Sometimes you see agility competitors who work beautifully in training with their dogs, and seem to have all the skills for success, but still rarely reach the same level in competitions. Basic agility skills might not be enough to get you to the top; mental factors also have a great impact in agility.
Since our dogs always give their all to us handlers, it is only fair that we work just as hard in order to be the best possible handlers for our dogs. That is why we find mental preparation for competitions very important.
Agility is a goal-oriented sport with persistent competition at all levels. Every handler can learn to use mental preparation and competitive skills to their benefit and enjoy their hobby in all of its levels. For active competitors, acquiring these skills and using them purposefully is an important factor of success.
The articles in our Mental Training program are written by Vappu Alatalo, a certified psychologist specializing in sport psychology, who has been working since 2000 with several top level agility competitors, including some of the OneMind Dogs Coaches. In addition to her expertise in sport psychology, she knows agility and dog sports well: Vappu started her own agility career 1993 and has since trained and competed with her dogs in Finland, USA and Denmark.