Startline

Let's be more holistic in our view of the agility community, the good and the bad, not everything will be perfect and we cannot lean towards one or the other too heavily. Remain in the center and accept that things may sometimes be amazing and sometimes not but as long as events occur more towards center, we will be Ok. 

There will always be outliers, dogs that are over-aroused in and out of the ring, reactive dogs, nasty reactive people etc. but the statistics aren’t showing that AKC agility events are getting worse. We aren’t getting bit and hiding it. And people are not breaking rules when they ask for space and time. They are preventing incidents and managing situations, they should be applauded for their efforts to keep everyone safe.

I discuss ways we can continue to improve our community, our relationship with our dogs and get back to having fun.

I started compiling a list on my phone of what could make trials better for you as the exhibitor and me as an exhibitor. While these are specific to AKC agility, much of this information can apply to all organizations.

Keep these tips in mind to help make your experience be the best. We all were beginners once, we are all on our own journey but for this to work, we all have to participate in the community. Protect yourself and be part of something, you can do both.

Do you look at the big picture or are you focused on the details? This is an interview question I ask new hires for my dog-walking company. The correct answer is, both. But in agility, I feel like we lose sight of the big picture. And I don't mean the goal of a MACH or to be the #1 in our breed, we very easily lose sight of the picture that our dogs should be able to run any course with any appropriate challenges consistently, as long as we gave them good information. Not because we lied in that run trying to convince them there was a cookie at the bottom of the dog walk just so we could Q. That detail could derail your team from being as successful as you could be. It doesn't really help you play the long game with your dog and get everything you can out of their short lives to ensure the best runs each and every time you go to that start line.

Learn from the mistakes I made being short-sighted and Q-hungry. Learn about the sacrifices you can make today so that your team's future is better 6 months or a year from now.

Learn how to keep your pups in tip-top shape to be prepared to perform at their absolute best. While I obviously focus on agility, canine conditioning will help with duration sits in obedience, stamina in long nose work searches and in everyday life to afford your dog the physical and mental ability to keep up. The better shape they are in, the more longevity they have, and studies back me on this.

I also share my workout circuit and how I acquired equipment on a budget.

We compress the crap out of our dogs by putting them in situations that are not natural to them. This is not to say they are bad situations but they require a lot out of our dogs to handle the stimuli among other variables. Yes, over time many dogs become desensitized to all these situations, I would agree as my dogs age they become extremely comfortable and happy in their regular trial environments. However, we can help them bounce back to their baseline quicker and be more resilient if we give them a chance to decompress.

I know as humans many of us understand how great we feel after we go for a walk, get a massage, take a breather, unwind etc. Our dogs need this opportunity too, they need to do things that make them feel good like sniffing, running, jumping, shredding, digging and climbing and we need to be offering this to them every chance we get, especially after a long day at a trial, seminar or training.

Here is the episode where Julie and I discuss compression https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-q-coach-pod-mindset-coaching-for-handlers-with/id1577589463?i=1000616100043

Here is the episode where the Behavior Vets discuss the Resilient Rainbow and the 7 domains https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/worry-less-wag-more-the-behavior-vets-podcast/id1599111429?i=1000599727804

Sarah Stremming's podcast on the same topic https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cog-dog-radio/id1128562867?i=1000613240024

When you have extra time please go back and listen to Episode 10 - Car Safety Setups & Keeping Cool it really covers an immense amount of useful information, so much so that I broke it down and redid it to a) remove the pandemic-isms and b) update some of the products I have found to be even better to help us and our dogs stay cool this summer.

What it boils down to is a little bit of science, good cooling products and a great car setup. I help you keep your pups cool so the stress from the heat is one less thing they have to deal with.

Here are the products I mention/recommend and no, I do not have an affiliate account. I would love one but the hours in my day slip away and I'd rather just give you the information than figure out how to get paid to share it :P

I struggled to develop a title for this episode because it covers SO MUCH! Julie Bacon of The Q Coach and I discuss the importance of our mindset for the human and the dog parts of our team, but then we cover so much more!

We discuss the difference between outcome goals and process goals, what we can control, and what it takes to get there. We offer tons of tidbits to staying organized, saving brain power for where you need it the most (the ring) and even more ways you can help reduce the stress in your dog's agility journey.

For a deeper dive into the wonderful concepts Julie shares about our mindset to help us Q more, check out her podcast, Mindset Coaching for Handlers. It was recommended to me by a couple of agility exhibitors and I found it so fascinating that I went right to the creator to bring it to more people.

I have been seeing and hearing a lot about ISC events or classes added to trials recently. ISC stands for International Sweepstakes Class.

In my mind, this was a new addition to the AKC agility program which I admittedly knew very little about. Wanting to learn more about ISC, I went directly to the source, the director of AKC agility, Carrie DeYoung.

Carrie shares a heap of information with us including that I was wrong about ISC being something new that was added, it's been around for 20 years. However, thanks to the pandemic (did I just really say that?) and some exhibitors that came to Carrie to bring more ISC to a trial near you, it has been gaining in popularity.

Learn what ISC is, what the courses are like, the levels it has and how this style of course could very much help you on your agility journey. If anything, it's a fun addition that more clubs can be offering to break up the day, get you out of your "must Q" headspace and still allow you and your pup to have a blast. It's just another way to play agility, the sport we all love.

For more information on ISC click here https://images.akc.org/pdf/rulebooks/REAGIL.pdf and search "ISC"

Go listen to Episode 33 - Stressed for Success⁠ before you listen to this gem.

Noreen Bennett of PawPrint Trials and I follow up on our Stressed for Success episode not just by providing solutions but also providing creative ways to unravel the uncertainty you may find you and your dog in on your agility journey.

In our first episode about stress, we discussed how to recognize it. Now we cover how to actually combat it by building resilience in our dogs so we aren't just spreading the stress to another area of the ring, much like a pair of Spanx does to our midriff.

Don't be like Spanx, stop moving the stress around, and help recognize and relieve it, we want to help you do that.

To learn more in-depth about the 7 steps to building resilience in our dogs, definitely check out this podcast episode.

Otherwise enjoy the listen and as always, enjoy the journey with your dog.

I'm bringing this to you as a bonus episode because I wanted to be one of the first to interview Steve after his fantastic win at the 2023 National Agility Championship. He and his dog Hogan, who is not a Border Collie, clenched the final win for the 24" class with a touch less speed but 100% consistency as Steve gives us insight into his strategy.

Learn how Steve and Hogan go from ACT (the most beginner agility title one can earn) to NAC (the highest and greatest agility title). We discuss generalizing and how little things you can do with your dog throughout each day can turn your team into true champions.

Steve also shares just how involved he is in the world of agility and beyond. He's an avid golfer and golf rules official but also a great guy that does a TREMENDOUS amount for the sport of agility. Not only does he co-chair the biggest agility show on dirt each and every year, but he is also constantly volunteering on boards, chairing trials, course building and volunteering any way he can to make certain we all have the ability to continue to trial in the sport we love.

Want to learn about what a true champion team looks like, have a listen. Next time you are at a trial or especially at the Thanksgiving Cluster in West Springfield, MA, remember to find Steve and thank him for all his efforts in this sport and community. He is truly the epitome of a champion.