Recent competitions, or rather some of the comments I've received on those occasions, have made me reflect a little on competing and, not least, why I do it.
Competitions are for OUR sake – I think most of us agree on that.
I also think most of us agree that our training often becomes more focused and purposeful when we compete and thus have a goal.
The above is one of the reasons why I compete with my dogs, and in my opinion, competing can also be for the dog's sake.
Isn't it a bit contradictory that competitions are for our sake? Not really, hang on...
I need something to work towards. It makes it more fun for me, it motivates me, and it makes me more focused.
When I am motivated and focused, I become a sharper and more fun trainer for my dogs – I simply train them better.
If I just train "for fun" (for lack of a better word, because it's definitely fun to train against competition) I lose focus, become sloppy, and don't get to train as often as I'd like.
Therefore, competing can also be for the dog's sake, because they get more and better training - at least that's how it is at home.
Then there's the thing about goals.
Goals can be many things, and in my opinion, there are no goals that are more correct than others, as long as it is on the dog's terms. It can be about passing, completing, winning, making a sub-moment work, achieving a certain feeling, or something else entirely.
My goals often differ from competition to competition, from discipline to discipline, and they depend on where in the process we are. However, my goals have in common that they are never about placing or winning – I cannot control what others deliver, and I do not measure our performance against others, I instead measure it against ourselves and look at our development or lack thereof.
Happiness is a state of mind.
“You are always happy when you come out, no matter how it went.”
Yes!
A rosette and a placement can be a nice cherry on top, but it is by no means a necessity for me to be happy and satisfied with our performance. I believe that my dogs always do their best – if they don’t do “well”, something has been too difficult, and I have to evaluate the competition and prior training.
It's never the dogs that are mean or naughty. The responsibility is mine!
I learn something EVERY time and I LOVE it!
Behind the scenes of this week's blogger:
My name is Mia, I am 44 years old, married, have 4 children and 2 F1 Labradors, Molly, 5 years old, and Selma, 2 years old, whom I spend almost all my free time training. We train and compete primarily in HTM/Freestyle and Nose Work - two disciplines in which I am also a DKK judge.
When I'm not training my own, I'm teaching others, braiding paracord, reading crime novels, or blogging.
About competing
Recent competitions, or rather some of the comments I've received on those occasions, have made me reflect a little on competing and, not least, why I do it.
Competitions are for OUR sake – I think most of us agree on that.
I also think most of us agree that our training often becomes more focused and purposeful when we compete and thus have a goal.
The above is one of the reasons why I compete with my dogs, and in my opinion, competing can also be for the dog's sake.
Isn't it a bit contradictory that competitions are for our sake? Not really, hang on...
I need something to work towards. It makes it more fun for me, it motivates me, and it makes me more focused.
When I am motivated and focused, I become a sharper and more fun trainer for my dogs – I simply train them better.
If I just train "for fun" (for lack of a better word, because it's definitely fun to train against competition) I lose focus, become sloppy, and don't get to train as often as I'd like.
Therefore, competing can also be for the dog's sake, because they get more and better training - at least that's how it is at home.
Then there's the thing about goals.
Goals can be many things, and in my opinion, there are no goals that are more correct than others, as long as it is on the dog's terms. It can be about passing, completing, winning, making a sub-moment work, achieving a certain feeling, or something else entirely.
My goals often differ from competition to competition, from discipline to discipline, and they depend on where in the process we are. However, my goals have in common that they are never about placing or winning – I cannot control what others deliver, and I do not measure our performance against others, I instead measure it against ourselves and look at our development or lack thereof.
Happiness is a state of mind.
“You are always happy when you come out, no matter how it went.”
Yes!
A rosette and a placement can be a nice cherry on top, but it is by no means a necessity for me to be happy and satisfied with our performance. I believe that my dogs always do their best – if they don’t do “well”, something has been too difficult, and I have to evaluate the competition and prior training.
It's never the dogs that are mean or naughty. The responsibility is mine!
I learn something EVERY time and I LOVE it!
Behind the scenes of this week's blogger:
My name is Mia, I am 44 years old, married, have 4 children and 2 F1 Labradors, Molly, 5 years old, and Selma, 2 years old, whom I spend almost all my free time training. We train and compete primarily in HTM/Freestyle and Nose Work - two disciplines in which I am also a DKK judge.
When I'm not training my own, I'm teaching others, braiding paracord, reading crime novels, or blogging.