How to Navigate Arousal
in Agility & at the Startline
for Optimal Results
What you’ll learn:
Examples of how "hyping up" your dog can backfire
Why arousal in dog sports is overrated
How arousal levels impact each and every one of our dogs
What you can start applying today to achieve optimal arousal levels
IMPORTANT NOTICE!
UPDATED 2.0 VERSION COMING SOON!
We are preparing some important content updates and extensions (if you enroll today you’ll receive them automatically for free when available). Plus, when we launch, you’ll have an exclusive opportunity to We are preparing some important content updates and extensions (if you enroll today you’ll receive them automatically for free when available). Plus, when we launch, you’ll be invited to enroll as an active participant (limited working spots). You’ll receive our feedback on your uploaded videos throughout the guided program, watch the feedback we give on others’ videos, join discussions inside the community, hop on live Q&A calls, and more.
Program Start Date: 17th of June
Our Students Love Solid Startline Stay Course
»I have been able to apply this knowledge and build much more consistent stays during training and competitions. It has truly set even my youngest boy, Tide, up for success!«
»Perfect course to start with before agility sequencing or to fix existing startline issues!«
»You simply need to have this if you ever plan on competing. It is one of the first things I work on with my dogs and I recommend you do too. I’ll be doing these exercises with my next puppy too.«
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Looking forward to the course opening up.
We are sure you’re going to love it!! 🙂
I need this course –
Coming soon!!
hello, I’m looking forward to learning more. I have a dog that is over the top and very intense in everything we do. I can’t even go anywhere in the house; she thinks we are going somewhere or playing agility. I’ve tried self control exercise without luck. also she’s toy obsessed. I avoid toys for jumping exercise. She plows into the jumps and wings.
Hi,
It sounds like your dog is having some arousal issues for sure. We will address this lightly in our Solid Startline Stay course – however, it would be ideal to work on this problem holistically through remote consultations. Arousal and over-excitement are strong emotions that oftentimes require work outside of the agility field. You can start by asking yourself where your dog participates in routines that spike their arousal levels and where you can nurture a calm mindset instead. If you are looking for guidance, we are always available to help you through this with private online consultations.
I’m looking forward to implementing your suggestions to manage my very intense border collie. I do believe there is light as she has become more settled at home. I’m unable to have her calm when we run agility…..on the side of the ring or when she runs. She will keep running back at me instead of driving forward so it’s really frustrating.
Hi, we are sure you’ll love our exercises and tips within our Solid Startline Stay course. In regards to running back to you instead of focusing on obstacles and committing to them, we recommend our friend’s Essential Agility Training Skills course to polish the foundations and understanding of what you’re asking your dog to do – the confidence in the skill will already reduce arousal levels and frustration.
She’ll stay at home and when I’m out walking but not when she is doing agility. Did at the beginning but not now. Looking forward to see if this will help
Hi, thank you for commenting. Agility training introduces higher arousal, which could be the reason why your dog becomes so filled with anticipation that their perfect stay breaks down. Maintaining their position at home or during a walk might be easier because there’s no exciting activity following their stay. We will be addressing this in our class. 🙂
I actually don’t have a problem in start line,. The problem I have is keeping my dogs attention while doing a longer course. She gets distracted so easily. Often she start sniffing around and forgets everything around her…
Hi,
Thank you for your comment.
Does your dog have this problem only during competitions or does it also occur during training sessions?
Sniffing and getting distracted could be a result of feeling overwhelmed and stressed. It’s possible that your dog might not be ready for longer sequences yet.
In my approach to training, I aim to only do as much as my dog is comfortable with. This means ensuring they stay happily engaged and attentive during the training process.
To address this issue, my plan of action would involve increasing the value of the activity. This can be achieved by using higher motivation rewards, building confidence and understanding on individual obstacles, and refraining from running a complete course if your dog is unable to do so without getting distracted.
By establishing strong foundations, structuring sessions effectively, and setting your dog up for success, you can help them gain confidence. Confidence leads to joy, and with joy, there comes staying in the game and not wandering off the course.
Your goal is to build a love for the game. When your dog loves the process, adding higher expectations will be a piece of cake, but they have to want to be a part of the process first and you get that by setting very simple challenges and making your dog feel like they are on top of the world.
That might mean it will take a bit longer before your dog can run a full course while keeping the focus, but whenever things go wrong along the process, it is important to take a few steps back and build stronger foundations. 🙂
Hope this helps a little!
Thank you so much for answering.
We’re not doing competition, it’s during training sessions.
I started agility only 4 months ago…
It looks like I have to work harder on creating a stronger bound between the two of us.
We’re working on doing small sequences still, and it could be that she’s a little bit overwhelmed about it.
About to increase the reward, how do I do that?
I bring her favorite toy, specific for our training sessions, and I try to encourage her.
Thats what we Need – my Border Collie Girl and me very exited to learn more
Martina and Malu
Hey, excited to welcome you into our course!! 🙂
Hi, looking forward to understanding arousal more🙂
Hi,
Excited to have you on board!
Thank you for this video. Thank God we no longer have any problems with the start line. In fact, only since we put calm and concentration first in our warm-up routine. Playing before the start has become a minor matter at best. The video really encourages me. Thanks for sharing.
Hei, my dog explodes when he understands, that now it is his time to do the exercises. At home he is really normal dog, and at the hall also, hwn others are doing agility, then he is not over-arousal. BUT – when his turn is – then he explodes!!
IMPORTANT NOTICE! UPDATED 2.0 VERSION COMING SOON!
We are preparing some important content updates and extensions (if you enroll today you’ll receive them automatically for free when available). Plus, when we launch, you’ll be invited to enroll as an active participant (limited working spots). You’ll receive our feedback on your uploaded videos throughout the guided program, watch the feedback we give on others’ videos, join discussions inside the community, hop on live Q&A calls, and more.
Program Start Date: 17th of June 2024
Got a 4 years old female Border Collie with high sensibility to the competition environment. She really likes playing agility and if on one hand we’ve reached an acceptable arousement level while training on the other we’re still fighting with high level anxiety during competitions.
My dog does not break her startline stay —- even when I ask her to Break and start running! Sometimes she just sits there and looks at me. Will this course help me?
We have a working cocker that enjoys training but at a show just shuts down he often wont take the first jump but when he does he will lie down after the jump. When he does start moving its slow to start but then when he knows he is near the finish he runs at full speed
Our Problem is actually the opposite of what you have mentioned. My cattle dog cannot hold her start line stay in training very well but in competition, she has never broken the start line – the competition environment just sets her back much more and she is less energetic and cheerful and less excited to start agility vs. in the training environment. Is this also over arousal? Riki
I am looking forward to this, I have a dog screaming very badly in the startline. She starts when she see the agility course. She is very stressed and I am very stressed trying to calm her down.
I need it
Olá 😊
O meu cão está sempre a saltar, como quem está sempre a espera de comida ou atenção e mesmo de pois de dar ambas ele continua a fazer o mesmo eu tenho muitas vezes de impor uma voz mais de ordem “para / quieto” mas só consigo que fique quieto uns minutos, ele com esse comportamento acaba alejando-me com as unhas e até com os dentes porquê salta com a boca aberta e já me feriu com os dentes, sei que ele não tinha intensão de magoar e só pedinchar…. Mas gostava de acabar com esse comportamento…
Will this help if you have a dog with slow start line? My dog has a slow start line, he lacks confidence and is worried about queuing dogs behind the start line.
thanks