While I genuinely love heading out to train, I must admit that staying present can be a challenge for me. This blog is a little reminder to myself—after all, it’s all about me sharing my training journey too!

I often find it difficult to focus on the task at hand, as my mind bounces around like a monkey. I’m constantly planning the next course, deciding what to make for dinner, and thinking about my gym workout. Multi-tasking just isn’t effective when it comes to training my dog. With my to-do list always buzzing in the background, it can be hard to fully engage in the moment.

I don’t have this problem when I’m competing or working to create lessons or working with students & their dogs. I’m 100% focused and zoned in!

For me, my planning brain never takes a break. When I’m training one of my dogs, I often catch myself thinking about how to share the lessons we’re working on or getting distracted by my to-do list rather than staying focused and present in the moment.

For me, my planning brain never takes a break. When I’m training one of my dogs, I often catch myself thinking about how to share the lessons we’re working on or getting distracted by my to-do list rather than staying focused and present in the moment and this doesn't seem fair to my dogs.

There have been times when I’ve let my distractions take over, missing valuable moments with my dog. I focus on giving clear signals and commands, but I’ve noticed that my busy mind sometimes leads to mixed messages. Consistency is key, so I need to be fully present when communicating

So this blog is for not only me, but also any other dedicated stock dog owners that struggle with a similar problem. I know it’s probably a review and “we’ve heard it all before”, but sometimes review is just what we need.

Being present, involves fully engaging with the moment and being aware of your thoughts, feelings, and surroundings without judgment. In the context of stock dog training, it means giving your undivided attention to your dog, the tasks at hand, and the environment around you.

Wherever you are, be all there.” – Jim Elliot

When I talk about being present, I’m not just referring to physically being there—it's about fostering a mental state where distractions fade away, allowing for deeper connections.

Here are some key elements of what being present looks like in stock dog training and what I’m going to work on for the next while:

1. Active Engagement: Instead of letting my mind wander, I’m going to consciously participate in the training session. This means focusing on my dog's actions, responding to his cues, and adapting based on what I observe. For me, this also means I’m going to select times to pick up my phone and video and other times I will leave my phone at the house! Adding in new routines or training exercises can also help as I wrote about in a post called “Shake up your routine” LINK HERE

2. Observing: My sense of observation is critical when training, so being attentive really does improve my ability to adjust to what the dog needs. Being present heightens this ability.

3. Controlling emotions: Staying present also means being aware of my emotions and how they influence my training. Whether I’m feeling frustrated, excited, or distracted, recognizing these feelings allows me to manage them effectively and create a calm, positive training environment. Kathy Keats talks about the 90 second rule when training. Just stop what you’re doing, take some deep breaths and a 90 second break, and this gives our hormones such as adrenaline time to regulate.

So for the next while, I’m going to attempt to give 100% to my training sessions by staying present. This means I won’t carry my phone each and every time I head out, set aside the to-do lists and focus on connecting with my dogs.

I might also add some quiet mindfulness work back into my daily routine in the house. Shut off the distractions and sit in silence for 10 minutes. I used to do more of this, but for some reason have left the practice behind.

I will let you know how I make out!! Please share with me if you have had similar experiences with "a scattered brain" during training!

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