Today, I’m at an agility show with my young dog, and it got me thinking about the striking similarities between running a dog agility course and running a small business.
If you have trained agility you will be all familiar with the highs and the lows that come with both training and competing! Watching handlers at the show today and also reflecting on my own runs got me thinking about how similar these two worlds are!
Whether you’re a dog trainer, walker, groomer, or agility instructor, the challenges you face in business often mirror those in the agility ring! The mindset, the obstacles, the highs and lows—it all plays out in both arenas.
Let’s explore the key lessons agility can teach us about running a business and how we can apply them to build resilience, balance, and long-term success.
1. Mindset Matters: Trusting Your Training and Business Skills
In dog agility, mindset is everything. When you enter the ring, you have to trust your training, believe in your dog, and stay calm under pressure. If you let doubt creep in, your dog will sense it and their performance will be affected.
Running a small business requires the same mindset. Whether you’re starting out or years into your journey, business confidence is crucial. Self-doubt can become one of your biggest obstacles. The key is to have faith in your abilities, trust the work you’ve put in, and stay focused on your goals. The mindset you bring to your business will shape how clients perceive you, just like your attitude in agility impacts your dog’s performance.
Ultimately, mindset in both dog agility and business is what keeps you moving forward!
2. Getting Involved: Dive In, No Turning Back
When you first step onto the agility course, there’s no room for hesitation. You have to dive in with full commitment, knowing that once you start, you must follow through!
The same is true when running your business, whether it’s dog grooming, training, or walking. Success only comes when you fully engage and commit to all the little pieces that your business needs!
Many business owners hold back, thinking they aren’t ready or don’t know enough. However, just like in agility, experience comes through taking action.
Truth is, you will never know it all! You learn as you go, refining your skills with each run or business decision. There’s never a “perfect” moment to begin; you simply need to take that leap and get involved.
Business commitment mirrors the same dedication you show in agility. Keep pushing forward!
3. Highs & Lows: Handling Success and Setbacks
Anyone who’s run a dog in agility knows that one day you’re on top of the world, and the next day things fall apart. One run might be flawless, while the next has your dog missing weave poles, knocking poles, or in my young dog’s case, having a confidence crisis and just stopping mid run!
Dog agility teaches us to handle both success and setbacks, a lesson that applies equally to running a business.
In business, the highs and lows can feel even more extreme. You may land a big client one month, only to struggle the next. Maintaining a level-headed approach is essential. Celebrate your successes, but when things don’t go as planned, see it as an opportunity to learn and improve. Every misstep in business is like a pole knocked in agility—it’s a chance to assess what went wrong and adjust.
Resilience in business comes from embracing both the wins and the setbacks, just like you do on the agility course.
4. Riding the Waves: Resilience is Key
In agility, you never know exactly how a run will go! The course could be tougher than you expected, or your dog might not be in the right mindset. This unpredictability teaches agility handlers how to ride the waves and adapt quickly. Running a business is much the same—unpredictable challenges are part of the journey.
Business resilience is essential for long-term success. Like in agility, not every decision or outcome will be perfect. What matters is how you react when things don’t go to plan. By learning to adapt and keep moving forward, you’ll continue to progress. In both agility and business, it’s less about avoiding failure and more about how you respond to it. The agility ring teaches you to ride those waves, just like you must in your business.
5. Picking Up the Pieces: Learning from Mistakes
When your dog misses a contact or drops a pole in agility, it’s easy to feel frustrated. But every mistake is an opportunity to learn and make adjustments, whether it’s improving your dog’s training, refining your handling techniques or working on your own mindset.
In business, mistakes and setbacks are inevitable. Whether it’s an unhappy client, a marketing strategy that didn’t work, or an operational hiccup, every obstacle offers a chance to improve.
Learning from mistakes in business, just like in agility, is key to growth. Instead of seeing these moments as failures, view them as opportunities to fine-tune your approach. The more you learn from your missteps, the closer you get to mastering the course—whether it’s in agility or your business.
6. Mindful of Your Needs (and Your Dog’s): Preventing Burnout
In agility, we understand that our dogs need balance. Too much training without adequate rest can lead to injury or mental fatigue. We make sure our dogs get time to rest, recover, and enjoy life outside of the agility course.
As business owners, we often neglect to apply the same principle to ourselves.
Running a small business, especially in the dog industry, can be all-consuming. However, burnout doesn’t serve anyone.
Preventing burnout in business requires prioritising self-care and making time for family, hobbies, and of course, your dogs!
Just as you wouldn’t overwork your dog, it’s important to ensure you’re taking care of your own wellbeing. Balance in your dog business is about making sure both you and your dogs are thriving.
7. Balance is Everything: Finding the Right Pace
In agility, success comes from striking the right balance between speed and precision. Go too fast and you’ll knock poles or miss turns; go too slow and you’ll lose precious time.
Similarly, balancing your business and personal life is crucial. It’s easy to become so focused on growing your business that you neglect your family, friends, or even your health. But just like an agility course, finding the right pace is essential.
Pushing too hard in one direction can lead to burnout, while too much caution can slow your progress. By maintaining a healthy balance, you’ll keep both your business and personal life on track.
Success in Both Worlds:
Whether you’re competing in the agility ring or running a small business, the path to success is rarely a smooth one. Competing in agility has certainly taught me a lot about myself and has given me key pieces I need to help me to run my businesses more successfully!
Both require resilience, adaptability, and a mindset focused on learning and growth!
The lessons we learn from agility—staying focused, overcoming setbacks, and balancing effort with self-care—are just as valuable in business.
Next time you’re out with your dog, take a moment to reflect on the similarities between the course you’re navigating with them and the one you’re navigating in your business. Success in both agility and business comes from staying present, resilient, and committed to enjoying the journey.
I have climbed the agility grades to the top, and I have successfully helped dog professionals like you to achieve business success! I am so passionate about helping dog business owners to find the balance in their business without burning out! We get involved in the dog world because we love dogs and helping others, but often we forget to help ourselves!
There will be challenges, but with the right strategies and solutions you can achieve success and start doing “your business, your way” If you would like tailored help for your business to stop you from burning out and giving you that all important time back with your own pets and loved ones get in touch!
Till next time,
Katrina x
Katrina Bayliss Coaching 