April 5th, 2025

Mastery

I’ve been reading The ONE Thing by Keller Papasan, and this line hit me:

“We become masters of what is behind us and apprentices for what is ahead. This is why mastery is a journey.”

Yesterday, I was working Bella when my mentor came up and said, “I’m just nitpicking, but…” I turned to him and said, “I need you to nitpick.”

Bella jumping towards a stick March 23, 2025

He shared what he saw, suggested a couple of new setups, and then we talked through them, what went well, what didn’t, and where I could’ve been clearer or more helpful.

Do I love being critiqued? Not exactly. It can sting. When someone picks apart my dog, it usually means I’ve made a mistake in training. But when you train alone most of the time, another set of eyes is gold. I can’t see everything. I don’t know everything. And honestly, half the time I’m just mesmerized watching her work.

Get a trainer, a mentor, or a friend you trust. Don’t do it all alone—you’ll miss things that could turn into big wobbles down the road.

Happy Training.

Addi and The Girls