It’s been awhile since I last posted. I’ve been trying to come up with a really good topic to post about. Have you guys seen Keith Highley and his little Corgi/Cattle dog mix, Cisco? They are on fire. Keith is a really good friend of mine and we have had many conversations about mental management. Keith is on a wonderful journey with Cisco. His story is inspiring and a perfect… Read More »
We all get to a point in our agility career where we realize we would like to have done things differently with the dog we are currently running. It seems to be a blueprint for agility competitors. You have a dog you think you’d like to do agility so you take some classes. At first it seems fun and you aren’t too serious about the game. You train but you… Read More »
As a spectator I attended the 2013 AKC Nationals. During the competition, one of the announcers would read a few sentences about each handler and his or her dog. The difference in each dog’s experience level became clear to me when the announcer described first-time agility handlers running dogs that qualified for Nationals for the first time, as well as handlers whose dogs have been on the world team many… Read More »
With Cynosport around the corner, I thought I’d share an email with you. Michelle, How well you do is completely in your control; the outcome of your competition is another matter entirely. Control what you can, and accept the rest. Make it your goal to take control of your thinking and your behavior. If this truly is your goal, then success is entirely in your hands. Let’s shoot for this kind of success. We’ll talk about this… Read More »
I recently learned that you can check your AKC points and Q’s for free on the AKC website. I thought I’d make a short video to show how to look up your points and Q’s. After competing for several years and not knowing this service existed I’m sure there are a few people out there that this might help. I would really like to know if this video helped anyone… Read More »
Recently, I felt like I needed help with the mental side of agility. So, I started meeting with Dr. Kevin Roby, an expert in the field of sport psychology. He asked me if I talked to my dog? Of course, I talk to my dog. This is Link we are talking about. Link can speak with his eyes and sometimes he has a lot to say. Link is also the… Read More »
My goal last weekend was to work on my mental game. Link and I set off on a seven hour trip to Utah. We attended my favorite small and supportive trial. Link’s start lines were good until we got to Steeplechase. I put him in a down and as I dropped his leash he got up and took the first jump. I stood there for a moment looking at him. … Read More »
I’ve realized that life, work and agility have so much in common. In fact, a few months ago I was struggling with the same issue at work and agility. I was failing to DARE GREATLY. I’m currently hooked on the work of Brene Brown and she has guided me to a quote by Theodore Roosevelt. It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the… Read More »
As I started my agility training about five years ago, I knew I wanted to learn the mechanics of the game. I wanted to know what the best methods are to show your dog a turn. I wanted to know how to dance with my dog and get him around the course as fast as possible. As this knowledge journey unfolded before me, I never realized there was a broader… Read More »
We must always harbor the belief that we are capable in any moment of being the hero and doing the unexpected ~ Yael Averbuch Recently, I’ve been listening around the agility ring to the comments people are making before and after their run. It is fascinating to hear what people are thinking. I’ve noticed that the mental game becomes particularly important when a dog makes a mistake… Read More »