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

by Diane Peters Mayer (Author) "Anxiety is a normal and important facet of being human..." (more)
Key Phrases: conquering ring nerves, nerve seminar, nerve program, Yoga Breath, Training Tip, Ring Nerve Avoidance Scale (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Proven ways to overcome performance anxiety

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

From the Back Cover
Proven ways to overcome performance anxiety

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

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Howell Book House (March 19, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764549723
• ISBN-13: 978-0764549724
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #590,848 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wow! What a great book!, April 10, 2004

By A Customer

If you get nervous in competition, this is the book for you! Diane goes step by step on how to combat the dreaded Ring Nerves. In this book, you'll learn how important breathing is, how to create a safe space and distance yourself from your fears, how to be in-tuned with your dog, improve your self-esteem, focus on your goals and how to stretch. This is a wonderful book -- I highly recommend it.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Advice for Competitors, December 16, 2008

By	Cleo Parker - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I don't usually have issues with ring nerves, but one of my dogs got badly spooked at a show and we had a vicious cycle of fear going with a dog I had very high hopes for. Heard about this book through the Dog Read group at Yahoo! so I decided to give it a try. Excellent advice on how to think about competition as well as visualization and physical exercises to use to overcome ring nerves. Although I already had a lot of the right thought patterns, the exercises did help me focus and relax. It helped - my dog ended up winning the competition for Best North American Bred Bull Terrier and was Top Bull Terrier in Canada in 2008!