Startline – Détails, épisodes et analyse

I'm known to have EVERYTHING a person could need when away from home, even probably more than most people have in their home but I carry it in a convenient tool bag. From safety pins and measuring tape to pain relievers and stomach soothers, I am known as CVS - Cara's Variety Service.

While I might be a handy individual to have at the agility trial, there is nothing stopping you from being this prepared. I review what's in my bag, provide a list, go over what I have in my car and a few things in my home that have made living with dogs easier (and cleaner).

After I finished recording I saw plenty more items to mention but just figured I will have to do a V2 of this episode.

Below are the links to some of the products I recommend. Full disclosure, only the rug link and Cody's Creations do I get credit for, both awesome companies give me a discount when I buy from them again. I might be all set on rugs for now, but I can always use another collar!

Don't need a new rug or collar but still want to keep me going? Consider giving a little here startlinepod.com - just hit the donate button top left.

Links

Not the exact bag but a similar one, same size

Cleaner I love

Tumble Rugs - washable rugs I love get $40 off with that link

Xtreme Stitch - incredible agility leash/collar combos

Cody's Creations - amazing collars, leashes and more! Get 15% off with discount code "startline"

Cat and Dog First Aid & CPR - use discount code "startline" for 20% off and learn how to save your dog (or cat) NOW!

I've been watching friends and good handlers crumble under the pressure of trying to qualify for the 2024 AKC Agility Invitationals. While I know how to comfort them and buy them a drink, I needed to lean on the expert Julie Bacon, AKA The Q Coach to help teach us all how to get a grip on the mindset that is melting our agility skills.

Julie as always gives us helpful hints, tools and processes to get out of our head and get in the game. Or for some, to let go of the pressure and just have fun, that is what we signed up for in the first place isn't it?

Listen for some strategies on how you can improve your mindset, which ultimately enhances your team's success when trying to reach that goal of qualifying for a big event like Invitationals, Nationals or even Westminster.

Happy to be listening and learning? Want to keep me motivated? You can ⁠⁠⁠buy me a matcha or a chai latte by dropping some coin here⁠⁠⁠ (hit the donate button right there on the homepage).

Learn how to keep your pups in tip-top shape to be prepared to perform at their absolute best. While I obviously focus on agility, canine conditioning will help with duration sits in obedience, stamina in long nose work searches and in everyday life to afford your dog the physical and mental ability to keep up. The better shape they are in, the more longevity they have, and studies back me on this.

I also share my workout circuit and how I acquired equipment on a budget.

We compress the crap out of our dogs by putting them in situations that are not natural to them. This is not to say they are bad situations but they require a lot out of our dogs to handle the stimuli among other variables. Yes, over time many dogs become desensitized to all these situations, I would agree as my dogs age they become extremely comfortable and happy in their regular trial environments. However, we can help them bounce back to their baseline quicker and be more resilient if we give them a chance to decompress.

I know as humans many of us understand how great we feel after we go for a walk, get a massage, take a breather, unwind etc. Our dogs need this opportunity too, they need to do things that make them feel good like sniffing, running, jumping, shredding, digging and climbing and we need to be offering this to them every chance we get, especially after a long day at a trial, seminar or training.

Here is the episode where Julie and I discuss compression https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-q-coach-pod-mindset-coaching-for-handlers-with/id1577589463?i=1000616100043

Here is the episode where the Behavior Vets discuss the Resilient Rainbow and the 7 domains https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/worry-less-wag-more-the-behavior-vets-podcast/id1599111429?i=1000599727804

Sarah Stremming's podcast on the same topic https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cog-dog-radio/id1128562867?i=1000613240024

When you have extra time please go back and listen to Episode 10 - Car Safety Setups & Keeping Cool it really covers an immense amount of useful information, so much so that I broke it down and redid it to a) remove the pandemic-isms and b) update some of the products I have found to be even better to help us and our dogs stay cool this summer.

What it boils down to is a little bit of science, good cooling products and a great car setup. I help you keep your pups cool so the stress from the heat is one less thing they have to deal with.

Here are the products I mention/recommend and no, I do not have an affiliate account. I would love one but the hours in my day slip away and I'd rather just give you the information than figure out how to get paid to share it :P

• Ryobi Supercharger (I call it a rapid charger) - remember to compare to the Ryobi days sale Home Depot has usually from Memorial Day weekend through Father's Day. I did not link it because it will expire and you will be disappointed in me
• Jackery Portable Power Station - I have seen several exhibitors with these, these are on the high end for price but ask them, I bet they are worth it
• Marbero Portable Power Station - I have zero idea of the quality but for the price, worth a try?
• Eagle Peak Pop-Up Tent (Easy Up, which is a brand but we use it as a proprietary eponym) - I do not have this one but would buy it, it has vents, vents are important for wind gusts
• Aluminet with Bungees - I have this one and love it
• Magnets - Remember, don't be cheap
• Spring Camps - I might have called them clips
• Cooling Coat - Love this one
• Cooling Mat - Spend the money and get this one
• Govee Thermometer - I zip tie this bad boy to my crates where their heads would be if sitting up. It has been very reliable, just does not have a great range.

I struggled to develop a title for this episode because it covers SO MUCH! Julie Bacon of The Q Coach and I discuss the importance of our mindset for the human and the dog parts of our team, but then we cover so much more!

We discuss the difference between outcome goals and process goals, what we can control, and what it takes to get there. We offer tons of tidbits to staying organized, saving brain power for where you need it the most (the ring) and even more ways you can help reduce the stress in your dog's agility journey.

For a deeper dive into the wonderful concepts Julie shares about our mindset to help us Q more, check out her podcast, Mindset Coaching for Handlers. It was recommended to me by a couple of agility exhibitors and I found it so fascinating that I went right to the creator to bring it to more people.

I have been seeing and hearing a lot about ISC events or classes added to trials recently. ISC stands for International Sweepstakes Class.

In my mind, this was a new addition to the AKC agility program which I admittedly knew very little about. Wanting to learn more about ISC, I went directly to the source, the director of AKC agility, Carrie DeYoung.

Carrie shares a heap of information with us including that I was wrong about ISC being something new that was added, it's been around for 20 years. However, thanks to the pandemic (did I just really say that?) and some exhibitors that came to Carrie to bring more ISC to a trial near you, it has been gaining in popularity.

Learn what ISC is, what the courses are like, the levels it has and how this style of course could very much help you on your agility journey. If anything, it's a fun addition that more clubs can be offering to break up the day, get you out of your "must Q" headspace and still allow you and your pup to have a blast. It's just another way to play agility, the sport we all love.

For more information on ISC click here https://images.akc.org/pdf/rulebooks/REAGIL.pdf and search "ISC"

Go listen to Episode 33 - Stressed for Success⁠ before you listen to this gem.

Noreen Bennett of PawPrint Trials and I follow up on our Stressed for Success episode not just by providing solutions but also providing creative ways to unravel the uncertainty you may find you and your dog in on your agility journey.

In our first episode about stress, we discussed how to recognize it. Now we cover how to actually combat it by building resilience in our dogs so we aren't just spreading the stress to another area of the ring, much like a pair of Spanx does to our midriff.

Don't be like Spanx, stop moving the stress around, and help recognize and relieve it, we want to help you do that.

To learn more in-depth about the 7 steps to building resilience in our dogs, definitely check out this podcast episode.

Otherwise enjoy the listen and as always, enjoy the journey with your dog.

I'm bringing this to you as a bonus episode because I wanted to be one of the first to interview Steve after his fantastic win at the 2023 National Agility Championship. He and his dog Hogan, who is not a Border Collie, clenched the final win for the 24" class with a touch less speed but 100% consistency as Steve gives us insight into his strategy.

Learn how Steve and Hogan go from ACT (the most beginner agility title one can earn) to NAC (the highest and greatest agility title). We discuss generalizing and how little things you can do with your dog throughout each day can turn your team into true champions.

Steve also shares just how involved he is in the world of agility and beyond. He's an avid golfer and golf rules official but also a great guy that does a TREMENDOUS amount for the sport of agility. Not only does he co-chair the biggest agility show on dirt each and every year, but he is also constantly volunteering on boards, chairing trials, course building and volunteering any way he can to make certain we all have the ability to continue to trial in the sport we love.

Want to learn about what a true champion team looks like, have a listen. Next time you are at a trial or especially at the Thanksgiving Cluster in West Springfield, MA, remember to find Steve and thank him for all his efforts in this sport and community. He is truly the epitome of a champion.

This episode captures a little bit of Michele and me geeking out on dog behavior and a whole lot of great information about how you can help your hyper, reactive or stressed-out dog in agility by letting them sniff.

We bust myths about confusing dogs and allowing them to sniff, we arm you with a ton of information you can gather about your dog and we offer you an insight into the benefits of offering your dog the opportunities to tap into their innate behavior.

I knew from my own experience how beneficial nosework was to my agility journey with my dogs but when I have a conversation with Michele Ellertson, I realized how much this indeed dovetails with my previous interview with Noreen Bennett.

Learn and hopefully listen when we tell you that your dog isn't being an asshole when they run off and sniff, rather choose to see behavior not as bad, but as information. What is your dog telling you when they drop down and sniff?

Michele offers us ways to train in a way that changes the picture for the dog and taps into the different drivers and unleashes a different experience. This is for any aspect of our dog's lives but specifically, you can apply this to agility.

I also realize how fortunate I am to have such an incredibly knowledgeable, creative, and skilled nosework instructor. I was hooked years ago just dropping into a class. Don't worry if you aren't local, Michele teaches online, travels to teach tons of seminars as a CNWI (instructor), judges as a NACSW Certifying Official, and NACSW Trial Representative, and brings over 20 years of dog training experience. She's lively, passionate, and just wants to help your dog by getting you to get out there to give them something to sniff.

To learn more about Michele Ellertson you can check out her company website, https://www.thedogspace.net/