Stumbling is not falling.   Portuguese proverb

Issue: August, 2005

Publisher & Editor: Diane Peters Mayer

A. PeakSpeak

Dear PeakNews reader,

Coming out of the haze of one of the hottest summers here in the Northeast, at least in recent memory, I’m ready for Fall — not for Winter — but for Fall, my favorite time of the year. And though hot sticky days are ahead, cooler ones are forecast for the next week, with some nights going as low as the high 50’s. I can almost hear Benny saying, “aaaah” when we leave the house on the recent cooler mornings for his first run. And I’ve picked up his training sessions too now that the weather is moderating. He just can’t concentrate in the heat, and well, neither can I.

As the summer fun fades, here in the states, it’s a good time to take a look at what areas of your ring nerves you want to work on during the Fall and Winter months. If you’re in a part of the world where summer is just beginning, a review won’t hurt. Review breathing techniques. Increase your ability to concentrate. Practice softening and relaxing the muscle tension in your face. Any of these choices will reduce ring nerves and help you stay connected with your dog. If you feel calm and your body is loose, why wouldn’t your dog want to happily compete with you?

Contact us at PeakNews and let us know what you are doing to combat ring nerves, and feel free to bring brags or problems to this forum.

Hope you are all staying cool. Let us hear from you with stories about your experiences in the ring, and what you are up to this summer.

The Training Tip of the month features a series of easy to do exercises that will change your face from being tight, tense and even grimacing, to soft, loose, smiling and inviting.

Second Chances highlighted shelter is in Missouri.

BookPicks features a great beginners book on Yoga.

We’d like to remind you that along with your submissions we now accept photos of you and your canine companions . You can email them to: sheri@virtualhelpinghand.com or snail mail them to: Sheri Huffman, 2701 Creek Valley Dr., Garland, TX 75040.

PeakNews offers a unique format in which to engage and connect with handlers from the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Finland, the Netherlands, Norway and South Africa who, in some form, all experience ring nerves.

Your questions, comments, and stories enrich PeakNews immeasurably. Send us your submissions for the next issue by September 20th.

Please join us to become the handler of your dreams. Your dog will thank you!

Enjoy.

Diane

B. Training Tip Of The Month

Face to Fact With your Dog

If you are uptight, jittery, shaky and anxious at shows, your face telegraphs your state of mind. Some handlers are easy to read, tight mouths, creased brow, deer in headlights eyes. Others have subtle changes, a slight tightening of the face, eyes like slits, mouth held in a plastered on smile. Other handlers may not be aware of your facial tension, but your dog will.

You all know that dogs communicate mostly through body language. When dog meets dog, they read each others intentions through bodily changes: facial tension around the muzzle and forehead could be a defensive move for protection or an offensive signal of an impending attack. Relaxed muzzle and face signals everything is okay or “hey I found a playmate.”

Your dog is always reading your body language to understand the state of his world. He is sensitive to your smallest bodily changes—he’s certainly tuned in to what your face is telling him. In training class or during playtime, your face is relaxed and soft, smiling and laughing, but in the ring with the nerves and pressure pulling at you, your face changes. If that fight or flight kicks in and you can’t ease the symptoms, there’s a good chance your dog will be thinking, “She looks scary, I’m outta here!”

Practicing to relax your face will have a positive impact on the rest of your body, and will also relax your head, neck and shoulders, where lots of tension piles up. Practicing the following exercises just 5-10 minutes a day will make a positive difference in how you feel, in reducing facial tension changing the signals you are giving your dog about competition.

Facial Exercises

1. Sit in a comfortable chair, hands are relaxed in your lap.
2. Close your eyes.
3. With chin to chest, gently roll your head back and forth for about one minute.
4. Tighten your jaw muscles by clamping down on your teeth. Hold for 3-4 seconds and let go. Repeat 3 more times and feel the tension leave your jaw.
5. Tighten your whole face and make a grimace. Feel the tension in your face and neck. Hold for 3-4 seconds and let go. Repeat 3 more times letting the tension flow out of your face.
6. Open your eyes. Keeping your head still slowly roll your eyes in a clockwise circle for about a minute. New roll your eyes in a counter clockwise circle for about a minute. When time is up, rub your palms together until they feel warm and gently lay them over your eyes for a few seconds.
7. When you are finished, relax and see how you feel.

Smile Exercise

1. Sit in a comfortable chair, hands rest in your lap.
2. Close your eyes.
3. Begin to smile (even it if feels forced keep it up) hold for about 5 seconds.
4. At the same time you are smiling think of something pleasurable or funny to help make your smile natural, not forced. Repeat for one minute.
5. Practice smiling and visualizing daily.
6. Relax and see how you feel when time is up.

Note: Smiling will help reduce over all anxiety. If smiling is too difficult at first, practice yawning to loosen up your face and jaw.

C. Second Chances

This month’s featured shelter is the HELP Humane Society in Cass County, Missouri. The following information is taken from their website:

HELP Humane Society: HELP Humane Society Inc. is a non-profit organization currently run by a small group of animal lovers in Cass County, MO (just south of Kansas City) Until a shelter is built, homeless pets are placed in foster homes, receiving love and attention, until a permanent home is found. All HELP animals are treated by veterinarians, receive age appropriate vaccinations, dewormed and are spayed / neutered. Cats have been Feluk / FIV tested are are negative unless otherwise stated.

HELP's long term goal is to build a cageless, living animal shelter in the Cass County area, to take care of all homeless pets from Cass County and the surrounding areas.

HELP Humane Society, Inc.
P.O. Box 18
Raymore,MO 64083

Voicemail: 816-331-5291
Email: Info@helppets.org
Website: www.helppets.org

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

D. BookPicks

	The American Yoga Association’s Beginner Manual by Alice Christensen A Fireside Book, 2002
This is a definitive guide for beginning a yoga program. A well illustrated 10 week program with special routines for stress relief and improved sports performance.

Buy it on Amazon today by clicking on the link. Be sure to check out our recommended reading list.

Have a book you loved? Write a review, and send it to us at CAYPNews@aol.com

E. Announcements

Ring Nerves Seminars

Have your club host my popular all day seminar for handlers and dogs and learn the following:

• understanding performance anxiety
• stopping panic
• getting and staying relaxed
• concentrating under pressure
• staying connected to your dog
• turning off negative self-talk
• being centered in the ring
• building confidence
• using guided imagery to reach peak performance

You’ll be able to practice what you learn in simulated show situations. Contact me at CAYPNews@aol.com

See the Difference a Day Makes!

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!

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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