping problem wasn’t physical—it was arousal without a throttle
• why connection is the missing link in many arousal strategies

Along the way, Crystal shares her favorite lessons, experiments, and the curiosity trail she’s been following:

“This isn’t a method. This is me following curiosity until something makes sense.”
“Arousal isn’t a problem… it’s just information.”
“Movement helps the dog find their brain… but it doesn’t always plug them back into you.”
“It’s not just body awareness… it’s us-awareness.”
“I’m starting to think canimetrics is a warm-up and a throttle.”
“The dog didn’t need to be calmer. She needed to be connected.”

If you’re navigating over- or under-arousal in your own dog, or you just love exploring the overlap between behavior, movement, and connection… settle in.

Let’s chase curiosity together.