Hi RobiLee!

I agree with Shelteez and BinkaNugget about positive
expectations, but not just directed at the dog's ability.
I always go into it with the attitude that Oz and I are a team.
I have lil' discussions with him that "We can do this or We
can do that". Not me... Not him... We... I think that really
helps towards not getting frustrated, because the reality
is nobody's perfect, especially when you're learning. So if
you put everything on the dog, especially if they're unrealistically
high expectations and he doesn't come through, you're going to
be upset at him. I see so many upset and frustrated people in
our agility classes and it just perpetuates the problem, because
dogs feed off that.

I focus on the things we excel at and don't dwell on anything
we had problems with. In our training at home, we might work a
lil' more on our weaknesses, but as far as mulling it over in my
mind, I let it go. We're on the journey to learn together
and it doesn't matter if something takes us a lil' longer than
somebody else. We're not in a race with anybody else, so I
check my ego at the door. I know Oz and I will get there
eventually and I just want to make sure that our journey was
filled with lots of happy scenery on the way.

Par...