Clean Run - February 2018 - 43

be extra handy. Shelah Bloom uses her
imagination in a different way: "I have
an image which is very physical for me
when I am going to the line, like I am
climbing into the 'zone' and zipping
out the environment behind me. I feel
like I am in a bubble with my dog."

Your Mindset Matters
Stress travels down the leash to our
dogs. As Kathy Marble-Brown says,
"Feeling under pressure at the start line
can feed right to my dogs. It's my job
to ensure my dog(s) don't feel anything
but positive energy."
The way you handle a stressful experience makes all the difference to your
agility partner. "Distracting things
may be beyond your control, but your
response to them is yours to control,"
says McAleese.
A goal of having a good experience
at every agility trial can help you
avoid getting too rattled to run well, at
least under some circumstances. For
example, when there is a delay at the
start line, this is how Maureen Scheall
handles it: "My responsibility is to be
ready to go to the line in a timely manner. If I fulfill my side of things and then
am told to wait, I immediately leave the
start line with my dog. Depending on the
problem I either leave the ring or engage
my dog until the ring is ready. I do not
hurry back to the start line. I figure, I did
what I was supposed to, they can now be
patient as I do what is best for my dog."
A different sort of mindset that can
also be helpful is one of gratitude. Not
everyone is fortunate enough to have
a canine best friend, and far fewer are
able to pursue and enjoy agility.
Kristine Hammar says, "I really do
remember that my dog will not be with
me forever and all we have is now,
regardless of what is happening that
I cannot control. I focus on my dog
and gratitude."

Some handlers take an upsetting comment and turn it into anger, an emotion they use
to help them focus and, ultimately, succeed. When Loretta Zich is rattled at the start
line, she says, "I take my time. I review the course as I'm removing my leash. Then,
I am the best handler out there. I put that emotion into giving clear commands. The
best thing that could happen to me before a run [is for someone to] make me angry."

Make a Plan
Since we know that distracting and sometimes downright difficult things are likely to
happen at agility trials, it makes sense to plan how to handle them. McAleese says,
"Once you know that particular types of distractions are distracting for you, you can
do distraction training."
Imagine the first distraction we discussed, a delay at the start line. "You can prepare
in advance for what you will do, should there be a delay. Start with what you'd do in
training. The chances are it's not such a big deal to you there, so understand what you
do there that works. By that I also mean to pay attention to how you think differently
about it in training than competition," says McAleese.
Part of your planning is determining what works best for your team. There is no
"one size fits all" plan or ritual that can be applied to everyone. McAleese says, "The
'secret weapon question' I teach in the Mental Mastery Community is to think first
'what does my dog need from me at this moment?' Once you're focused on what
your dog needs from you, you're focused on your teammate, not yourself, or whatever distraction is trying to steal your focus. Knowing what your dog needs means
some more homework away from shows to understand what actually bothers them,
or where they're just taking their cue from you and what distracts you."
McAleese also recommends that you practice your plans in advance. She says, "How
often do you have to go from distracted to focused in your everyday life? How much
do you practice getting yourself mentally ready to compete? How often do you train
yourself to be precise and clear about what you're about to do? If you don't practice
'switch off and switch on,' then this is something to consider, because no matter how
up for it your dog is, they need you to be switched on to navigate them round, so the
importance of working on your mental game really can't be overemphasized. This is
a critical piece of your partnership and is a non-negotiable if you want to give your
absolute best in competition."

An Ounce of Prevention Is Worth a Pound of Cure
You can't prevent a lot of problems and distractions that occur prior to your agility
runs, but there are some that may be predictable. If listening to people worry over the
course design bothers you, wear earbuds and listen to music during the walk-through.
If a particular competitor often has toxic things to say, make a plan on how to handle
her, whether you can avoid her completely, have a ready excuse to get free from
conversation after saying "Hello," or even prepare what you will say to her about her
choice of words. Think about how you can avoid or lessen the distractions you routinely encounter and put new practices in place.

You Have More Control Than You Think
Don't allow yourself to be swept up by distractions that negatively impact your
performance-and enjoyment-of agility. You and your dog deserve better! D

Brenna Fender is a freelance writer and editor who works for Clean Run. She lives in Florida with her husband, two children, a Papillon (Spark), a Beagle (Wrigley), a
Border Collie (Tessa), her daughter's Chihuahua (Chase), and a variety of other creatures. Tessa has agility titles, UpDog Challenge disc achievements, and a Trick Dog
Champion Title. Over the years, Brenna's dogs have been titled in conformation, agility, Junior Hunter, Junior Courser, rally, obedience, and Canine Good Citizen. Brenna
can be reached at brennafender@gmail.com and you can visit her website at brennafender.com.
February 18 | Clean Run

http://www.brennafender.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Clean Run - February 2018