So, it's New Year's Eve! So much to do yet, right? I'm sure most of you have been busy reflecting on the past year and daydreaming, planning for the new year and figuring out what you're doing tonight! Exciting times!
Along with planning things for myself, I also add my pups to the list. I set goals for their training and performance and their health and overall development. I have several dogs (and lots of other animals) so I review their records to be sure they are all up-to-date on any medical concerns. For my older dogs, I do yearly (if not twice a
year) blood work and urine tests. I take a fresh look at their physical condition and assess their flexibility. Are they a healthy weight for what I ask them to do? My dogs are working dogs so I make sure they are on the lean side of weight. Evaluating their supplements is also on my list of things to refresh. I make sure that I have regular chiropractic appointments set up for them to keep them running right.
But one of the best tool that I have found to keep things on track is a training & performance journal. Many people have these and they are filled with some progress entries but more often than not, they are filled with lists of things "to work on" or things that went wrong on a course. Don't know about you, but I can easily recall all the bad things that happened but over time, struggle to remember the great things. To change this, one of my trainers suggested that I only record the good things that happened. An ultimate in the law of attraction, right? The biggest shift in my training and performance came when I started only listing the things we did well and the best things about the session. How my dog amazed me – those are the things I need to write down. So, I challenge all of you to make a Success Journal listing all of the things that went well in a training session or performance. (I'm not talking about a title or placement log either.) Things like: "In that run, my dog hit the dogwalk contact perfectly", "when I asked my dog to flank left on the stock, he did a beautiful release and turned out" or "when at flyball practice, I passed a new dog in the line up, my dog didn't even flinch and took it with confidence." All of these things may seem minor, but without all of them, the task couldn't be accomplished as well. When I look back in my Success Journal, I can quickly and easily relive all of the great things my dog was able to do. When I do this, it helps me relive the pride and happiness I felt when in the actual moment. Then, I'm ready to get to get to work again. This also instills a different level of confidence in certain tasks. "Yes, my dog CAN take a "get out" command on the agility course." I no longer wonder or worry if they can do these things but actually count on them in that situation to do what they already know. It really builds a deeper partnership and fills me with confidence.
So, create a Success Journal for all your dogs and watch your performances soar to new heights!