The
Online Monthly Newsletter from
Conquering Ring Nerves -
The
Unique Dog Handlers' Training Program to Combat Ring
Nerves!
To
be happy, drop the words if
only and substitute instead the words next
time. - Smiley Blanton,
M.D.
Issue: May,
2003
Publisher & Editor: Diane
Peters Mayer
A.
PeakSpeak
Hello
and welcome to all of our readers and the many new
subscribers who have signed on.
It's
been a nasty, rainy, chilly May here in the northeast,
and predictions are for more of the same, for a while
anyway. I'm not really complaining though, because
with the sun taking a hiatus, it's made it a lot
easier to sit down at the computer and work on my
book, Combating Ring
Nerves! With half the book due
to the publisher in little over a month, there's
no time to waste.
We'd
like to remind you that we now accept pictures of
you and your fantastic canine companions along with
your submissions. You can scan and email them to sheri@virtualhelpinghand.com,
or snail mail your photos to: Sheri Huffman, 2701
Creek Valley Dr., Garland, TX
May's Training
Tip is a great tactic for stopping the
kind of self-talk that hinders fun and success
in the ring.
Second
Chances features a super NY rescue website.
May's BookPicks,
is all about maximizing your mental competitive edge.
Call
For: your stories, poems, rescue sites,
book reviews, questions and comments. Submission
deadline for the June issue is June 20th. Thanks.
PeakNews
offers a unique format in which to engage and connect
with handlers from the US, Canada, Australia, New
Zealand, Finland and South Africa on a topic that
may be difficult to think about and discuss otherwise.
Please
join us to become the handler of your dreams. Your
dog will thank you!
Enjoy.
Diane
B.
Training Tip of the Month
Letting
Go of "Critical Voices"
One
feature of having ring nerves, is the unfortunate
habit of listening to and believing "critical
voices" and the negative messages they contain.
The words may come from others, but most of the time
these are internal utterances that contain the "musts" and "shoulds",
that put up a road block to any enjoyment and success
not only in the competitive dog show ring, but in
life as well.
Phrases
like, "I must get a perfect score at the next
show, or I'm a loser", or "I should know
how to cue my dog better at this point, I'm a bust
as a handler", are destructive to learning and
building self-confidence. The following techniques
will help you turn down the volume on pessimism and
doom and turn it up on optimism and achievement.
- Become
aware of your internal dialogue. Do you scold and
condemn yourself for things you "must" or "should" do
throughout the day? Do you have unrealistic expectations
of yourself? Are you a perfectionist? Write down
your answers.
- Look
at what you've written and decide what you'd like
to change. The good news about having a critical
internal dialogue is that it is learned, which
means you can choose to change this destructive
self-talk into a life affirming inner voice.
- Create
and use positive phrases, such as, "I'm working
hard at being a good handler, and at each show
I learn something new" or "We NQ'd, but
I was able to breathe and stay connected most of
the time." General statements include: "I'm
terrific", I'm extremely capable", "I
deserve the best in life".
- When
you start with the "shoulds" and "musts",
say, "No Thanks", and move into positive
mode. Expect the "musts" and "shoulds" to
hang around for a while, after all you've been
using them on yourself for years!
- Give
yourself time to make these changes-habits are
hard to break. If you start being unkind to yourself
because you can't change overnight (cut out the
perfectionist behavior!), stop, take a few slow
deep breaths, and say, "I'm making powerful
changes, that take time", or something in
that vein. Celebrate the fact that you are in the
process of change.
- Surround
yourself with people who are kind, caring, and
upbeat.
C.
Second Chances
Check
out our rescue group of the month:
http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/bobbicares.html
Sandy,
a volunteer for Bobbi & the Strays wrote the
following about their shelter program - and about
one of their favorite rescues, LaGuardia:
Bobbi & the
Strays is a non-profit, no-kill animal rescue in
Queens, New York City. Some of our pets have been
abandoned, some given up, some we find loose on the
streets, and some we are able to rescue out of kill-shelters.
We believe in them all, and our volunteers do their
best in providing a safe haven for these animals
until they are adopted into loving homes.
 I
would like to feature a story on a dog named LaGuardia
who's ***very*** dear to us. (You can find our more
about her on the main page of our website). LaGuardia
was found by airport personnel at - you guessed it
- LaGuardia Airport! She was just walking around
all alone when they spotted her and put her in a
cage in one of the offices. She was there for an
entire month all alone and they were going to send
her to a shelter to be euthanized. We could not let
that happen! Bobbi took LaGuardia in and she has
got to be the nicest, sweetest, most loving girl
that any of us has seen in a long time! LaGuardia's
a chubby Lab mix who's spayed and healthy and happy.
She's housetrained and can sit and loves to shake,
not to mention adores car rides. If anyone is interested
in helping this wonderful dog get a loving home,
please contact Bobbie at:
Bobbi & the
Strays
P.O. Box 170129
Ozone Park, NY 11417
718-845-0779 or 917-213-9840
Email: BobbiCares@aol.com
Website: http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/bobbicares.html
Who
knows, the next OTCH or MACH might be at Bobbi's.
Note:
Have a rescue story you'd like to share with us?
Want to highlight a shelter or rescue group? Please
send it to: CAYPNews@aol.com
D.
Book Picks
This
book can be purchased from Amazon.com by clicking
on the book title or image:
 The
Mental Edge: Maximize Your Sports Potential With
the Mind / Body Connection
by
Ken Baum, et al (Perigee; March 1999)
Kenneth
Baum, a former staff member at the Elite Training
Institute in Los Angeles, a training center for the
U.S. Olympic Team, teaches strategies on how to attain
maximum performance for amateur and professional
athletes in any sport.
Read
a book that you loved or has helped with competition?
Submit a review to CAYPNews@aol.com
E.
Announcements & Coming Events
Upcoming
Combating Ring Nerve Seminars for handlers and their
dogs:
- Saturday,
July 12, 2003 at The Oriole Dog Training
Club, Baltimore, MD
- Saturday,
October 4, 2003 at Positive Motivation
Dog Training, Blairstown, NJ
Space
is limited. Register Now!
For
more information, please write via email: CAYPNews@aol.com or click
here.
Want
to Beat Ring Nerves? Want to Beat Those Nerves?
Here
are two more ways to learn the Program that has helped
handlers from across the US and abroad achieve success
in the ring:
ONE-ON-ONE
Training — we'll custom
design a program that's just right for you!
Click
here to read more about it or register
or call Diane at 215-348-8836
STOP "RING
NERVES" FROM HOME with our Audio
Ring Nerve Program for All Dog Sports, with Training
Manual.
- Great Exercises & Techniques.
- A
Super Quickie Stress-Buster.
- Guided
Imagery to mentally rehearse your perfect performance.
- Terrific Training
Tips.
This
program will help you do it!
The
Audio Program & Manual is $29.95 plus $6.00 S&H
in US. (PA residents add $1.80 sales tax). International
add $10.00 S&H.
To
read more about it or purchase by check or secure credit
card online, please click
here.
or
call Diane at 215-348-8836.
F.
Requests
Please
send us:
- Questions
for Ask The Coaches.
- Ring
Nerve Stories for Handlers' Tales.
- Rescue
Stories for Second Chances.
- Submissions
for our new column, Readers Corner.
- ISO
- want to correspond with handlers from all over
the world? We'll publish your contact information
- BookPicks -
read a book that has helped you? Share it with
us.
G.
Invitations
If
you enjoyed PeakNews I invite you to forward it,
intact please, to other handlers who might benefit
from it.
Thank
you! See you next month.
**Note:
Columns may vary from month to month.
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