Interesting article. I have found that trying to ‘destress’ him by playing games and doing a myriad of tricks before we go in has distracted him somewhat and helped make him more focused. i have also found that keeping him in the car vs crating him in the venue has helped especially if the venue is loud and busy and has tons of competitors and activity.
if he’s resting or quiet he seems to do better. But, i do run into the issue of how to get him excited or enthusiastic about going into the ring. He is fearful of thunderstorms and it takes a bit to calm him down but less than 24 hrs. He is keenly aware of his surroundings that i think cause him to seem stressed.