[Tracy Sklenar]

Welcome! There is no such thing as late to THIS party 🙂 Great to see you here!!!!

>>Like most folks I warm my dog up, but neglect to warm up myself properly.

It is a continuing weakness of mine as well… I am perpetually reminding myself to get moving LOL!

>>It never occurred to me to find a quiet spot or rest my mind during the trial… I can see where those would be beneficial. Those I’ll have to add to my routine.

Try it! Even a short power nap during long trial days… you will be amazed at how much rest can help!

>> Sometimes it is very hard to stay positive and to keep the smile on my face. I train so hard that and know my dogs are capable of performing well but sometimes the ut ohs are my responsibility and yes…. I beat myself up over it. However I am getting better at not doing this.

Fake it til ya make it! I TOTALLY understand how sometimes we just want to go feel badly somewhere or have a good cry. But, faking the positive even when you don’t feel it will quickly turn it around into truly feeling it. Smile! Stand up straight! Practice your gratitude challenge! You will feel like a total faker for the first bit but you will find that it does indeed help you truly feel positive and happy 🙂

>>After our runs, I like to either watch the video or do a mental review. I try to find three things we did well and if there are things we need to work on I write in my “Training Notes for Next Week.”

I like this!

>>I’m very good about arriving in plenty of time to exercise myself and dogs. As soon as the course maps are out, I start memorizing them and deciding where I need to put my crosses. I can’t totally decide on what cross until I walk the course. After walking the course, I find a marker dog so I know when to get my dog out to exercise him and loosen him up before running. If possible before getting my dog out, I like to watch several teams to see how the course runs and see if there is a place that is giving other teams issues. IF so, I analyze those areas and find options that might be possible for me to use. I also like to watch a team that runs similar to the way we do. Before heading toward the ring, I make sure I have either treats or toys depending on the dog I am running as well as a bottle of water.>>

This is so much good stuff! Yay! I think you have a lot of good routine going already. We will keep looking to see where we can strengthen it!

T

[Tracy Sklenar]

Hi there!

>>Can you refresh my memory on how we comment below an existing comment. Did we just cut and paste into a new comment box then go from there?

There are several ways – there is a reply button just above this (upper right of this box) as well as a Quote box you can choose. Or, copy & paste is great – I do that, very old school but effective hahaha

>>Anyway, as far as the visualization goes, when I was on the fencing team in college and working with a sports psychologist, they had us visualize a “perfect bout” prior to the actual bout. I guess that’s because fencing didn’t provide any walk-thrus lol So I guess that’s why I try to visualize the course even before walking it so now I will just memorize the course prior to walking it and visualize it afterward

Interesting! What would the perfect bout entail? I am guessing it is about choosing your best offensive moves and visualizing how you would defend against the moves of the opponent? Does perfect bout visualization assume a certain performance from the opponent? Visualizing our runs assumes a certain performance from our partner LOL! And true, we get walk throughs in agility. I suppose my interest in NOT visualizing before the walk through is that our visualization for agility has a massive element of spatial awareness and also rehearsal of connection relative to the dogs & obstacles. And I personally find the early visualizations get locked in quickly, so it becomes a lot harder to change if I visualize it incorrectly.

Tel me more about the perfect bout visualizations! Each sport is different. I know that Greg Louganis would visualize the perfect dive long before he got onto the diving platform!

T

[Tracy Sklenar]

Hi!
The tempo should match your pace as best as possible, so up-tempo songs are generally better. But the science says that a “hook” is critical – the hook is the little melodic ditty that stands out of the song and is repeated a lot and sticks in your ear. Havana has a clear hook (I like that song!) and I Gotta Feeling is basically all about the hook with the title in it LOL! For some reason I can’t remember that Van Halen song (I’m blaming lack of coffee haha) but Van Halen usually has great hooks!!
T

[Tracy Sklenar]

Good morning!!

>>On average would you recommend only tackling 3 or 4 performance goals per trial or session so one does not get overwhelmed?

This is a great question!!! It depends on where you are in your partnership with each dog or in the sport in general. For example, with a less experienced dog and in a new level to you (or really challenging course), I suggest one performance goal, such as see him land from each jump and exit each tunnel. When you and the dog have a more experienced partnership or if the course is simpler, you can add more. I’ve found that focusing on one or two main performance goals can also help the other goals fall into place nicely 🙂

>>I have so many that I would like to achieve. I think it will take me probably 6 months or more of physically doing/practicing.

6 months is a good time frame. I’ve found that these skills need to be practiced then revisited to keep them sharp. It is like learning to play a musical instrument.

>> You know the saying…. “Rome was not built in a day” (lol).

1000% true!!

>>Big outcome goals I sort of avoid. It just produces anxiety. I have enough to fill my plate in performance I think.

I completely agree on both of these, I feel the same way. Focus on performance and the outcome will take care of itself.

>> Honestly, I was told that I am @ the bottom 20% of students my instructor teaches and she could not change things up for low level or so so client : ( A bit shocking and I think that was about the lowest feeling one can have after working so hard.>>

Whoa, that is shocking to me. And it makes me feel low too, just reading it 🙁 I’m sorry you had to hear that. Judging from your threads here, though, it is also not true. Turns out that you are an insightful and motivated student who loves the dog and loves the sport! That puts you in the top 10%, based on my experiences with online classes AND in-person training. So use your mental prep techniques to put away that ugly comment (have you seen the part about visiting rooms :)) and move forward, focusing on skills and goals.

>>> It’s taken a lot of mental fortitude to pull up by the bootstraps.

Truth!!! But here you are, doing it, so good job on the strong mental game!!!

>>>Doing what’s best for me I decided to gain further agility knowledge where I can elsewhere. It’s been a bit scary breaking out to find another path (lol).

Yay!!!! And it is scary and exciting all at once, but the best is ahead of you. Surround yourself with people who believe in you and your dog!

>> It’s times like these that gratitude and life balance has been instrumental to put it all in perspective. I can walk, I can run (maybe not as fast as some but we decently do it), my dog enjoys working with me and I have friends that are a huge support*

I love this <3 and it is so true!

>>My performance goals for next trial:
Maintain connection, improve speed via visualization, improve timing, understand multiple path options.

These are good ones! Make them even more specific such as outlining *exactly* what good timing is. For example:
“When he exits the tunnel, I’m going to use my jump cue and start the blind cross so I am finished in time to see him jumping the next jump”

>Keep myself healthy (i.e. continue gym program).

This is more of a long term performance goal, and a very good one!

>>Long term performance:
Develop more verbal cues for areas such as back sides, understand and develop footwork better. Use my body as a whole (shoulders to feet) to guide my dog. (Yep sometimes the top half is fine and the bottom forgets where to point lol). Use arms better. Develop blind cross, and new turning cues.

These are great training goals! Make a list and prioritize, so you don’t try to get everything done all at once.

Great thoughts here!!!

Tracy

[Tracy Sklenar]

Hi there!
Yes, I’d love to see the photo, I think you can post it here!
And it sounds like you have many lovely things in life to keep agility nicely in balance – family, friends, church family, antiques – awesome!!!!

About the run reminders – partially the list includes the strength of each dog, so you remember to use them. And partially it includes reminders for you that help support the strengths and support weaker areas in case you have to use that skill or obstacle. These are super specific. The run reminders can include these and also include more general things to remember as you gear up to run 🙂
Tracy

[Tracy Sklenar]

Hi Lyn!

>>I used this a lot to learn techniques as a neonatal nurse practitioner and it helped a lot.’

That is so cool! What a brilliant and useful application!!!

>> I have also used this in agility classes, but have not used at Trials! I will have to keep in mind to visualise Ace or Black Jack at the tempo they run not the one that makes the course work perfectly. I will plan to see myself doing the crosses at the time and place they need to be! I think this is a great technique and one I should be able to grow.

Yes, definitely make the time to do it at trials! And I think I saw you posted a video of a dancing routine too? So cool! And that is another place you can use your visualizations 🙂

T

[Tracy Sklenar]

Hi there!

>>After I watch the video, I need to make a conscious effort to remember the actual run rather than the video. After I watch the video there are pieces of the video that want to creep back into the actual memory, typically the OMG moments

Somehow are brains are MOST EXCELLENT at focusing on the OMG moments, right? Trauma always takes more space in our heads than success. I feel that pain!!!

I was thinking about your video watching thing and I realized why I had red flags about it and wanted you to be able to work through it… watching the video is likely to have the same impact as watching someone else run the course before you. It might put a different picture in your head and offset your prep & visualizations, which can make your run more difficult. And it is especially true if your eye/mind is drawn to the OMG moments – you might also inadvertently focus on the OMG moments in someone else’s run which can shake your confidence/investment in your own plan.

I like to watch other people run the course… and I also sometimes “steal” a handling plan and run it without walking it. But I make sure that my visualization stays sharp and I can keep going back to my view of the plan, not the video or outside the ring view.

Let me know if this makes sense 🙂

>>So, if I have this right we are actually dealing with 4 different memories:
>>Visualized (before the walk thru)

I don’t really visualize before the walk through – plan handling? Yes. Visualize it? No, because I need to get myself literally into the position to visualize it properly.

>>>Visualized (after the walk thru with tweaks)

Yes

>>Actual Run

Yes, which ideally matches the walk through visualization LOL!

>>Videoed Run

I don’t consider this memory – I note it and watch it like a reality show perhaps but I don’t really remember it. If I want to really remember it, I will watch it more intensely after the trial. When I watch video after a run, I am really just looking for planning errors or execution errors so I can keep them on my list for the next walk through.

>>I think you are right, my brain kinda de-emphasizes the visualized after the actual and then tries really hard to replace the actual with the video version. Hey, the hard drive is only so big, you’ve got to delete something right LOL

SO TRUE!!! And I think it is OK to de-emphasize the pre-run version but you do want to try to match the pre-run to the actual run. Video is not something to be committed to memory (that’s why we have it on video hahaha) so tell your brain to focus on the live action LOL!!!

Interesting discussion!! Let me know what you think!
Tracy

[Tracy Sklenar]

Hi Mary!!

>>I wanted to start off by saying THANK YOU THANK YOU in your patience, support and explanations on performance goals / reframing topics. Once I got it man did my mind fire up. I can’t seem to get enough of this course I am feeling like a sponge in wanting more information!! Besides preparing my self for my next two trials in putting this into use!!

You are very welcome! It is great fun to have these discussions with you!!!

>>>Music Memory Aid- WOW!!!

I know, right?!?! Cool stuff!

>> I picked a new song that I cant seem to get enough off. Matt Maher – Lord of my life. Anyway I took your course started with the back chaining , saw the dogs path, my path what handling moves ect.. then I started memorizing it opening , middle’s and closing. Next the visualization and I don’t even remember how many times I worked on that then where I would say my cues, what my body cues’ would be ect Anyway before I knew it I was adding the speed of Tanner. Then did the same thing with Buddy. I can’t even tell you when it happened it just all began to connect with the music. It was late so I went to bed. Today on the radio that same song came up and I was visualizing it all I literally had to stop what I was doing and just stand there while I visualized the course and running Tanner then running Buddy with with the song playing ( all the things you mentioned about muscles twitching ect happened) I mean where I was with my cueing both verbal and body, the speed , keeping completely track of the dogs line!!! when song was over I grabbed my bag and pulled out the map and the notes I made just to see if I was right on or way off.. Holy Moly I was right on!!! What an awesome discovery Music memory aid !!!

This is so terrific to hear! You are doing really well if you can pull this off so quickly 🙂 It took me a lot more practice LOL!! But you are correct: music is a powerful aid. I started doing this in 2009 for USDAA nationals, using one song (I Gotta Feeling by the BlackEyed Peas) – and here we are 10 years later, and I can still see/feel the Finals course that I visualized with the song!

>>I am glad you included the live balance challenge. Its a good reminder that we can’t let agility run our lives then end up being burned out.

I think you have nice balance in your world! What other hobbies and stuff do you enjoy? I love to cook, read, and watch cooking shows on TV 🙂 Giving the dogs a break in the winter is great for the mind, body and soul for all of you 🙂

>>I never really thought about distractions at trials. This one is really really going have to make me think. I do hope that I can get that amazing feeling back at the start line with each boy that I had with Toby.

I think a distraction for many of us with our 2nd, 3rd (or 9th or 10th dog haha) is that we suddenly have expectations about outcomes that we did not have with our first dog or two. I remember that ‘in the zone’ feeling was a little easier with my first dog because I had no basis of comparison. Now, 20 years into the sport, there are different expectations on how the runs should go. I work really hard to not let these distract me or add pressure to me and the dog.

>>Recovery from failures : I have always found to be a work in progress besides using it to find those areas we need to perfect or work on more.

You are not alone. Recovery from failure is the most difficult thing in sport and life, and some days it takes ALL of our tools to handle it. Keep working on it!!

>>MYOB: this gave me the best laugh cause I am constantly being told about, something after a trial which can be up to 2 months later, that happened and I was completely oblivious about it and I get asked how could you not know when it was happening in front of me. I am definitely going to have to remember to say” guess I was MYOBing” lol

Good for you!!!! MYOB is critical and will keep you in a much happier place, mentally 🙂

>>Is there suppose to be a difference in the lists of routines & Mental prep workbooks or where they meant to be the same?

I will go check and make sure I didn’t mess it up 🙂

Have a great day!
Tracy

[Tracy Sklenar]

I am so glad you shared this! First – he is so cute!!! 🙂 And yes, I think that maybe he read your tone and got worried. But, this is a great moment to have on film – you can rehearse what to do in the moments when something goes wrong. Will you choose to keep going? Or will you make a happy noise, run back to the previous jump and re-send? It is possible that convincing yourself to keep going is best for him, as it can get him into the flow of the run. Definitely choose whatever you think will help him the most and then rehearse it. I have no problem if you mentally rehearse/visualize how to react in the moment when the dog has a struggle. That rehearsal will help you know exactly what to do when the dog needs your help 🙂
Let me know what you think!
Tracy

[Tracy Sklenar]

Hi Denise! Which youtube links aren’t working? Please copy here so I can check. Or do you mean the Documents aren’t coming up? Everything is working on my end, so let me know what you’re seeing and we will sort it out.
Thanks!
Tracy

[Tracy Sklenar]

Hi!

>>n past events, I have tried centered breathing, but the nerves are still there. I do do the positive self talk too. It is still a challenge. Is that normal to have some level of nerves?

It is normal to have some level of nerves, and also a bit of nervous energy is encouraged in us humans 🙂 If we are too calm, we are probably not going to handle at our best. If you feel like the nerves are getting in the way of your execution on course, then yes we need to do more. The biggest thing is to practice all of these elements such as centered breathing and self talk and visualization at home and away from the trials at first, until you feel really comfortable. Practicing at home when you are relaxed and not stressed will help your brain and body acclimate to the process. Then you can add the process back into slightly stressful environments, such as visualizations at home where you make yourself nervous on purpose 🙂 You can do this by pretending someone intimidating is watching you! Or pretending you are in the national finals. Then, at home, use your centered breathing, self-talk, etc, to center yourself.
Then, bring the process to classes then to a trial. With practice, it will all be a lot easier 🙂

>>Also, sometimes I go into the ring, and all seems ok… nerves are under control.

Yay!

>>Then out of no where, dog decides to shut down, or do the zoomies, what is the best way to curb that? The dog has been acclimated to the area etc.

The dog’s process is separate from the human’s process. And in dog sports, we humans can have the best process but the dog might not be at the same level of readiness. From the human side, you can do some mental prep on how to handle things when the dog struggles in the ring – visualize how to call the dog back and settle her, or add things to the dog’s trial day routine to help her. And use release valves and reframing to help overcome the worry that it might happen.

For the dog’s process, you can look at the training side of things – what might trigger the shut down or zoomies? How can you get the dog more pumped up and focused to run? Where can you add pressure in class and use tons of rewards to help the dog learn to deal with trial pressure? I also recommend trialing in classes & organizations where you can train in the ring with a toy and some even allow the use of food in the trial environment.
This all falls into the dog’s trial routine and the dog will need a lot of prep in classes – I have found that for many dogs, acclimating outside the ring doesn’t carry over that well into inside the ring, so helping the dog understand how to predict rewards really helps!
Let me know if that makes sense 🙂
Tracy

[Tracy Sklenar]

Good morning! You are totally on the right track!! I think you have it 🙂

>>Performance Goals: scenario -” there is two jumps then a turn with a tunnel and jump next to tunnel. I am wanting Tanner to take the jump instead of tunnel.”“Now to have my body language indicate that we are turning tight, with a slight pause on my pivot & my arm dropping next to me when Tanner is 3 strides from jump and then saying my verbal cue “here” when he is two strides from jump.”
>>Performance goal : my body and verbal cue’s timing being accurate in the correct spot in communicating to Tanner to take jump.

Yes, perfect.

>>Now even tho my timing was right on Tanner can’t help himself he just has to take that bright red tunnel !! My performance goal is my timing of cueing however the outcome goal is Tanner taking the tunnel.

Yes – it is possible for your performance goal to be nailed perfectly… but the dog makes a decision or maybe the dog doesn’t understand it. So that becomes a training goal – teaching him to read & understand the cue in every possible situation. For example, a training goal: to teach my youngest dog to get in and stay in her weave poles as I run away from them. I could easily execute this as a performance goal in a trial, I know how to cue weaves and leave… but if the youngster doesn’t understand this because I haven’t trained it, then she will fail. So part of performance goals is delivering cues that the dog is likely to understand. And I say “likely” because what we *think* they know and what they *actually* know might be 2 different things haha!!

>>Release Valve – Wow !! here a friend and I have a code word that we will say to one another before going to the line if we are really nervous /stressed. To help keep things in perspective in the run. I had no idea there was a word for it!! Awesome

Great! And how fun to have a friend to support you like that!

>>connecting to the line – YES!! I totally get it now and your correct that I do have one , I had no idea there was a name for it !!!

It seems that everything has a name in agility LOL!!! Trying to match all the names is harder LOL!

>>Reframing- Yes your examples were perfect.. doesn’t matter what is going on at that moment with one/few persons, there is still no cure for cancer. or my best example that my brain relates to ” it didn’t matter how many titles, and agility runs Toby achieved/had his last year of life, the fact remained Cancer would still be taking My Toby.”

I look at it like this: the release valve is designed to get us to chill out by making us chuckle a bit. The reframing is designed to get us to chill out (and maybe cry a bit) by reminding us of the bigger picture. Both are useful!!!

>>I hope it sounds like I have it.. Cause I felt the light bulb come on !!

I think you have it!!!! Yay!!!

T

[Tracy Sklenar]

Good morning!
Your thought process makes total sense to me, probably because we think similarly LOL! It looks like you thought about it in terms of the shape of the course first (3 distinct segments with curved lines) and then you added in the handling moves to create those lines – with distinct “landmarks” like the spread jump – weaves, the tunnel and the ending line. This is pretty much how I think of things too 🙂
Question – after thinking of the course like this – were you able to remember it more easily? Taking a course like this, try to work it through your mind for 5 minutes or so, then put it away for 10 minutes – can you come back to it mentally and remember it without looking at your map?

I haven’t looked at this particular map in a couple of weeks, but your screencast made it SUPER easy for me to remember it now 🙂

>>I am curious – Can we post attachments in the forum? I don’t see a function for that

You can post attachments in the form of links or URLs but not PDFs or documents.

Nice work here!

Tracy

[Tracy Sklenar]

Yes, carving out time to practice will definitely help make it a habit. If you can carve out 5 minutes a day for 2 weeks, I bet you will find that it is very easy habit to maintain.

And thank you for the feedback about the site – we are still sorting out how to use all the software so keep the feedback coming!!!

Tracy

[Tracy Sklenar]

Good morning Mary!!!

>> Performance goals: Just want to be sure I am getting this. Performance goals is/ would be along the lines putting the information that you have been training with your dog on into actual use ( ex: a bow on the teeter, or keeping all four paws on the bottom of a – frame, not visiting every person in the ring )in your run.

Yes, but not in terms of the dog’s performance, only in terms of YOUR performance in the ring. Think of it like this: performance goals are things you can control, outcome goals are things you cannot control. Performance goals are necessary in order to achieve your outcome goals, but it is also common to achieve your performance goals and NOT achieve your outcome goal.

So performance goals for us humans are stuff like: staying connected, remembering the course, timing our cues properly, etc. Stuff about the dog’s performance is not part of this, because we simply cannot control the dog’s choices in the moment. So the bow on the teeter is not a performance goal – we cannot control whether he does it or not. But we can use “cue the bow on the teeter” and “Maintain criteria” and “give the dog feedback about criteria” as strong performance goals for us.

Let me know if that makes sense 🙂 yes, trust your training and cue the skills you have trained – great performance goals. But whether the dog will do them or not? Not something we can control LOL! Ah, the joys of dog sports LOL!!!
So I will cue the 2o,2o on the teeter and stay connected and release (or give feedback if criteria is not met) as part of my performance goals… but I don’t feel that I have missed performance goals if the dog does not hit his 2o2o for whatever reason. Those fall into training goals, which is separate from trials.

>>This is where what you have been memorizing / visualizing on this particular course comes into play with keeping the positive dog’s strengths list , and self talk, and your affirmations as part of the performance goals you are wanting to achieve and >>assess on/after this run.

yes! And performance goals can also include: I will drive to that blind cross. I will remember to visualize. I will breath and smile. Getting the Q or the dog hitting the weave entry… not performance goals.

>>where as the outcome goals is more of the human ego achievements

Outcome goals are things you cannot control: getting the Q or the title or the win. We all love to think about these things but the reality is that we have zero control over them, so it comes wasted energy to focus on them in training or trialing.

>>Maximize walk throughs:
part 1 is what dog see’s , and the lines for his path
part 2 is the handlers path
>>part 3 putting both 1&2 together but there is this “connecting with the line you want the dog to run” first I have never heard of this and second is referring to the spatial awareness video that you showed earlier ??

Connecting to the line is about the handler connecting to the dog while showing the path – in general, nowadays, that means we are looking at the dog’s eyes while running and showing the path (rather than pointing at the obstacles and not connecting with the dog). I am sure you have some form of connection and line showing in your handling already, but it likely has a different name 🙂 And that is fine – terminology is not that important as long as you show the dog where to go.

>>stealth stress control: controlling your breathing and would this be also along the lines of having your breathing and dogs breathing in synch before you run?

I suppose it could… but I think it would be too difficult and also it would get your heart rate too high – a properly warmed-up dog will have a relatively high rate of respiration and that might put the handler out of breath before the run even begins. I like to keep my heart rate a bit down with the breathing stuff and I use tricks and my pre-run routine to keep the dog from getting too hot and heavy with his breathing 🙂 But I don’t worry about syncing because I have seen no evidence that we actually do sync during work and also no evidence that it is needed.

>>then this Release valve that really seems way out there to me .. I don’t think I have ever been able to switch my mind from serious mode to laugh mode like that.. if I am understanding it correctly.

Truth! This is a hard one it oh-so-important! I learned it from Olympic diver Greg Louganis – he won a bunch of medals and he says this is the best way he stayed calm while he was all alone on the board at the Olympics, seconds before his dive. it might feel weird at first but it totally works!!! It also builds in the stuff that we know about how smiling and laughing and posture change brain chemistry and you will find it quite relaxing!!! And if you do get tense before a run, share your release valve with a friend and they can come up and drop it on you as a tool to relax and chuckle 🙂

>>then reframing : that’s goes along the lines of visualizing the outcome you are wanting to happen and finding the positives when dealing with fear.

Reframing is kind of connected with outcomes – both successes and failures. And it is not really finding positives – it is more about saying nothing big will change in the grand scheme of things if you have success or failure in the ring. Did you win the national championship yesterday? Cool! But there is still no cure for cancer. Did you go off course or did the dog have a zoomie in novice in front of the crowd? Yep, no problem, still no cure for cancer. Reframing is about the bigger picture in the world around us, and it is heavy duty stuff.

>> In many ways all this really connects together in the various areas of visualization, where one gets their mind set at in dealing with anything that can happen at a trial?

Yes! It helps us keep it all in perspective too. Dog sports are important to us and this is a way to help keep things properly in perspective 🙂
Let me know if this makes sense!
Tracy

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