The Position to Win

Sometimes it seems you and your dog try and try but still can't come out a winner or get the score you need to qualify. Ever wonder how some of the pro handlers and trainers seem to always win? Here's something I was discussing with a handler the other day.
The secret to winning or getting a qualifying score is to have your dog in the position to win every time you enter the ring. Every dog is different and every dog gains the skills, experience and emotional maturity to be a winner at different times. You just have to wait for the dog to get it together mentally or physically before they can win. But even if they are mentally, emotionally and physically capable of winning, you still must place them in the position to win.
What do I mean by this? It means that they must have the basic training and skills needed to be winner firmly entrenched in their minds and bodies. For example, in conformation, they must know how to trot on a loose lead, stack both free and by hand, be at ease on the judging table when being evaluated, and have learned that the show ring is a fun place to be. In earthdog, they must learn to drive through the darkness of a complex tunnel system to the quarry, must have developed the instinct to work the quarry aggressively and learn to use their nose as a guide to locating the quarry. In Rally they must know the basic commands, hand signals and movements and know that, no matter the distraction, their place is at the heel position or where you have told them to go. In all activities, they must have had the physical development, athletic conditioning and nutrition to remain competitive throughout the length of the competition.
When you have the skills taught, you need to remember the mental aspect of your sport. Mental conditioning is as vital as the physical. When all individual skills and training have been learned, you must tie them all together in your dog's mind like you are developing a dance routine for your sport. We go here and do this, next we go here and do that, etc. It becomes routine and dogs love routine! Finally you must anticipate, and train for, the unexpected as well as those things that are expected, but are not always the same. In conformation, you need to train for the "go round" at the head of the line, in the middle and as the last dog in line. You need to train the "down and back", the triangle and the "L" because any of these can be chosen by the judge. And you need to train for getting bumped, being in a tight line-up and having the dog in front of you go very slowly. Some of these skills are for you to learn and some for your dog, but all are necessary for you both, as a team, to master.
Once you have these elements down, you can start placing your dog in the position to win. Now you refine posture and gait, enhance presence, build more enthusiasm and develop speed (in those sports where speed is a requirement). But every time you enter the ring, you do the same basic things that you trained- the basic skills. You continuously place your dog in a position to win by having the skills down. When the dog is ready, when he / she is mentally and physically prime, then you will begin to win or score. But while you are waiting for the dog to mature in their bodies and their sport, you are developing them and constantly striving to place them in a position to be a winner.
Our dogs mature at their own pace. For some it's at nine months, for others two years, for some or in certain sports, it can be many years. It's our responsibility as trainers and handlers, every time we take them into the ring or to the test, to give them every opportunity to win so that when they are ready, they can win.