"Just have fun!”

It's the well-meaning advice we hear at the start line, from our friends, instructors, or even whispered to ourselves. But if you're trying to qualify - or chasing a title, a big goal, or just proving something to yourself - that phrase can feel more like pressure than encourage...

You miss a contact. Your dog breaks their start line. You NQ after weeks of preparation.

It stings. And if you’re like most handlers, the emotional aftershock of that mistake sticks around way longer than the mistake itself.

But here’s the truth: the mistake isn’t what’s holding you back.

I...

Have you ever caught yourself saying things like,

“I never do well under pressure,”

“I always mess up the first run.”

Or

“I’m just not good at [insert skill here]”?

Here’s the thing: Your brain is always listening. And it’s not just eavesdropping — it’s executing those thoughts like a comput...

Mindset is often talked about in the world of dog sports. But what does it really mean to have a strong mindset? Sure, we hear a lot about setting goals, managing nerves, and focusing on rituals, but those are only parts of a bigger picture. What I want to focus on today is how to build a well-round...

With my national specialty just weeks away, I've added something extra to my daily mindset routine—something I don't always talk about but something I fully believe in.

Visualization.

Yep, we're going there.

Right now, I'm working up to 11 minutes a day of focused meditation and visualizati...

What if I told you that you might be practicing failure just as much—if not more—than success?

It sounds wild, but it happens all the time. Without realizing it, we reinforce habits, thoughts, and training patterns that make failure more likely. And because the brain is so good at repeating what...

Ever feel like you’ve tried everything to calm your ring nerves—deep breathing, visualization, positive affirmations—but the anxiety still creeps in?

What if I told you there’s one overlooked trick that might finally make a difference? Actually, let’s make it three.

The key is finding what clicks ...

Perfectionism feels like a good thing. After all, striving for excellence is how we improve, right? But in dog sports, perfectionism can actually hold you back rather than push you forward. If you've ever left the ring feeling like a failure because of one small mistake—or if you find yourself avoid...

Mistakes stick with us. We replay them, analyze them, and sometimes let them define us. In dog sports, one small error can feel like a catastrophe—whether it's a missed cue, an off-course moment, or just a handling misstep. But why do mistakes feel so much heavier than our successes? And more import...

Ever feel like a different handler in competition than you do in practice? In training, you and your dog flow together effortlessly. But once you step into the ring, something shifts—nerves creep in, mistakes happen, and suddenly, your solid skills feel shaky.

You're not alone. This disconnect is c...

You’ve trained the skills. You’ve put in the hours. Your dog knows their job. So why aren’t your trial results matching your training. 

If you’ve ever walked away from a run thinking, Why can’t I get out of my own way? You’re not alone. Most handlers hit a wall—not because of lack of skill, but bec...

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 "do-over" - a c...