In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert’s there are few. Shunryu Suzuki

Issue: July, 2005

Publisher & Editor: Diane Peters Mayer

A. PeakSpeak

Hello and welcome to all of our readers and new subscribers!

I'm on vacation, so this month's PeakNews will be a rerun of information, but I have chosen some of my favorites to share.

Of course in this busy summer, there is always a call for: your stories, poems, rescue sites, book reviews, questions and comments. Submission deadline for the August issue is August 20th. Thanks.

Please join us to become the handler of your dreams. Your dog will thank you - and enjoy. See you next month!

Diane

B. Training Tip Of The Month

Go Back to the Beginning.

Thinking of giving up on competing? One solution is to Go Back to the Beginning.

Last month I talked to a number of handlers who are on the verge of giving up competing because of their nerves. My anxiety is out of control . . . Competing is almost physically painful . . . I freak out and then my dog ignores me in the ring, are some of the complaints I heard. Performance anxiety and its distressing symptoms have done a number on them emotionally and physically. These handlers expressed how helpless they feel, unable to calm themselves when panic hits. And then I’m just hopeless on my way home from a show, one handler said. We haven’t qualified in two years...I don’t see an answer to this.

There is usually more than one way to solve a problem. Some handlers opt to tough it out, to keep fighting through the emotional pain of competition, to continue training their dogs, and to enter more competitions. In some cases this might work. But there is another way.

Back to the Beginning

I propose that stepping back from the problem, even if it means not competing for a while, may be the key to achieving success and having fun with your dog at shows. Struggling with and trying to force success will most likely increase your stress level and feed your anxiety. You cannot strong-arm your way into peak performance. To become a strong, confident competitor, you have to get off the path you’re on and retrain yourself.

The solution, I believe, is to accept what is happening now, and go back to the drawing board. It is surrendering to the moment, Competing isn’t working out for me now, and then setting out to find another path to the goal, What can I do to change things for myself and my dog?

In Zen Buddhism, practitioners attempt to always keep what they call their beginner’s mind. The point of beginner’s mind is to open to the flow of the world around you, instead of trying to define and control everything. The beginner’s mind is always ready for anything; it is open to everything. Open yourself to changing the way you compete.

The following exercise will help start you on your way:

Exercise

1. Don’t set up a rigid time-frame to work through your difficulties. Follow your natural pace in learning new things.

2. Find a quiet place and either lie down or sit in a comfortable chair. Do Yoga Breath for a few minutes. To begin, I want you to think back to when you first started training to compete. What was that time like? Did everything about competing feel fresh and new and exciting? Did you feel that the world of dog sports was wide open to endless possibilities for you and your dog? What were those possibilities? Did you have any expectations? What were they? Think back and try to recapture your passion for competing when you and your dog first began.

3. Now, think about what competing means to you today. What are the differences in the way you feel about competition presently from those beginning days? Do you still love training your dog? Are you still open to the possibility of succeeding, or do you feel you’ll never achieve your goals? What are the expectations you now carry into each competition? Are they unreasonable? Do you set yourself up to fail?

4. Ring nerves puts a damper on fulfillment, enjoyment and accomplishment. So,the next step is working on recapturing the enthusiasm, energy and hope for the future you once had. Sit down and objectively analyze what happens to you mentally and physically when you compete? What happens to your dog? You might ask your teacher and other handlers who you trust what they see.

5. Set up a training program to turn yourself into the handler you imagined at one time you would become some day. Attend seminars, read books on anxiety and sports psychology, get a coach. Taking the actions necessary to make changes will put you back in the driver’s seat and build your confidence.

Whatever resources you choose to use, put the same time into your own training that you put into your dog’s training and you will become the handler of your dreams.

C. Handler's Tales

Laura sent in her story with a note saying she diligently reads PeakNew's Training Tip of the month, but I'm not sure to consciously use them! Unconscious helps too, though, thankfully. Yep, it does. Read on.

From Laura: "I have a success story! My dog Shakespeare and I were suffering from stress in the ring-I would get nervous, and he would mentally shut down and run laps. Needless to say, this did not lead to qualifying scores. :-)

Things got much better in January, when I finally realized that he was hypothyroid (a common problem in Dobes). Within days of starting medication, he was more focused. (One of the lesser symptoms of hypothyroidism is an inability to focus.) We entered his first agility trial that weekend and left with his first agility leg.

The following weekend we went to obedience, which, being less active, is more stressful! I breathed deeply and made a few jokes with the friendly judge before we began, and that made all the difference. We walked out with leg number two and third place. The following two days we qualified again and again, finishing his CD with a leg to spare!

A week ago we went to a UKC trial, where I was completely relaxed and confident. We didn't qualify because of some confusion on my dog's part (he very clearly thought the jump on the recall was a *distraction* to be avoided!), but he turned in the best performance I've ever seen, losing only a point and a half on off-leash heeling!

We'll be back for our U-CD, as well as finishing our Novice Agility title, and then we'll go on from there in these and other sports. But releasing that nervous tension was a marvelous jump to our career!"

Bio: Laura and Shakespeare (a rescued Doberman) live in Indiana, where Laura teaches pet classes.

Thanks Laura and Shakespeare. Congratulations!

Please send your experiences in the ring: achievements and successes, difficulties and how you coped, funny and/or embarrassing moments, etc. Thanks!

D. Second Chances

North Shore Animal League America is the world's largest no-kill animal rescue and adoption center. Across the country, they rescue, nurture and restore pets to happy and healthy lives in loving homes. To date, they have rescued over 880,000 dogs, cats, kittens and puppies.

Visit their home page to find a wonderful new companion or assist them in their mission.

Website: http://www.nsalamerica.org

North Shore Animal League America
25 Davis Ave, Port Washington, NY 11050
Phone: 516.883.7575
Email: adoptions@nsalamerica.org

Please send along your rescue story or information about a favorite shelter or rescue group for our August 2005 issue.

E. BookPicks

Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind by Shunryu Suzuki, Weatherhill, 1997 These essays taken from lectures by the author explore transience of the world, sudden enlightenment, and the nuts and bolts of meditation. The thread that holds it all together is the idea of beginner’s mind.

Be sure to check out our recommended reading list.

Have a book you loved? Write a review, and send it to us.

F. Announcements

Can't make a Seminar? Want to Beat RING NERVES? Buy the book or audio:

Conquering Ring Nerves, A Step-by-Step Program for all Dog Sports By Diane Peters Mayer, M.S.W. Conquering Ring Nerves is designed for competitive dog handlers, from novices to seasoned veterans who experience mild to severe performance anxiety. Featuring mind-body exercises and techniques from the Competing At Your Peak Ring Nerve Seminars, plus chapters on Self-Esteem, Making Mistakes and Creating a Safe Mental Space, and more. Illustrated with real-life handlers’ stories and packed with training tips, Conquering Ring Nerves will help you to ease your anxiety and compete at your peak under pressure. Published by Wiley/Howell Book House

To order from Amazon.com click here!

CAN'T make the Seminar? Join the hundreds of handlers who have STOPPED 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.

JOIN our Yahoo Ring Nerve Group

Join our Yahoo Ring Nerve Group. We discuss all aspects of performance anxiety, including: the Ring Nerve Audio Program, ring nerve seminars, and Conquering Ring Nerves: A Step-By-Step Program for All Dog Sports. We have Q&As and share ring nerve experiences and successes. We also feature chats with dog writers, competitors and others. This is a wonderful forum for talking about ring nerves.

Click to JOIN!

If you enjoyed PeakNews we invite you to share this link with other handlers who you think might benefit from it.

Thank you! See you next month.

**Note: Columns may vary from month to month.

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