Please light a few candle for us! - Page 2

on each in breath and each out breath - feel your breath go all the way to the ends of your fingers and toes and repeat
om namah shivia, om namah shivia, om namah shivia, om namah shivia


fit that doens't work stay out all night drink heavly and with such a hangover that you cannot stand to even hear your breath - go out on the field and win!

Not so much sobering as a way to keep things in perspective.

The truth is, if you do any of this long enough (AKC, Sch, ring, etc) there will be a day when you're going to fail the tests.  We're working with dogs, not machines and they're working with us people.

I did a mock BH trial last year and I made a huge, HUGE screw up and the judge took points and critiqued me for it.  Guess which lesson never leaves my head when I walk out onto the field now?   It actually helped when I did my real BH with the male a few months later and that lesson kept me from repeating a similar mistake.

Being nervous is natural, we're all going to feel it and no one wants to see months, sometimes years worth of work go 'poof' in a single wrong move but unless you're doing this as a livelihood, as a way to put food on your table (and I know some people on the board are that high level) then ... it's supposed to be fun right?

Mirasmom,
I was always told to eat Tic-Tacs, before going into the ring. Did it help? Who knows? I think it is the waiting that is the worst!  Visualize the Judge in his underware, before doing your OB routine when he is  judging others before you. That pencil writes just as much for the other exhibitors.

YOU'LL BE FINE! Good Wishes your way!
Dawn

Think of it as just another training session. You've done the routines hundreds of times before, in individual components and put together as a whole. MAKE yourself think of it as just another day at training. You KNOW you can do it, you know your dog can do it. Put on some mental blinders and refuse to see spectators and ring stewards, and pretend the judge is your trainer.

Don't allow your mind to override reality.

Actually for my SchH3 with my male I did seem to keep my nerves in better check.  By simply saying two things to myself.  1.   If we fail, it's NOT the end of the world, there are far worse things!   2.   Try to also go out there like to own the field.  I don't know, but just the combo of the two things got me through it.  Hope to have things in better check when it comes down to trialing my female.   Actually gonna do an affiliation trial in a couple of weeks, just for trial experience.

Kathy

You Guys Have Been GREAT!!!!!!!!

Really good ideas, I am so going to get some peppermint or tic tacs before I go in

I have heard from others that you should not have anything in your mouth when you go in the ring,  like my old gym

teacher said "No gum chewing!!" probably looks like you're cheating(I'll just spit it out before going in

With that said, I am so ready, after all, I have gotten a CD on a GSD and a Lab, I have 1 leg towards a CD on another Lab,

and am working towards a CDX  on Sam my girl GSD, it's ME not THEM, so I think I better step up to the plate and get

it done

Power of prayer.......Bring it on........
 

Thanks for starting this topic mirasmom!  I have an AKC trial this weekend too.  Need one more leg for a CDX.  And we've been stretching this darn title out for a year now!  One leg every 6 months!  And nerves is what gets me too.  Anja thinks she is in trouble or something when I'm nervous.  It's just so rediculus!!  I'm just going to go out there and have fun.  I'll still take her home and love her if we fail!!!....maybe!!!   

I'll be thinking of the advice on these posts all Friday morning!!!  Thanks!
Our second leg and a pretty good score for us - 189.5 and 4th place.  Last Oct.

I was born without nerves so i am told, but i can understand how you must feel and it is not at all nice when you work towards a goal and the nerves get the better of you, I cannot give you advice in the nerve department but only suggest you do a little training outside first and a few deep breaths, Look up do not slouch the shoulders or look down, fix your gaze on a point each time you make a turn, by doing this it may keep you more focused on the job and the nerves will not have time to click in as you will be concentrating on a fixed point every turn you make with the dog
Good Luck
Steve

Take a benadril.

Benadryl would probably make me too sleepy!  LOL

Although one of my best agility runs with a mixed breed that I had was a couple of days after having my wisdom teeth pulled out and I was under the influence of narcotic drugs!  So something to be said, about having the edge taken off! 

But then again one of our best herding runs was done on a sleepless night because of nerves.  I had never felt so nervous and focused at the same time!

Kathy