Conquering Ring Nerves: A Step-by-Step Program for All Dog Sports

Whether you're new to dog sports or an experienced dog handler, it's quite common to experience mild to severe performance anxiety during competition. Now, with Conquering Ring Nerves, you can face and overcome your anxiety through an easy-to-follow, successful program.

No matter what's going on inside or outside the ring, Diane Peters Mayer shows you how to calm yourself, stay focused, boost your self-esteem, and give a blue-ribbon performance. She uses a multidimensional approach developed during her years as a psychotherapist and anxiety specialist, complete with exercises and techniques adapted from such areas as sports psychology, yoga, and physical fitness. You'll discover how to ground yourself and compete from your "core", and take advantage of quick stress busters and ways to loosen and energize your body. Packed with proven tips to find success and have fun in the ring, Conquering Ring Nerves is your one-stop guide to overcoming competition jitters and becoming the handler of your dreams.

• Reveals how to achieve peak performance under pressure in all dog sports, from agility, obedience, and confirmation to Rally-O, freestyle, and more
• Features illuminating, real-life ring nerves stories
• Explains how to stop being afraid, set goals, and reach them
• Includes a Training Diary to keep yourself on track during training and competitions
• Offers further reading and resources lists to build upon what you've learned

The AKC reports that more than 2 million entrants compete in events they sanction yearly, and thousands more compete under the auspices of other dog performance sport organizations. Designed for competitive dog handlers who experience mild to severe performance anxiety, this one-of-a-kind guide offers a complete desensitization program to help conquer competition jitters. Written by a psychotherapist who specializes in anxiety disorders, the book features illuminating real-life ring nerves stories and comes packed with proven tips and techniques to help handlers calm their nerves and achieve peak performance under pressure.

Diane Peters Mayer, MSW (Doylestown, PA), is a psychotherapist specializing in studying and treating anxiety disorders, including performance anxiety and self-defeating behavior.