09/06/2026
Are you a toy-in-the-ring or toy-outside-the-ring type of handler? 🤔
I’ve always been a toy outside the ring person. I’m not entirely sure why maybe because I’m the sort of person who tries to follow the rules a little too closely, even though you’re absolutely allowed to carry a toy on your person at UK Kennel Club shows.
So for years, the toy sat in the box outside the ring.
Hokey and I got all the way to Grade 7 like that, but I always felt there was more in there. We were good, but inconsistent.
At one point I convinced myself that warming up with a toy was making her too excited, so I switched to warming up with treats instead. That worked for a little while… and then we went right back to being inconsistent.
The real lightbulb moment came during the GB Tryouts. We were competing in the same ring all weekend with the same entrance and exit, so Hokey knew exactly where her toy was. Looking back, it felt like half of her brain was focused on the toy waiting outside the ring.
Then after a training session with Shannon, she simply said:
“Why don’t you just use a t***y toy” 😂
So I bought one that would fit.
Then didn’t actually take it into the ring for another couple of months! Again, I was stuck in the mindset of “I should be able to train her to work with the toy out there.”
But eventually I stopped and thought:
Why?
Why do I need to train around a problem that doesn’t actually need to exist? The rules allow me to have a toy on me, so why not use it?
So I gave it a go.
We’re only a few weekends into the change, but the results are already starting to show. Hokey is more present, more connected, and more consistent.
Sometimes the lesson isn’t about training harder it’s about being willing to change your approach.
If something isn’t working, don’t be afraid to change it. Don’t let your pride get in the way of progress. 💙🐾
