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I do have a question, however, after walking the course, how much time does one need to visualize the course, your run with the dog and perhaps you running the course without the dog?
I’m not quite sure I’m understand the question properly, but anywhere from several seconds to several minutes depending on what you are visualizing, whether it’s the whole course or just part of the course, and how many times you want to do it.
I have been in the middle of the course, more concerned about the dog than where I need to go. Fortunately, the dog could count and took the next obstacle we were to perform! LOL I was able to go on from there, but this doesn’t happen all the time.
This happened to me during our last trialðŸ˜I remember the first part perfectly, my dog did AMAZING..for 2/3 of the course…And near the end I just froze and forgot where to go next and sent him in the wrong tunnel..🙈
Visualization will definitely help you prevent this from happening in the future.
3 years ago I made it to the GP finals at Cynosports. It was my first national competition ever. Something happened to the timer and they took us out twice (while I was setting Spark on the start line). The third time they let us run and I hesitated on the first 3 jumps, then I got it together and ran the course. I came into the finals 4th but finished 7th. I wish I had had this visualization skill because I got very nervous and just blanked. I could have been visualizing the course on my off time which would have helped with nerves too!
Yes, that’s a great time to review the course! I had delays before two different finals runs at AKC nationals and used the extra time to rehearse the entire course once or twice, and the opening a few times more.
Once I walk the course, I “practice” at ringside mentally running it many times prior to our turn……….in fact, I spend much more time out of the ring “practicing” once I’ve gotten a solid plan from the walk and this helps so much more than just walking over and over and bumping into people and not really being able to execute the handling like I want to physically, but I do it perfectly in my mind! Is there a module working through from course map review/analysis straight through to the run???? I would like to see how others work through that process?????
There is not a module, but the map analyses in the VIP serve the purpose of course map review. The Before and After series (when offered) are also a great resources as handlers will first talk through the map itself before their run, and then talk through the actual run and any changes made from their plan afterward.
Ok, that sounds good, makes sense. Is the Before and After series within the VIP program, or can I find that on the regular BDA website videos????
The before and after are video series that we run during AKC Nationals and Westminster. So the next one is up in the air.
Figured there was nothing new coming up, but is that something in the archives???? I am still trying to navigate my way around sooooooo much (good) information!!!!! Thanks for all you do!!!
They are not part of VIP, they are standalone classes that are no longer offered.
Your comments make me think of Michael Phelps, an expert at blocking the surroundings out while he readied to get on the start blocks during his famous Olympic swims. You could just see his ‘focus.’
My dogs wait in practice is strong but not in competition. Thinking about the possibility of a broken wait causes a stress and therefore a distraction and I know I consider this when walking my course. To overcome this is the message “focus only on the good wait” and visualize that?
For situations where the dog offers two different performances, I generally walk both situations so I have a plan in place. For example, if my dog runs full speed I can’t front cross, but if they are running half speed due to stress, I CAN front cross. In your case, in the short term, I’d rehearse as if my dog will wait perfectly, but once or twice I’d walk through the scenario where my dog breaks the start line. Will I walk back to my dog and start from there (since you are not permitted to lead out a second time), or will I leave the ring, and where is the exit and leash area? and so on. Long term, we want to fix the start line so we know it’s very black and white. Stay and we go, move a foot and we don’t go.
I have a good start line