Do you have the support you need to achieve your goals?

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 your dog — though that matters — but for you, too. For the whole team. For your actual life and all the pieces it takes to make this sport sustainable.

Support might look like:

• A great agility instructor who sees your team

• A new online obedience class because you’re in a training desert

• A puppy foundations course to build better habits this time around

• A handling coach to help you navigate that move to Excellent or Utility

• A conditioning program, a fitness plan, a canine massage therapist

• A trainer who understands your breed and goals

• A mentor or a community that gets what it’s like to be here

It might also look like:

• A mindset coach

• A mental skills course

• Someone to help you regulate your ring nerves or reconnect with confidence after a tough stretch

None of us are meant to do this alone. And yet … so many handlers try.

We’ll sign up for the trial. Buy the gear. Commit to the title.
But we hesitate to invest in the support that could actually make the journey smoother.

Sometimes that’s because we don’t know what’s out there.
Sometimes it’s because we’re used to muscling through it ourselves.

And sometimes, we’ve just never paused to ask:
What kind of help would make this easier?

If you’re reading this and feeling overwhelmed, you’re not alone.
And if you’re wondering, “Is it OK to take an online class because there’s no one local?” — YES.
If you’re asking, “Should I get help with that?” — the answer is probably yes.

Support doesn’t mean you’re not capable.
It means you’re serious.

It means you’re building your dog’s skills — and your own.
It means you’re giving your team the structure it needs to succeed.
It means you’re not guessing your way to your goal, you’re being intentional about how you get there.

So here’s your Dogmin-style check-in:

• What are your goals for the next 3–6 months?

• What’s one area that feels stuck, unclear, or unsupported?

• What kind of help could move that forward?

It might be a course, a call, a clinic, a class.
It might be local. It might be virtual. It might cost money. It might just cost asking.

But whatever it is — you’re allowed to want it.
And you’re allowed to go get it.

Build the team around your team.
You both deserve it.

🎧 I’m going deeper into all of this on this week’s podcast — including how I think about my own support system, and the types of help handlers often overlook. Give it a listen if this hit home.