Brilliant at home, but falls apart the moment you arrive at a competition. Sniffing, not engaged, refusing food or toys, hesitating at obstacles they know, starting slow then speeding up halfway around the course, shutting down before you even get to the ring.
This is a confidence problem caused by your dog becoming overwhelmed in the agility environment. Every show you enter without addressing it makes it harder to fix.
Most handlers spend years trying to fix what they can see. The same problems keep coming back because the skills underneath were never trained.
Understand exactly why your dog behaves differently at shows and what is actually causing it
Build confidence through clear, structured exercises and progression.
Know exactly when your dog is ready to move forward and what to do next
Introduce the agility environment without undoing your progress
Manage your dog at shows while you are still competing
Recognise what real progress looks like so you know it is working
Before anything else, rule out pain. A dog in discomfort presents exactly like a dog with a confidence problem and no amount of training will fix a physical issue.
"We had been struggling in agility competitions for two years. We are now seeing significant progress and achievements in competitions.”
“Simple exercises that had a very quick impact, helping her to think in arousal and improving her listening skills.”
Over 20 years I have watched the same thing happen again and again. Dogs who look like a completely different dog at shows than they do at home. Handlers trying everything and running out of ideas. The answer is almost always the same. The skills underneath the behaviour were never built strongly enough to hold up under pressure. This guide is the plan to fix that.
BSc (Hons) Animal Behaviour and Welfare.
Over 20 years professional experience working with pet dogs, rescue dogs, sports dogs, and assistance dogs.
International agility competitor and behaviour specialist helping handlers improve behaviour in agility environments.
Work through the guide for 30 days. If you do not feel clearer on what to train and how to move your dog forward, email for a full refund.
Once you have the plan, you can book a Feedback Day for £9. It is a full day of direct one to one WhatsApp coaching with me where you send questions, updates and training videos and get feedback on exactly what to adjust for your specific dog. Booking details are inside the plan.
Every show you wait is another show that stacks. Another experience that tells your dog the environment is somewhere to be worried about. That pattern does not break on its own.
Need more than confidence building?
If confidence is only part of the picture, get the Complete Behaviour & Confidence Bundle. It includes both guides at a discounted price, giving you a complete behaviour system plus in-depth confidence training. Get the discounted bundle here.