Comments on: An Epidemic of "Buck Fever"

By: sayyesdogs

sayyesdogs — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 17:06:12 +0000

Hey Andrea, don’t fight yourself to visualize one way or another when you are just starting. However you want to try to practice more of the visualizing through your own eyes so that you rehearse what you will see when you get out on course— rather than visualizing it as if you are watching your run on TV. That way you will become familiar with the timing of your crosses, know exactly where you dog is when you do them and know exactly where all of the obstacles behind and beside you are located.

By: Andrea

Andrea — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 02:08:45 +0000

I have a question about visualization for those of you that do it. When you visualize your run do you do it as if you’re actually running it ie visualize what you would see through your own eyes OR do you visualize both yourself and the dog running as if you were watching your run as a third party.

I don’t do any real sort of visualizing my run, Basically I just memorize the course map but I’m thinking I’ll try it out at my next trial.

Andrea

By: hippiedogs

hippiedogs — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 01:35:47 +0000

Great analogy. And thanks for the advice on what to do when you can’t visualize the run going perfectly. I’ve had that happen before.
Our first ever regional competition is this weekend, and I’m kind of expecting some “buck fever” to show up. Perfect timing for this post! I’m not a huge fan of shots, but we’ll keep moving forward no matter what happens.

By: Krystal

Krystal — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 02:24:38 +0000

You say that people tend to talk to much when they get “buck Fever” but it makes me not talk at all I get to just a normal trial and I forget to talk to my dog on course. Even forgetting to say the obsticals names alot. We dont Q very much and I think its mostly because of this. Im hopeing that its just because im new to agility and hate being in front of people but i always feel like iv let everyone down at the end of a course because of my “buck fever” whitch doesnt affect me at home.

By: Gail

Gail — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 16:47:07 +0000

Susan~

When I read your post yesterday, it really hit home. I actually cried at the end when you said to “enjoy the ride”. I had BF when I attended my first Ontario Regionals back in 2007. Surrounded by a lot of the top Canadian handlers, I’m from Michigan & was a bit intimidated. When Duncan qualified for the Nationals, I was elated, not expecting it. I went to the Nationals thinking that I wasn’t “worthy” to be there (Wayne & Garth come to mind!). A very insightful friend told me that I EARNED the right to be there, look at it as a once in a lifetime experience, to just take everything in & enjoy it. I vowed not to even look at our scores all weekend. I just took each run for what it was-Duncan & I EARNED the right to be there & anything else was icing on the cake.

At the end of the weekend, I finally got our scores after our last run. We never placed, but I didn’t care. Duncan’s my first agility dog. I never intended to do agility with him in the first place & thought that it was just amazing that we got to that level of competition. He’s getting older & I’m just glad to have had the pleasure to step into the ring with him, yet one more time.

I THOROUGHLY enjoyed the ride!

Gail~

By: Vici

Vici — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 14:50:55 +0000

Thanks, I needed exactly this today.

By: Beth

Beth — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 03:56:45 +0000

Great post Susan,
We all feel the stress in this wonderful game we play. When I walk a course I visualize as many things going wrong as right. And when I walk on to the course I think to my self “now I get the whole course to myself with out all those other people in my way”.
And being married to a pharmacist doesn’t hurt either……

By: Jason

Jason — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 19:49:19 +0000

Great I finally have a word for what I was feeling, haha. “Buck Fever” hit me hard a year ago at our regionals and it cost us a chance to go to nationals. I took alot away from that experience and I’m proud to say that by visualizing my runs over and over before going into the ring and keeping the fever at bay we won our division and many other awards at this years regionals. Although last year broke my heart, I learned alot which has made me a better competitor today.

Thanks

By: Darcy Roessler

Darcy Roessler — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 18:58:10 +0000

Susan, this is all sooooo true. Couple of thoughts I wanted to share:

1. One place to build your immune system is to attend Susan’s camps. Lots of top handlers and trainers who are there to evaluate and push you to failure. (Gulp!! My heart races just thinking of it.)
2. I like to listen to LeeAnn Womak’s song “I hope you dance.” She talks about keeping things in perspect but when given an opportunity to go for it. I think the words of this song are perfect for BF.
3. At times I find myself wanting to retreat and I blame it on “being shy” or introverted. I heard a call-in radio personality the other day her words to the caller impacted me too. The caller said her daughter was not making friends because she was shy. The host said shyness was a completely selfish emotion. How dare you think it is all about you? Will people like me? Will people laugh at me? Blah-blah-blah. It truly made me think…shyness sounded OK but being selfish was not nearly as complementary.
4. My last thought is that once you face BF head-on, like competing at a big event, it is a great feeling of confidence for those local events. My Q rates normally go way up after any big event so the risk of facing BF can have good rewards in the long-term!

As always Susan, thank you for sharing your emotions and letting people like me know my experiences are not unique and giving us teaching points to deal with them.

By: Helen

Helen — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 17:34:07 +0000

What an awesome blog today Susan (not that they aren’t ALl great !
Thanks for the reminder. Mel read it too and I am sure it will help him with his terrible ring nerves.