Clean Run Magazine - November 2007 - 39

Kathy Lofthouse I’ve done my homework; my dog will nail that entry without my babysitting her. If you allow yourself to become stressed at trials it will cause your dog to become stressed also. Your canine teammate is sensitive to your moods and to run at his full potential you both need to be keen, perhaps a little nervous, but never stressed. A handler under stress is different from a handler who is excited and nervous. Nervous excitement is a good thing because it means that you care. However, as you speciﬁcally mentioned the word stress it would be a good idea for you to determine what it is about the trial situation that causes you to feel stressed. For instance, if you dislike the crowded and charged-up atmosphere of the ring area, try to ﬁnd a quiet space for yourself and your dog away from the ring. Only come into the more crowded area when it is your time to run. If you feel rushed upon arrival at the trial, arrive early. If it is simply your desire to perform your best that is causing a high level of anxiety there are many things you can do about it: • Develop a positive jingle and sing it to yourself and your dog when you are ready to do some serious playing, agility training, or preparation for a competition run. • Keep your connection with your dog. Talk to him. Use his nickname. Do not become a distant stranger at the end of the leash. The two of you are in this together and I hope you have a strong bond (otherwise you probably would not have trained for agility in the ﬁrst place). © DOGHOUSE ARTS Since 1988, Kathy has competed successfully in USDAA and AKC to tournament and championship levels. Kathy enjoys introducing a variety of dogs to agility in a positive way and is also available to help resolve problems. Contact Kathy at runjumpweave@prodigy. net or visit www.runjumpweave.com. equals perfect performance. Work hard on your dog’s most basic and important skills. Practice your handling maneuvers until you can do them blindfolded. Learn course analysis techniques from a skilled presenter. When you become conﬁdent in your dog’s skills, your handling abilities, and your choices on course, your stress level will take a nose dive. After you’ve identiﬁed and addressed the source of your stress, ask yourself one ﬁnal question “Why the heck am I here?” If the answer is to have fun with your dog, remember that you can’t have fun when you are throwing up from nervousness. If the answer is to win, place, or Q, remember Webb’s Dog Agility Rule #2: Refer to Webb’s Dog Agility Rule #1. Good luck, relax, and go have some fun with your dog! enter the now. Thoughts are not part of being present. The moment we evaluate, judge, or talk to ourselves we are not in the now. Enter the now and you have peace and utter focus. Byron Katie has written an amazing book, Loving What Is. Most of us struggle with our thoughts because we are replaying recordings of things our parents told us, because we have some particular fear, or because we care too much what others think. A behavior that is beautifully incompatible with this is “loving what is.” Whatever happens is wonderful. Your dog goes off course, love it. The off-course is valuable information and that is all it is. The off-course does not mean anything else. Katie’s book explains a process of using our thoughts to evaluate our fears and how to turn it all around. If the source of your November 07 | Clean Run • Take a walk with your dog before a run rather than standing around waiting. Exercise will help you relax and feel more optimistic, which can only enhance your performance. • Don’t forget to breathe. Some handlers become so stressed that they do not realize they are holding their breath. Jogging about with your dog before an agility run can help you breathe while remaining focused and calm. • Avoid energy slumps by making sure you eat healthy foods frequently throughout the day. • Concentrate on being pleasant to other competitors. The gift of a smile and a compliment will make you feel better yourself. • Helping in the ring can keep you busy enough that you will be unable to spare the time to worry. It also provides the beneﬁt of being up close and able to study and learn from other handlers. If you ﬁnd that you are still so stressed that it is negatively affecting your performance in the ring, take a minute to think about how much you really enjoy running agility. You have trained and prepared for this moment in the ring and it will soon be your chance to run the course with your wonderful dog. Now consider how disappointed you would be if suddenly the trial was cancelled or your dog came up lame and your chance to run the course was gone. Then imagine your joy to discover that you can run after all. Now stride conﬁdently into the ring and have fun running that course! stress is your thoughts, get Katie’s work in book form or on tape; it is likely to help. Stress can unleash some powerful biochemical and psychological responses. Severe competition stress can fool us into thinking that our survival is at stake. Take back your power by reasoning with yourself that you have already competed and survived. What is the worst thing that could happen? Whatever you can come up with has already happened and people survived it. Agility is a game we play with our dogs—have fun! We are all different. One type of sports psychology may speak to one competitor while a different type may be the most effective method for another. Part of the fun of your journey to reduce stress is to explore a variety of approaches to ﬁnd what works best for you. I will do a perfect front cross at the end of the weaves. © VICKI KING 39

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Clean Run Magazine - November 2007

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