EBD052 Plan to Be Successful at Dog Trials and Competitions

Enlightened By Dogs: Living with Cooperation, Not Obedience

Trials and competitions with our dogs can be really exhilarating and exciting events! But, a great many of us make big mistakes while preparing for the big day! With so much pressure mounting as the trial approaches, we as dog lovers tend to take an ambitious approach to the whole process, but what if that’s putting a strain on the relationship you’ve formed with your dog? How good can competing be if all of the fun gets sucked out of it? It’s very possible to have a blast while prepping for competition day, and still get brilliant results!

If you do herding, agility, obedience or rally, nose work, tracking, disc, conformation, freestyle ... any dog sport trials or competitions ... this episode is for you!

• Why do mistakes and failures happen so close to trial day?
• It’s possible to avoid regrets!
• There’s a better way to attain competition success!
• Setting and revising and modifying your goals
• The biggest mistake people make when training for a trial or competition

“Most of us will rely on some intense training sessions the week or two or three before the trial. And that, my friends, is where it falls apart."

"Knowing the reason you are entering a herding competition will either make this a successful adventure for you and your dog…or leave you miserable and frustrated."

“The pressure starts long before we arrive at a trial”

“Whenever I put too much pressure on her before a trial, she would basically stop working”

“We don’t want to plan for failure. We want to plan for dog trial success”

“Oftentimes, you’re not going for the win. You’re going for having a successful outing...for staying connected with your dog under dog trial pressure”

“Once you’ve got your road map for success, just work it!”

Want More of Kathy?

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