There’s something about the fall season in dog sports. Qualifying periods are winding down. Big events are on the horizon. Trial calendars start to fill up fast.

And without realizing it, a lot of handlers slip into autopilot.

Show up. Walk the course. Run the dog. Pack it up. Repeat.

But t...

 I can’t tell you how many times I’ve walked out of the ring on top of the world one weekend, only to question everything about myself the next. One day, I feel unstoppable. Next, I’m wondering if I even belong out there. Confidence feels like it should stick once we’ve “got it,” right? Sadly, it do...

We talk a lot about energy in dog sports.

“My energy felt off.”

“She picks up on my energy.”

“I just didn’t feel settled out there.”

And we’re not wrong — but there’s a deeper layer to what we’re sensing.

That “off” feeling you can’t quite name? The fogginess? The nerves? That vague edge ...

Why it matters to build a team — for both of you

Most of us set big goals at the beginning of the year. Titles we want to chase. Skills we want to build. The kind of team we want to become.

But here's the harder question:
Do you have the support you need to actually get there?

Not just support for...

Let’s talk about something we’ve all experienced:

That frustrating moment when you realize you’ve made the same mistake again. Maybe you missed the same cross. Maybe you rushed the startline routine (again). Maybe you found yourself spiraling into negative self-talk after a tough run — even though ...

"If we NQ this run, we’ll never get the title."

"If I can’t fix this, maybe I shouldn’t even be competing."

"What if this injury is the beginning of the end?"

"What if I’m just ... bad at this?

Sound familiar?"

This is catastrophic thinking — when your brain takes a single mistake or uncerta...

Somewhere along the way, we all picked up the idea that we’re supposed to feel ready before we enter the ring.

That when we’re “ready,” it will feel calm. Confident. Controlled.

That once we’ve trained enough, gotten enough experience, or earned enough Qs, we’ll finally feel like we belong.

Last weekend, I competed in a 3-day, 6-trial rally weekend — and I got schooled.

Not by the judges or the scoresheets but by the voice in my own head. You know the one: it gets chatty when you start looking around, comparing your dogs, your results, your journey, to everyone else’s. The big less...

There’s something powerful about the midpoint of the year.

It’s not about the date or the calendar — it’s about the opportunity.

Six months in. Six months to go.

It’s the perfect time to pause, zoom out, and ask yourself:

“Are the goals I set still the right ones?”

“Am I heading in the direc...

Let’s get one thing out of the way:

Nerves are not a character flaw.

They don’t mean you’re weak. They don’t mean you’re unprepared. And they definitely don’t mean you’re broken.

What do they mean?

You care. You’re invested. You want to do well. That’s not a problem — that’s a feature.

Bu...

"I’m not nervous before my runs… so why am I so disappointed afterward?”

I hear this all the time. You don’t feel nervous. You’re not shaking or sweating. You're doing your breathing. You’re visualizing. And yet — the pressure’s still there. It just shows up differently.

Here’s what might re...

There’s something I learned while riding as a kid that’s stayed with me ever since: horses need time off. Not a day, not a weekend — I’m talking full weeks, sometimes a month, of rest. No riding. No training. Just time to be horses.

We understood it wasn’t a luxury — it was necessary. Their bodi...