Most handlers have physical routines — potty, warm-up, treats — but forget about mental ones.

Your mindset deserves its own reps, too.

Mental routines are what steady you when the environment, ring, or pressure level changes. They keep you grounded, consistent, and connected.

And just like ...

You know those days when your brain feels like a browser with twenty tabs open — all buzzing at once?

You’re running late, juggling a dozen things, and still replaying a mistake from your last run while trying to fix something that hasn’t even happened yet. You can’t stop talking. You can’t stop...

There’s a question going around social media right now that I can’t stop thinking about:

“What are you going to be obsessed about this month?”

And I love that energy. Because “obsessed” gets a bad rap — we’re told to stay balanced, calm, and not take things too seriously. But honestly? The hand...

Confidence is absolutely a skill — one you can train, strengthen, and maintain just like anything else in dog sports.

But confidence doesn’t grow in a vacuum. It grows best when your goals are aligned with your reality and your plan keeps them alive week by week.

When your goals are out of s...

Have you ever had one of those weeks where you look at everything on your plate, feel the weight of it all … and then do nothing? You’re not alone. Lately, I’ve been hearing a new theme bubbling up in our community: handlers who feel both overwhelmed and under-motivated.

At first glance, those t...

How many times have you walked into the ring with a process goal in mind — “connect,” “commit to my rituals,” “breathe”? And yet, when the run is over, the first thing you measure is the outcome: did we Q?

This is one of the biggest mindset traps in dog sports. We say we’re focused on the proces...

How many times have you heard a handler say, “Sorry, I’m just so nervous”? Or maybe you’ve said it yourself. We apologize for nerves as if they’re a flaw, as if being nervous means we don’t belong in the ring. But here’s the truth: nerves aren’t a weakness. They’re part of the game.

We get nervo...

I had a rough weekend with my dogs. Not from an effort standpoint — they tried their hearts out — but from an outcome standpoint. No ribbons, no Qs, nothing tangible to bring home. And while I know better, I still found myself wondering: what does this mean? Am I doing enough? Are we on track?

T...

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...