On reading this I hope you have all had as good a Christmas as you can in these strange times!
I don’t know if your anything like me but as soon as boxing day is over I’m wanting to take down the decorations and get planning my goals for the new year!
It is such a strange time at the moment and because we have no idea what is happening with future restrictions and events that there is little point planning anything.
When it comes to dog training it is so important that you have not only long term goals but short term goals too. This could be as short term as what you want to achieve by the end of the day!
Setting goals not only gives us something to aim for but it provides a measurable outcome for what your wanting to achieve. Having a measurable goal is an easy way to keep track of success even on days when it feels like you aren’t getting success at all! It enables us to look at where we are now compared to when we started and tweek the plan if necessary.
Setting any goal enables us to break down the task into smaller tasks to work on to help us achieve the desired end result. Many people make the mistake of lumping lots of skills together rather than breaking each task down into micro tasks.
In my agility geek club I encourage students to not only have short term goals but to have long term goals to. It must be said that although we are set on the desired end goal in dog training we may need to be flexible in the approach we take to get there and this is why I love club! It enables me as a coach to advise my clubbers what is right for their individual dogs needs.
Along with setting goals geek club is packed full of vital information on understanding your dogs individual personality and needs and incorporating this in training.
As a coach I’m there to guide students on the best way to break down their goal and work on each element to achieve their desired result and if things take a sideways step I’m there to guide them back on that path of success.
My passion lies in agility foundations – your never done when it comes to foundation training! It is something we constantly revisit and they are key in enabling success in your training whatever level your training at.
A lot of people are keen to get the foundations done and out of the way so they can move onto the more exiting bits of kit, however these are the same people that I see failing time and time again in the competition ring!
It doesn’t have to be limited to the competition ring, in training if we are too quick to move on then the probability is that your not going to succeed as well as what you could do by not rushing things and working on foundations as part of your training.
This is summed up perfectly in one of my favourite quotes:
Foundation training is essential in EVERY training session and I teach my students how to incorporate foundation training as part of their training routine.
Your never done when it comes to foundations (or learning for that matter!)
Agility is like a big jigsaw of tiny little bits and each piece needs to be worked on to enable you to get the bigger picture.
Back to goal setting, what is it that you would like to achieve in your training in 2021?
I am hosting an online seminar in January specifically about goal setting and how to enable you to make 2021 your most successful year yet! If you are interested in joining us simply click the link below and as soon as the details have been finalised I will send you all the information you need to join us!
I am only opening up a few spaces on this seminar to ensure I can give everyone attending my full attention so make sure to register your interest so you don’t miss out!
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Whatever your training plans are for 2021 I wish you lots of success and fun times with your 4 legged friend 😊❤.
Happy Training
Katrina 🐾
KB Agility 