So glad you asked! Dog Sport Scholars is my monthly group mentoring program that I created to help dog sport enthusiasts, like you, achieve your training and competition goals. 

Dog sports are supposed to be fun! An exciting adventure with your best friend. And yet? I see SO MUCH unnecessary suffering as people dig into training and start competing. Yes, many dogs struggle, either getting too worked up or shutting down and quitting. And most programs and coaches focus on helping such dogs feel and perform better. Which is awesome and important!

However, there's very little available to support the other end of the leash. The stressed out handlers struggling with ring nerves, disappointment, fear, anxiety, deep feelings of unworthiness, or feeling like an "outsider". 

And there's nothing on the internet that I know of that teaches dog sport trainers how to overcome the unique mental and emotional challenges we face.

The result is that many a handler feels totally alone on this journey, believing they're the only one who struggle.

You're not alone, my friend.

I created Dog Sport Scholars for this reason. It's the program I wish I had as a struggling competitor with paralyzing trial nerves and overwhelming imposter syndrome, clinging to a dream I had no idea how to make happen.

When I first left my career as a professor in academia to become a professional dog sport coach, I focused (like everyone else) on helping people improve their dogs' skills. However, I soon discovered that dog skills--while important--are rarely the actual problem most dog sport enthusiasts struggle with.

Rather, what's going on in the mind and nervous system at the human end of the leash is nearly always what's getting in the way of better performance.

Over time, and through countless coaching sessions, I've developed a very specific process and set of skills to help handlers maximize their performance so that they, in turn, can best support their dogs.

Skills no one else is teaching in dog sports. Even though the handler is responsible for (at least) 80% of performance results.

This 5-Step Goal Achievement process, coupled with two critical skills, forms the foundation of the Dog Sport Scholars approach. 

Very specifically, the two critical skills are:

1. Managing your mental game
2. Managing your Nervous System.

Without mastering these skills, most people will find it hard--if not impossible--to make steady, consistent progress towards their dreams.

Dog Sport Scholars is for passionate and committed dog sport enthusiasts--like you!--seeking to take their training and competition skills to the next level.

The concepts we explore in this program--mindset mastery and nervous system regulation, along with handler mechanics and a deep understanding of the concepts of R+ training--underpin all dog sports.

The goal is excellence in training and performance to bring out the potential in each dog/handler team.

We focus on joy, curiosity, and excitement, and learning to manage and release fear, anxiety, stress, imposter syndrome, and other negative, self-destructive feelings so common in dog sport training.

We have members who train and compete in Obedience, Agility, Rally-Free, Tracking, Nosework, Herding, and more.

If your passion is dog sports, your desire is to grow, learn, and improve, and you're not afraid of hard work? Dog Sport Scholars is for you!

Don't worry! I've got you. If you have a question or need help, but can't make a live call, you can send me the question ahead of time and listen to my answer on the replay!

All calls are recorded and uploaded into our dedicated program platform. I do my best to get the replay out within 24 hours (often faster) of the call.

We also have a Private Podcast option, which automatically forwards the audio version of the replay to your phone, so you can listen on the go!

And between the live calls, you can also post questions and get my written feedback anytime in our wonderfully supportive community area (not on Facebook!)

So, while it's awesome if and when you can make calls live, you can absolutely get all the support and learning you need working at your own pace. In fact, many members prefer to do it this way!

Great question!

In Dog Sport Scholars, we apply a unique process for shifting our thinking that goes deep into how our brains and nervous systems work, and why we think and behave the way we do.

You're right that just "thinking positive" isn't enough. We can't think our way to success if, underneath, we don't believe it's possible.

The mindset work we do in DSS involves a whole lot more than just thinking positive or adopting a confidence mantra.

I teach a systematic process that will not only permanently shift (for the better!) how you think and feel about your sport training and performance, but---if you do the work---the positive impact will have a ripple effect across all areas of your life.

When you join Dog Sport Scholars, you get immediate access to the entire program and all its content. This includes:

• An extensive and growing library of coaching calls, monthly workshops, and skills training webinars, available for self-paced study 24/7
• Live group calls (via Zoom) 4x a month where I both teach the monthly training material and offer coaching "hot seats" to members looking for feedback on their work.
• The "Skills Vault", where you'll find my best workshops and webinars on cutting edge +R2.0 concepts such as Loopy Listening and Loopy Training, Radically Rethinking How We Handle Errors, Poisoned Cues, Teaching Duration, and much more.
• A Private Podcast so you can listen to the audio version of all coaching calls on-the-go
• A supportive and dynamic private members area where you can get support, written coaching, share your wins, and cheer on others. All NOT on Facebook! 
• Monthly Review and Planning sessions to keep you on track and taking steady steps forward towards your goals
• Workbooks, worksheets, and bonus trainings as I create them!

Yes, all this for just $97/month!

When you join, you'll get to participate in regular live group coaching calls (on Zoom) 4x a month, where I both teach new concepts and coach you on your challenges.

Each month, we have a specific focus with practical exercises I walk you through on the calls to help you build your skills.

All calls are recorded if you can't (or don't want to) attend live. You can watch the video replay, or listen to all calls in our Private Podcast, which automatically forwards the recordings to your phone so you can listen on-the-go.

What a fantastic question! There's a very big and important difference between each of these. 

Here's how I explain the difference, so you can know if what I offer (coaching and teaching) is what you need:

Teaching is the act of one person imparting information to the other. 

When we are taught, the teacher has a plan, material, and a goal for what we are to learn.  

The information flows in one direction: From the teacher to the student. It's what we experience in school!

In contrast, coaching is a two-way street. You decide where you want to go, what you want to learn, and what you need help with.

My job, as your coach, is to help you achieve what you're setting out to do.

Coaching is all about helping you build the future you wish to create.

While coaching is about looking to the future, therapy typically involves looking to the past. 

We sometimes need to explore the past to figure out what's blocking us as we try to move forward. If this is work you need to do, please find a professional certified therapist. I am not a therapist, and therapy is NOT what we do inside DSS!

I'm a coach, and a teacher. I'm here to help you build the future you want.

If this what you're looking for, please join me in Dog Sport Scholars!

If you have a question that I haven't answered here, simply send me an email!

You can reach me (Hélène) at [email protected]