Tips, Articles, & Thoughts From Dog Agility Coach And Competitor Daisy Peel
How often do you watch someone at a trial and wonder, How do they get those start lines? How is their dog so engaged? Why do they do that warm-up? And then… do nothing?
It’s so easy to get caught up in looking for the next big moment, the next major improvement, that we miss the incredible things sitting right in front of us. But when we take the time to notice them, to appreciate the small steps and seemingly ordinary moments, we start to see just how meaningful they really are.
You’d think that after decades in this sport, I’d have learned by now that being good and feeling good aren’t always the same thing. That being good and looking good aren’t always the same thing.
Holding ourselves accountable to stay sharp, to stay focused, and to stay in the sweet spot at the edge of our abilities when we’re alone is important – it’s not what happens in class each week, during that one or two hour period of time! It’s what happens when you’re at home, in your back yard, or your basement, by yourself, with your dog, working on the things you’ve set out to work on, with purpose!
As a dog trainer and handler, you’re not only a student (of the game, of your instructor, etc.), but you’re also a coach for your dog. And, good coaches, whether it’s to your dog or to your own agility students, share a knack for transforming the most mundane activities – especially the mundane activities – into games.Â
In this Agility Challenge Tip, learn why practice “snacks” are better than practice “binges”, what days of the week you should practice, and what it means to be ruthless about noticing and fixing mistakes.