In this episode, Jerry Bradshaw discusses: The secrets to success in both the training field and trial field.  Why consistency matters.  Benefits of having an engagement ritual and how it can help provide a reset for your canine.  Variable reward systems and proper reward frequencies.  Advocating for your dog and understanding what is supposed to happen on trial day.    Key Takeaways: You want to have rituals for both you and your dog. If you do it correctly, the trial day is just another training day.  Don’t underestimate the importance of building your dog’s bathroom habits into your rituals. You don’t want them to be relieving themselves on the practice or trail fields.  If your training is going well, you should be getting away from micromanaging their behavior. They need to be able to function without a lot of feedback during trial.  You need to know your dog. Each dog will have a different strategy for parking, getting out of the car, coming on and off the field, etc.  Practice what you will do during the critique. Practice your transitions between exercises. There is more to trial than just the trained activity.    "It is what we develop in training that becomes a habit for trialing." —  Jerry Bradshaw   Get Jerry's book Controlled Aggression on Amazon.com   Contact Jerry: Website: controlledaggressionpodcast.com Email: JBradshaw@TarheelCanine.com Tarheel Canine Training:  www.tarheelcanine.com Youtube:  tarheelcanine Twitter: @tarheelcanine Instagram: @tarheelk9 Facebook: TarheelCanineTraining Protection Sports Website: psak9-as.org Patreon:   patreon.com/controlledaggression Slideshare: Tarheel Canine Calendly: https://calendly.com/tarheelcanine  Tarheel Canine Seminars: https://streetreadyk9.com/      Sponsors:  ALM K9 Equipment: almk9equipment.com PSA & American Schutzhund: psak9-as.org Tarheel Canine: tarheelcanine.com Superior Canine Website: https://superiorcanine.ca/  Aaron’s Superior Canine Email: aaron@superiorcanine.ca  Superior Canine Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/superiorcanineinc  Superior Canine Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/superiorcanineinc/    Train Hard, train smart, be safe.     Show notes by Podcastologist Chelsea Taylor-Sturkie   Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.