Nerves!

Not the dog's - mine!!!

I absolutely love training and we've done a few trials. In most trials, if we haven't qualified, we've still been in the top 4, but I get massive attacks of nerves and I know we throw points away because I can't master the basics like throwing a dumbell straight, or walking in a straight line and remembering left and right

I desperatley want to get over the nerves, but they seem to be getting worse and worse! Once the round is over, people are lovely and every judge and steward we've worked under has been friendly and encouraging, so it's definitly no reflection on the people involved in the sport.

Are there any techniques I can use to help me just relax and enjoy myself? I know perfectly well that once I just take the plunge and start smiling, I've got a wonderful dog who loves to work and we've come so far, I hate letting him down (he gets tense when I do) and letting down all the lovely people who have helped us.

Congratulations on your success so far. Breathing exercises will help a lot, maybe yoga too, some swear by that

When under test imagine you are just at a training class. And of course, BREATHE. It's so easy to get tense and deprive the brain of oxygen.

Helping out at trials can go a long way to calming nerves, I think most people have some nerves.
Most nerves are caused by the worry of it all going wrong, what you learn when you help at trials is it goes wrong for everyone sometimes, and how to carry on smoothly when it does.
I too get nervous, I'm between competing at the moment, as my dog is only 8 months. I hope when I go into competition with him my nerves will be under contol, if not I shall be making a visit to an excellent hypnotherapist I know.
I think there is someone doing seminars at the moment about competition nerves in dog sports, so that would be another option.

Hi Margaret, I find if I'm ever in a position where I'm likely to get nervous, I use rescue remedy. I find it really helps.
I've used it when skiing, especially when I know the run isn't going to be my run of choice (its the only way down ), and I've had some of my best ski days after rescue remedy so I can clearly say for me it works.
Hope it works for you too, it's worth the money
Sounds like things seem to be going well so far, well done

Thanks everyone! I try to breathe......

We didn't qualify yesterday in UD, but nobody else did either and only 1 qualified the day before.

Dill went all 'Jeremy Clarkson' on me in the tracking on the very first leg, when 3 cars tried to pull up right alongside him, so he felt obliged to look up and give them all a filthy look and a snort....fortunatley, he pulled himself together and got almost all the way round. He just missed the very last turn. He more than made up for that by clearing out all 4 articles in the square though! Gunfire is my favourite bit, because he's worked on the beating line and been clay shooting

His C&A round was......... the worst he's ever done in his life! It was less to do with nerves because the judge and steward were absolutely lovely and very fair and more to do with my dog's inability to resist sheep poo! We live in a fairly intensive arable area and although I did find some sheepy land to practice on last week, I think Dill's conclusion is that it tastes better on the far side of the Pennines!

We had some really lovely walks this weekend: on the moor above the trial area; in the woods; around Whitby and on the beach at Scarborough, so the dogs didn't do too badly out of their little break.

It's not short of good walks up there, i went with my OH on Thursday to take his articles for judging. we had a lovely walk on the moors and the beach.
It's a very friendly trial too.

Yes, it was really friendly. Everyone was so helpful. I can't (well, I'm not supposed to ) eat refined sugar and artificial sweeteners so I was chuffed to bits to find they had fresh melon on sale as well as cake.

My o/h scoffed a big slice of carrot cake though and said it was very nice!

I also fell in love with a Chinese Crested called Gary