Agility is a sport that requires many different skills, from both the dog and the handler. Nowadays basic agility skills might not be enough to get you to the top: also mental factors have a great impact in agility.
Vappu Alatalo has written several articles about mental training for OneMind Dogs. Vappu is a certified psychologist who has been working since 2000 with agility handlers aiming to and competing on the top level. In addition to her expertise in sport psychology, she knows agility and dog sports well: Vappu started her own agility career 1993 and has since trained and competed with 8 dogs in Finland, USA and Denmark. While living in the US she spent her time learning from Susan Salo and Susan Garrett. After returning to Scandinavia in 2007 Vappu started her own training company, Nuppijumppa, and has since been working full time with Sport Psychology Coaching, teaching Susan Salo Jumping Technique and Motivating Skills for dog handlers in Finland, Sweden and Norway. Vappu works fluently in Finnish, English and Swedish. She is passionate about both the dogs and their handlers, equally, getting the training they need to perform well in agility.
Vappu has been working closely with several successful agility competitors, including some of the OneMind Coaches. Vappu will be joining us on the OneMind Dogs CAMP 2014 where she will tell us more about sports psychology. Vappu will also present us the case study of OneMind Dogs Coach Tuulia Liuhto together with Tuulia.
Vappu is also behind the unique Case Janita –article series which presents the process of mental preparation, seen through the eyes of both the mental coach and the athlete. The series of five articles is a very personal story of Janita’s journey.
