miranadobe
Posted : 3/22/2010 1:21:03 PM
I'm sure your trainer has already given you all the tools you need to do well. I think we just offer these suggestions to help anyone else lurking, and to give you real-world competitors' perspectives. You know, those of us who have been there, and have the recent experiences of being nervous and anxious about of dogs in our new sport of choice.
Infiniti
Just be careful about little stuff like that, whether it be voice tone/volume, arm/hand movements, etc.
It's very true, which is why having someone watch you during practice and in the ring - or having video - helps you identify when you unknowingly change your posture, head position, hand signals, etc. I watched our training partners do it all the time when we first started, which I could point out and they worked on it. If you can practice when you feel especially nervous, you might get a preview of how your dog will react to your nerves in the ring.
What might make you feel nervous? An audience of people you don't know, a ring of DA dogs surrounding your course, a yappy child following a step behind you? lol Just saying, if you really want to prepare and work out stuff before you get to the ring, you do things to proof and test yourself and your dog.
Watch the tone of voice, too - my friend has a weird accent on particular words that makes "Down" sound an awful lot like a mean BANG! Judges don't like harsh commands. Speaking of - a lot of dogs get weirded out by the judge moving around the ring with you - looking for straight sits and heeling, etc. Practice with someone hanging near you inside the ring, the way a judge would.