Confidence is on my mind these days. In part because the membership is working on developing confidence this month, and in part because I am really obsessed with giving my young dog confidence every time we train. (I have Moxie to thank for the latter and my coaching clients...
In dog sports, it's easy to get caught up in striving for the next big goal—new titles, clean runs, more Qs. But sometimes, the most powerful thing we can do for both our dogs and ourselves is to slow down, take a breath, and celebrate how far we’ve come. Enter the...
In my coaching calls, we talk a LOT about "evidence." Collecting it, looking for it, reviewing it. Evidence is our way of looking at just the facts - sometimes even statistics - of what's really happening in our performances without the weight of emotion.
When you think about it,...
We spend so much time attending class, taking seminars, doing online lessons, and listening to experts, but have you ever paused to create a true training plan for yourself and your dog? It seems like we are so busy going from lesson to lesson without first identifying...
Every athlete in every sport makes mistakes - even the most elite. After all, we are fallible, imperfect creatures trying to do some really hard stuff consistently alongside a partner with their own agenda. Mistakes are going to happen.
I've talked about the ache of wishing for a...
On a coaching call the other day, I said something that was an "Ah-ha" moment for both of us: "I believe that you are focusing on your process goals, but I think you're measuring by outcomes."
The handler agreed, and we went on to unpack how this was showing up and...
Prologue: This is longer than usual because I'm sharing my very real struggle of getting myself back in a good headspace after a disappointing day. On Friday, Moxie and I had Rally, and it didn't go well. As I write this on Saturday morning, we are entered in...
Stress is a normal part of life—especially for those of us who compete in dog sports. Whether it's the pressure of performing well, the fear of failure, or just trying to stay focused, stress can creep in and throw us off our game. While you can't avoid stress entirely, you ...
Two different clients recently asked me, "But why do I get so upset?" My answer was simple, "Because you care."
Of course, my answer doesn't solve the problem of getting upset, and I don't think it should. What I mean is, we should care deeply about...
I had one of those runs this past weekend where the score does not tell the story.
Moxie and I were entered in two Rally runs on Friday in our quest to pick up some Masters points towards our RACH. Our first run was a respectable 98, giving us 8 points - Yay, us! The run wasn't memorable...
Have you ever noticed how much easier it is to keep going when things are going well in the ring? That's the power of positive momentum, and it's just as critical in dog sports as it is in any other part of life. We shift our mindset when we focus on the positives—our progress, the bond...
We are very emotional when it comes to competing, and the reason is pretty simple: we care what happens. The downside is that the same emotion that fuels us can also get in our way when things don't go the way we expect or hope.
I'm never going to tell...