The hardest part of competition often isn’t the course—it’s the moments before you step into the ring.
Next in Line: Ring-Ready Tools for Dog & Handler is a six-part webinar series focused on what happens when you and your dog in the crucial moments before you step into the ring to compete. This series breaks down the emotional, neurological, and environmental pressures that show up at the ring gate—and gives handlers practical, adaptable tools to navigate them.
YES! All of the webinars will be recorded for you to view at any time! Lifetime Access!
Rather than focusing on sport-specific exercises, this series explores the underlying factors that influence preparation in the line up: brain state, arousal, space, movement, anticipation, handler nerves, and dog-handler communication. You’ll learn why familiar skills can fall apart in the ring because of what happens when you are waiting in line before the run, how to recognize which brain state your dog is operating in, and how to choose tools that support regulation rather than overwhelm.
Across the series, we’ll cover:
- Why waiting in line and getting ready for your run is uniquely challenging for both dogs and handlers
- How preparation before heading to the ring impacts success in the ring
- What to do in while waiting in line—and how to know when you’re not ready to be there yet
- How factors like dog size, space, and proximity affect strategy
- Advocacy skills, including place-holding and communicating with the gate steward
- How to transition smoothly from line up to competition
Each webinar builds on the same framework, then dives deeper into specific tools—including engagement games, targeting, movement, stationary behaviors, and attention cues—examining when they help, when they don’t, and how to use them ethically and effectively.
This series is designed for:
- Agility, obedience, rally, flyball, and ALL dog sport handlers at any level
- Teams struggling with ring stress, over-arousal, shutdown, or inconsistency
- Differently-abled dogs and handlers
- Instructors and trainers supporting competition teams
Whether you’re new to competition or looking to refine your ring-side strategy, Next in Line gives you a flexible, humane toolbox for showing up grounded, connected, and ready—before it’s your turn to go.
Episode 1: Understanding the Waiting Game
The Why Behind the Hardest Part of Competition
March 2nd At Noon Eastern (5pm UK)
Episode 2: Flexible Focus in Tight Spaces
March 9 At Noon Eastern (4pm UK)
Episode 3: Calm Clarity
March 16 At Noon Eastern (4pm UK)
Episode 4: Joy, Movement, and Emotional Warm-Up
March 23 At Noon Eastern (4pm UK)
Episode 5: Stillness With Purpose
April 6 At Noon Eastern (5pm UK)
Episode 6: Choosing the Right Tools
When Familiar Strategies Don’t Work
April 13 At Noon Eastern (5pm UK)
YES! All of the webinars will be recorded for you to view at any time! Lifetime Access!
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