MINDSET RESET FOR YOUR DOG
How about meeting a new breed for the first time, or overcoming the challenge of tape on the mats, a flapping tent, or crashing crates while rings and set-ups are being torn down? Both small and large challenges can be overcome through a growth mindset. READ YOUR DOG Mindset kicks in during times of great joy or great stress. Applying to your dog, you have to know when he’s happy and comfortable, and when he’s unhappy or intimidated. You should be able to see it in his eyes and in his body posture. Be tuned in to observe physical signs of stress. Damp footprints on the mats mean that your dog is stressed. Is his eye movement more rapid or slower? Is he leaning back or forging ahead? Support your dog when he needs it. Your number one job in the ring is to sup- port your dog’s experience. Look at the basics when you are read- ing your dog. Where’s the tail? Is it tucked or wagging? You want those whiskers to lie down, right?Hemight be happy oneminute in the ring, and terrified the next. Why is that? It is because his experience has changed from one moment to the next. Consider who he is standing beside. You should be able to read your dog’s body lan- guage and respond appropriately. Also remember, there are interactions between dogs in the ring. Dogs get intimi- dated by other dogs, and they get fired up by other dogs. There may be specific dogs
in that ring that your dog hates, loves or fears. You should know these things before you go into the ring. Anticipate how your dog is going to respond to certain stressors, and make sure that he’s ready and able to handle them. Ask yourself, “What is the mindset of my dog toward other dogs?” There are ways to shift your dog’s mindset as you look at mental conditioning within the context of each particular challenge. Are you able to get inside your dog’s head to make him show like a rock star? As you are exposing him to learning experi- ences that set him up to learn and grow, EVERYTHING is about mindset. The handler who is able to connect with the dog, to respond, and to support the dog as it taps into its true potential—that is what it takes to elevate to the next level to become a successful handler. Our dogs’ confidence grows when we expose them to challenges and guide them through success. That experience feeds a growth mindset, and the feedback loop continues. That confidence translates to new experiences, and ultimately, to an energy of unlimited potential. Your dog will move differently, interact with both dogs and humans dif- ferently—and others will take notice, particularly your judge. Your dog will get that win in the end, because you have formed the building blocks for a stellar presentation.
“THE HANDLER WHO IS ABLE TO CONNECT WITH THEIR DOG, TO RESPOND, AND TO SUPPORT THEIR DOG AS IT TAPS INTO THEIR TRUE POTENTIAL—THAT IS WHAT IT TAKES TO ELEVATE TO THE NEXT LEVEL TO BECOME A SUCCESSFUL HANDLER.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Ms. Lee Whittier has been involved in the sport of purebred dogs for over three decades. Her involvement began as owner, exhibitor, and subsequently, a breeder of Rottweilers. She has also owned and exhibited numerous breeds, currently Tibetan Terriers, in three Groups. Lee began judging in 2000, and then took a hiatus for several years to work for The American Kennel Club as an Executive Field Representative. She returned to judging in 2011, and currently judges the Working, Terrier, Toy, and Non-Sporting Groups, eleven Hounds breeds, six Sporting breeds, Bouvier des Flandres, and Best in Show. She has judged throughout the US as well as internationally. Lee is a standing member of Dog Fanciers of Oregon, the American Rottweiler Club, and the Tibetan Terrier Club of America. She is Show Chair for Vancouver Kennel Club and the Terrier Association of Oregon’s January show with Rose City Classic. In addition to judging, Lee has developed the Dog Show Mentor program—exclusively for owner handlers. This is an online program where owner handlers of all stages and levels learn to develop an individual, strategic approach to showing dogs. Lee also travels to speak to owner handlers all over the world.
1 https://fs.blog/2015/03/carol-dweck-mindset/, accessed 9/26/2021.
166 | SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, OCTOBER 2021
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