22/09/2024
Mindset Chapter:
Breaking habits and creating new ones…
Even with experience, when working with a new dog, or prior to a training session with my own, I always take a moment to meditate on:-
How I want to feel…
How I want to move…
What thoughts I want to have when I am challenged…
Thinking in current or old ways if you confront a problem will not change things.
Mental rehearsal in how you approach, maintain a new state of feeling, and reflect on events is where change happens.
A dog may behave a certain way with you but slightly, or vastly different with someone else. That is because of the other’s state of mind and the energy they transfer.
When you practise mentally changing your outlook, you change your feeling, adopt a new, even if only slightly different, personality.
That in turn gradually changes the situation and produces a new reality.
That reality is a changed situation due to the chemistry between you and your dog.
This is why I always guide my clients to train and interact with heart and soul if they are teaching new things or trying to motivate their dog.
It also relates to being calm under pressure, decisive in nature, diluting self doubts by keeping it together, and giving feedback to the dog from a strong state of mind that the dog can learn to rely on.
Your presence is either a very potent tool in working with your dog’s training or behaviour, or it is where the problems often lie…
Devoting time to how you will approach the work you are about to do, and by using mental rehearsal in practise, you change your thoughts, feelings, and ultimately your actions. Interaction and communication as a result will change for the better and will improve with new and sustained change within you.
Everything you want to change is on the other side of how you feel and act.
It begins there…
A deep and deliberate focus on developing your mental skills is every bit as important as understanding markers, giving timely rewards, and improving handling skills.
Confidence, Competence, and Relationship Building starts right there!
When keeping notes on your training be sure to record your own progress as well as your dogs!