Holding ourselves accountable to stay sharp, to stay focused, and to stay in the sweet spot at the edge of our abilities when we're alone is important – it's not what happens in class each week, during that one or two hour period of time! It's what happens when you're at home, in your back yard, or your basement, by yourself, with your dog, working on the things you've set out to work on, with purpose! Never miss an episode by subscribing via iTunes, Spotify or by RSS Help improve the show by leaving a Rating & Review in iTunes (Here’s How) Join the discussion for this episode in the comments section at the website for this show

As a dog trainer and handler, you’re not only a student (of the game, of your instructor, etc.), but you’re also a coach for your dog. And, good coaches, whether it’s to your dog or to your own agility students, share a knack for transforming the most mundane activities – especially the mundane activities – into games.  Never miss an episode by subscribing via iTunes, Spotify or by RSS Help improve the show by leaving a Rating & Review in iTunes (Here’s How) Join the discussion for this episode in the comments section at the website for this show  

In this Agility Challenge Tip, learn why practice "snacks" are better than practice "binges", what days of the week you should practice, and what it means to be ruthless about noticing and fixing mistakes. Never miss an episode by subscribing via iTunes, Spotify or by RSS Help improve the show by leaving a Rating & Review in iTunes (Here’s How) Join the discussion for this episode in the comments section at the website for this show

Many might ask why in the world would somebody continue to put themselves in the face of feeling frustrated, why would anybody want to struggle? In this episode, Daisy discusses why struggle is not only unavoidable when it comes to growing your skills and talents, but NECESSARY. Never miss an episode by subscribing via iTunes, Spotify or by RSS Help improve the show by leaving a Rating & Review in iTunes (Here’s How) Join the discussion for this episode in the comments section at the website for this show

What's the difference between activity and actual accomplishment? And, how do we go about making sure that we don't fall in to the trap of mistaking one for the other? Check out this Agility Challenge Tip, pulled from Daniel Coyle's Little Book of Talent, with Daisy Peel! Never miss an episode by subscribing via iTunes, Spotify or by RSS Help improve the show by leaving a Rating & Review in iTunes (Here’s How) Join the discussion for this episode in the comments section at the website for this show

In this Agility Challenge Tip, I'll speak on the topic of how to break down what might seem like an insurmountable list of training tasks in to chunks, in order to attain REAL agility mastery. Never miss an episode by subscribing via iTunes, Spotify or by RSS Help improve the show by leaving a Rating & Review in iTunes (Here’s How) Join the discussion for this episode in the comments section at the website for this show

Why you should take off your watch and avoid looking at the clock when you train. And how to define when and how a training session SHOULD end, instead of defining it in terms of minutes and seconds on the clock. Never miss an episode by subscribing via iTunes, Spotify or by RSS Help improve the show by leaving a Rating & Review in iTunes (Here’s How) Join the discussion for this episode in the comments section at the website for this show

Is your training actually productive? Do you enjoy it? Or do you view it as drudgery, something to be suffered through? In this Challenge Tip, I'll dive in to how you can really get to the 'sweet spot' in practice and training, and how to get away from the unproductive swamp of 'shallow practice'.  Never miss an episode by subscribing via iTunes, Spotify or by RSS Help improve the show by leaving a Rating & Review in iTunes (Here’s How) Join the discussion for this episode in the comments section at the website for this show

Teaching, just like anything else, is a skill that must be developed. GOOD teachers are those who have practiced good teaching skills. There are a lot of instructors out there in our sport who have not paid as much attention as they could to the practice of actually TEACHING. Here are 5 ways to pick a teacher or coach who will actually help you improve and GROW your skills. Never miss an episode by subscribing via iTunes, Spotify or by RSS Help improve the show by leaving a Rating & Review in iTunes (Here’s How) Join the discussion for this episode in the comments section at the website for this show

It's so often that we think of talent as something that we're born with, like the color of our hair, or the color of our eyes. We assume that the surest sign of talent is early,  instant, effortless success, i.e., being a prodigy. Basically, this is just not the case – there's a well established body of research that shows that our assumptions about talent are just…false. Early success turns out to be a weak predictor of long-term success! Never miss an episode by subscribing via iTunes, Spotify or by RSS Help improve the show by leaving a Rating & Review in iTunes (Here’s How) Join the discussion for this episode in the comments section at the website for this show

We've been talking about hard skills and soft skills as though they're entirely separate, but in reality, most talents are not exclusively one or the other. They're some combination of the two. You have to have the hard skill of good front cross footwork and the soft skill of knowing when to start that footwork in relation to your dog on course to successfully execute a front cross, for example. However, in his book the Little Book of Talent, author Daniel Coyle suggests we prioritize the hard skills, because in the long run, they're more important to developing your talent. Never miss an episode by subscribing via iTunes, Spotify or by RSS Help improve the show by leaving a Rating & Review in iTunes (Here’s How) Join the discussion for this episode in the comments section at the website for this show

To build soft skills you should behave less like a careful carpenter and more like a skateboarder in a skateboard park: aggressive, curious, and experimental, always seeking new ways to challenge yourself. Dig in to this concept more with Daisy Peel in this week's Agility Challenge Tip! Never miss an episode by subscribing via iTunes, Spotify or by RSS Help improve the show by leaving a Rating & Review in iTunes (Here’s How) Join the discussion for this episode in the comments section at the website for this show

To develop reliable hard skills, you have to connect the right wires in your brain. You want to be careful, slow, and highly aware of errors. You want to work like a careful carpenter. Dig more in to this concept in this week's Agility Challenge Tip with Daisy! Never miss an episode by subscribing via iTunes, Spotify or by RSS Help improve the show by leaving a Rating & Review in iTunes (Here’s How) Join the discussion for this episode in the comments section at the website for this show

The first step toward building a skill is to figure out exactly what type of skill you're building. Every skill falls into one of two categories: hard skills and soft skills. This tip comes from Daniel Coyle's The Little Book Of Talent, and is adapted for use by us agility handlers! Never miss an episode by subscribing via iTunes, Spotify or by RSS Help improve the show by leaving a Rating & Review in iTunes (Here’s How) Join the discussion for this episode in the comments section at the website for this show

It's tempting to think that if we don't have the latest and greatest this or that, we'll never be successful. If we don't have the latest and greatest dog toy, how will our dog ever be as motivated as that super motivated border collie over there? If we don't have the latest and greatest equipment – the best jumps, the prettiest tunnels, a heated arena with an amazing turf surface – how can we possibly be the best we can possibly be? But, do we really NEED all that fancy stuff to be our best and make progress with our dog agility handling and training?  Never miss an episode by subscribing via iTunes, Spotify or by RSS Help improve the show by leaving a Rating & Review in iTunes (Here’s How) Join the discussion for this episode in the comments section at the website for this show

Top performers are willing to fail, and they’re willing to do so repeatedly in the name of improvement. So, how do you ensure that you’re always comfortable looking silly, or foolish, or stupid? How can you avoid the trap of avoiding expanding your skillset in the name of “looking good”? When it comes to physical exercise, we all expect to feel discomfort – after all, the saying goes, ‘no pain, no gain,’ right? Learn more in this Agility Challenge Tip! Never miss an episode by subscribing via iTunes, Spotify or by RSS Help improve the show by leaving a Rating & Review in iTunes (Here’s How) Join the discussion for this episode in the comments section at the website for this show

The idea that talented handlers get their skill by following their “natural instincts” is baloney. This is good news for all of us – there is no “natural instinct” for dog agility. ALL improvement is about absorbing and applying new information, and the best source of information is top performers. So steal it. What do I mean by that? Read this Agility Challenge tip to find out! Never miss an episode by subscribing via iTunes, Spotify or by RSS Help improve the show by leaving a Rating & Review in iTunes (Here’s How) Join the discussion for this episode in the comments section at the website for this show

In this episode of The Agility Challenge Podcast, Daisy interviews Kelly Daniel of Hybrid Dog Training. Kelly lives in New Zealand, where she teaches canine fitness, dog agility, and secondary school science (that's high school for those in North America)!  This is an AMAZING conversation you won't want to miss, where we discuss topics such as: How stress hormones released in the FIRST run of a weekend can shape EVERY run for the REST of the weekend Why you should care about including your dog's emotional state as part of your criteria for the behaviors you're training How to increase your DOG'S mental resiliency, or mental toughness …and much, much more. Dive in to this fantastic interview episode, and share your thoughts after you have a listen! Never miss an episode by subscribing via iTunes, Spotify or by RSS Help improve the show by leaving a Rating & Review in iTunes (Here’s How) Join the discussion for this episode in the comments section at the website for this show

What's the best way to learn a skill? In this Agility Challenge Tip I'll talk about the 'engraving approach' or the 'engraving method', and how it can help with your agility skills, even when you don't have time to DO agility with your dog! Never miss an episode by subscribing via iTunes, Spotify or by RSS Help improve the show by leaving a Rating & Review in iTunes (Here’s How) Join the discussion for this episode in the comments section at the website for this show

In this week's Agility Challenge Tip, I'll dive into the power of something called 'ignition' for talent development in dog agility.  Ignition is that spark connecting your identity to high performers, making you believe "I could be them." My own ignition moment, triggered by an Animal Planet show, ignited my passion for dog agility. To foster this spark, I offer practical tips, starting with creating a serendipitous, joyful discovery.  What was YOUR ignition moment? Unlock Your Agility Potential! #DogAgility #TalentDevelopment #IgnitionMoment #TheAgilityChallenge Never miss an episode by subscribing via iTunes, Spotify or by RSS Help improve the show by leaving a Rating & Review in iTunes (Here’s How) Join the discussion for this episode in the comments section at the website for this show