Podcast #1 - What Is Consistency?
How to achieve consistent performances you are happy with? First, define what you have right now (behavior, performance, feelings). Define what you want. The difference is where you train. Come up with a training plan to shift your pattern. This may take you out of your comfort zone. Allow for mistakes to happen as you experiment. You'll get there eventually.
Podcast #2 - Being In "The Moment"
Success is achieved by coming at it sideways. You'll learn to recognize the feeling and be able to stay in "the moment" longer. If you try to hold on to it, define it, celebrate it, it will disappear. Learn not to analyze it at the time. Eventually you'll be able to slip into "the moment" at will, and the moments will last longer.
Podcast #3 - Thoughts on Using Verbals On Course
As set out by Linda Mecklenberg, we communicate with our dogs thru 6 things: motion, shoulders, location, eye contact, arms, and verbals, in the order that the dogs best understand. If motion cues are correct, dogs won't get so many incorrect forward motion cues. There will be less need for verbal cues. We are more verbal and upper body oriented, dogs prioritize lower body movements, and verbals least of all. To see if D is reading your body in practice, eliminate verbal turning cues. Reserve verbal cues fo instances where your motion doesn't support the next obstacle D needs to take. Use verbal forward cues - jump, weave, okay, table, tunnel, over, around, out - to confirm what the dog should do even while you are moving away.
Podcast #4 - How I Chose A Handling System
Linda M's 6 basic cues represent a scientific approach to handling, a good place to start. You learn different things from different trainers. But after awhile, you will have to start learning from your dogs on your own and see what works.
Podcast #5 - Bang For Your Buck
How much should a working or auditing spot cost? Lot of factors to consider: experience of presenter, teaching style, venue, costs to put on the seminar. Sometimes you could get more bang with private or online lessons.
Podcast #6 - Our Goals All Serve The Same Purpose
From the Daisy Peel Mental Management Class, Not satisfied with our current situation provides a source of frustration as well as motivation. We set our sights a little higher, and the end result is self improvement whether our goals are international or local competitions.
Podcast #7 - BDA Mental Management
Bad Dog Agility's interview with Daisy Peel: Landy Bassham (With Winning In Mind) is Daisy's mentor on Mental Management. Consistent performance under pressure, on demand. Applies to all sports, parenting, etc. Pressure to perform agility well is intense, but improves with less attention on Q'ing or winning, but on process and performance. Self image and fear of poor performance limit us. You have to practice your mental game skills in daily life, not just when competing. Like a muscle, you have to work on strengthening the skill, which is very fatiguing until you get used to the process. Worst mistake is "overtrying" -- making things happen rather than letting things happen. Whatever level you train at is the level you should exhibit in competition. But the adrenalin at competitions can make you achieve things at a higher level than in practice, without trying. Good performances seem easy, slow motion, sub-conscious, mentally effortless. Visualization: Thinking about the trial before you get there: YouTube search will bring up videos of runs in any venue you are about to compete in. You can see the environment before you get there. Babe, Buck, Rocky are good movies to watch.
- Anticipation phase: get your conscious brain to turn off at the gate, stop processing details, a conditioned response, a mantra, tune, or gesture that gets the ball rolling automatically.
- After-the-event phase: to avoid let-down from winning or not, have a plan.
Competing all over the world, seeing how other countries design, purchasing and bringing home diverse equipment to practice on in preparation for international competitions. Dog eye injuries suffered by jump cups above the bar, recommends 1 moveable jump cup that is easily adjusted, which will be cheaper in the long run, no bottom bar so uprights can fall independently. No horizontal pickets on wings, looks to some dogs like panel jump.
Podcast #9 - Watch Your Dog - Part 1
You have to watch your dog to know when to give your cues. This is a mechanical skill. Doing that well is complex. Static visual acquity (near and far sightededness) is less dramatic than dynamic visual acuity, improving
- your visual motot skills -- focusing, tracking (following in smooth path) or psychotic pursuit (flicking eyes from one thing to another), convergence/divergence (judgng distances).
- your visual perception skills (figure/groud)
- peripheral awareness, making good use of the info that is coming in to you.
- hand/eye and foot/eye coordination
Podcast #10 - Watch Your Dog - Part 2
"Watch Your Dog" is an oversimplified request. Requires practice. Dogs track the direction of your head which leads to many mis-cues, so learn to turn your eyes without moving your head, also enhance your perephrial vision by noticing what you can see to the sides without moving your eyes side to side. You'd be amazed how much you can see. Exercises provided. When walking a course, pay attention to how you will watch your dog. Where will your eyes be? How you handle your eyes is important.
Podcast #11 - Interview with Helen Grinnell King
How canine structure relates to performance. What's Your Angle and Picking Your Performance Puppy, and Based on equestrian knowledge. www.recipetowin.com What allows dogs to accel/decel, turn, stride, etc. Pelvic and shoulder angles are important. Must learn to see these. Books show you how. Structure evaluation class. Hands on is best, but learning to read photos works too. Eweneck discussion - not bad on dogs as it is on horses. Slipped hocks discussion. Online class thru Daisy Peel website - 6 step process how to see angles on dogs, submit and evaluate photos of your dog.
Podcast #12 - Interview with Kristin Rosenbach, ATC, Stott Pilates Certified Instructor
Functional Fitness #1 - Training basic movements, rather than muscles. Balance exercises, mechanics of accel and decel, coordinated foot movement, posture, visual skills, strength work. 9 week class thru Daisy Peel's Online Courses. Forum, post video, exercise logs. Balance is the first problem to tackle. Pullers - Body Weight Back, must work harder. Pushers - teaching people to lean forward and let gravity help them. Lateral movement - stepping to the side is not normal, especially at speed, including visual changes. Balance affects confidence.
Functional Fitness #2 - Multi-Dimensional Movement, moving one way while looking another, spatial awareness, strength work.
Podcast #13 - Interview with Bobbie Lyons
Pawsitive Performance helps dogs know where their body is. Works with canine conditioning, structural issues. Teaches private lessons and online classes, and private practice evaluating dogs muscle structure. Training dogs to go from a stand to a sit to a down without moving their feet at all, helps them use their core. Dogs with this training show improved speed and tighter turns on course. Warm up and cool down routines are important, especially major joints, spine and tail. Trotting around (medium speed) before taking the warm up jump very important - warmup should take about 10 minutes. Backing up, turning in a circle all very good, and don't take much room in the house.
pawsitiveperformance@yahoo.com
www.pawsitive-performance.com
As she posts more podcasts, I'll add more notes to this page.
Upwards and onward!
1 comment:
Wow, those summaries are better than the ones I wrote myself. I'm glad you enjoyed the podcasts! I've got a list of requests for future podcasts but if there's something you'd like to hear me address, let me know!
~Daisy
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