The BH Breakthrough: Unlocking Success From The Inside Out

The BH is just one example of a test that so often gets built into something it just shouldn’t be, but it happens with all types of curriculums – PSA, ANKC, Scentwork, herding, the list goes on.

SO many folks get completely stuck in their head about stepping onto the trial field with their dog.

Even though they’ve done the work, watched a million videos, prepared their dog thoroughly, and know all the ins and outs of how their sport is scored…the idea of stepping onto the trial field terrifies them.

On a closer look it’s pretty easy to understand why this is such a common problem for dog training enthusiasts:

• High performance dog training tends to attract very diligent folks that have high attention to detail and invest a tonne of time in their dog’s development.

• Certain character traits are more attracted to doing that kind of work than others – perhaps a little more neurotic (like me), highly conscientious in their approach, super committed to succeeding in their chosen field, and diligent about doing the work itself.

• The investment these folks have made in their dog is often hard to appreciate. These folks have often prioritised paying for pro coaching, put hundreds of hours into their training and management, attended seminars, and emotionally invested in reaching a point where they can realise this goal.

And yet, before this seminar, the dogsport and dog training industry has not really paid any kind of attention to this one powerful, pivotal and pervasive factor that underpins success on trial day!

Perhaps you’re a dog training enthusiast, a pet dog owner looking for a new challenge, a pro trainer looking to test your skillset, or a seasoned dogsport competitor that knows their nerves get the best of them at times.

Whether you’re looking to master your mental game to increase your appreciation of the trialling journey, hoping to maximise your performance and achieve ‘Best In Trial’, or anything in between…this event is designed to help you unlock your potential and achieve your best outcome.

Now let’s have a look at what the event will cover.

We’ll be using the BH test as a case study for folks, and as a model for how to take a fresh look at trialling/testing – but as we’ve said, the concepts can apply to any test.

Our aim will be to demystify the BH and break it down into manageable components. We’ll investigate the major components of the test, including:
• Structure of the test – how the test runs

• Obedience: Heeling on and off leash, sit, down, and recall exercises

• Traffic: Behaviour around people, dogs, and distractions

• Temperament: Confidence, stability, and neutrality

• Through detailed skill breakdowns and practical worksheets, you’ll gain a clear understanding of what’s required, helping you develop a plan for success.

Brad will share his unique take on this particular test (and testing in general), what it really means, and how to accomodate it into your dogs training/development journey.

More importantly we’ll dive into what these tests mean to and for your dog, and provide access to another layer of understanding for those that are looking to compete in dogsport in general.

Just changing how you view the BH can be powerful in it’s own right, but the most powerful part of this event is yet to come.Mastering your mental game

Performance anxiety is a real thing, and this is just one aspect of that can hold folks back from stepping onto the field.

Anxiety drives a number of emotional and physical changes that play a crucial role in helping your cope well and perform at your best during a dog trial, but when we fail to keep that in check by regulating ourselves it can have a detrimental effect on performance…and I’m sure more than one of you reading this can relate to this personally.

For those of us that struggle with anxiety and/or arousal issues generally, keeping your level of arousal ‘in the golden zone’ can seem like a near impossible task – after all, your upcoming trial is sooooo important to you, and you’ve worked sooooo hard towards it.Performance anxiety is a real thing, and this is just one aspect of that can hold folks back from stepping onto the field.

T spent years of his life as a professional combat athlete, competing internationally and domestically at the highest level. To this day he’s still actively coaching a number of promising male and female athletes in that field, and has consulted to many others.

Beyond his personal experience, T holds PhDs in psychiatry and philosophy, not to mention another 11 academic qualifications in or around the psychotherapy space. He even wrote the Ikon Institutes course in Integrative Psychology.

Stack all of that on top of many years of clinical experience working with all sorts of folks to help gain agency over problems mild to wild, and you’ll begin to see how he may just be the very best person to help with this.

Traill will cover multiple aspects of how you can manage your performance – before, during, and after – using a variety tools and techniques to keep you in ’the zone’.

• Framing – choosing to change the way you look at a situation.

• Internal narrative – the way you talk to yourself about the upcoming event.

• Visualisation – using your imagination to prepare yourself for how you’ll ideally experience your performance, your dogs performance, and the challenges inherent with the event.

• Regulating arousal levels – using exercises like breath work to keep yourself ‘in the pocket’ – enough arousal to perform at your best, but not so much that it’s detrimental.

Having that control over your perception and experience of events in a way that you own, and is completely transportable into the trial context, clearly offers you a massive advantage.

Ultimately you’re the only one that can take action to set yourself up for success – and this may yet be the only detail you haven’t yet covered in your quest to step onto the field/

We know that The BH Breakthrough is going to be of huge benefit to so many of you out there that aspire to compete in dogsport, and we’re very much looking forward to seeing you at the event.

Having that control over your perception and experience of events in a way that you own, and is completely transportable into the trial context, clearly offers you a massive advantage.

Ultimately you’re the only one that can take action to set yourself up for success – and this may yet be the only detail you haven’t yet covered in your quest to step onto the field/

We know that The BH Breakthrough is going to be of huge benefit to so many of you out there that aspire to compete in dogsport, and we’re very much looking forward to seeing you at the event.