The Agility Challenge Podcast With Daisy Peel

Episodes

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  The Thing I Got Wrong For Years 20.10.2026 11m

  It’s been almost a year since the last episode. The real reason is a little embarrassing, and it turns out it’s the same shape as something I got wrong in my training for many years. For a long time I believed that if you ever needed to tell your dog no, you’d failed somewhere upstream. That belief didn’t stop me from correcting my dog. It stopped me from correcting my dog WELL. In this one I talk about what that belief actually did, why the bad feeling afterwards was pointed at the wrong thing, and what happens to any part of your training you’ve decided not to look at. So... what are you not looking at? Tell me: [email protected], or leave a comment on this episode’s page at daisypeel.com. And if you made it to the end, hit subscribe, so I know somebody’s out there.
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  Would you let your Valentine SHOCK you?!? 11.02.2026 5m

  Here's a bit of dark humor for Valentine's Day that has to do with dog training...sort of...mostly it's just a fun thought experiment!
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  Recast: Training Without Conflict ® Podcast Episode Seventy One: Daisy Peel 05.02.2026 1h 58m

  In this podcast with Ivan Balabanov of Training Without Conflict, we go deeper into the sport of agility and compare it with other dog sports. We talk about what it really means to select and train dogs for the world stage versus training a pet dog simply to provide an outlet and maintain a healthy, balanced mind.
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  Recast: The Controversy of Agility: Training Methods, Politics, and High-Level Performance (From Daisy's guest appearance on The Doggie Stoic Podcast) 08.01.2026 1h 7m

  In this episode, I join Andrew on The Doggy Stoic podcast to talk about high-level agility competition, the Kynology Agency-Accountability Framework, and why I'm open about using complete training methods. We discuss the Kynology workshop I hosted in Ohio, the politics around training approaches in agility, and what it means to prioritize dog welfare through clarity and realistic expectations rather than ideology. If you've ever wondered why some of us talk openly about using all four quadrants while others stay quiet, this conversation gets into the real reasons behind that divide. The Doggie Stoic on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@doggiestoic
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  Heart Health and Christmas Wishes 24.12.2025 7m

  What does Christmas Eve have to do with Heart Health? What does dog agility have to do with heart health? Some thoughts from Daisy Peel during this holiday season.
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  Agility Challenge Tip #20 – Practice Alone 13.05.2024 6m

  Holding ourselves accountable to stay sharp, to stay focused, and to stay in the sweet spot at the edge of our abilities when we're alone is important – it's not what happens in class each week, during that one or two hour period of time! It's what happens when you're at home, in your back yard, or your basement, by yourself, with your dog, working on the things you've set out to work on, with purpose! Never miss an episode by subscribing via iTunes, Spotify or by RSS Help improve the show by leaving a Rating & Review in iTunes (Here’s How) Join the discussion for this episode in the comments section at the website for this show
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  Agility Challenge Tip #19 – Don’t do ‘drills’ – instead, play small, addicting games 06.05.2024 6m

  As a dog trainer and handler, you're not only a student (of the game, of your instructor, etc.), but you're also a coach for your dog. And, good coaches, whether it's to your dog or to your own agility students, share a knack for transforming the most mundane activities – especially the mundane activities – into games.  Never miss an episode by subscribing via iTunes, Spotify or by RSS Help improve the show by leaving a Rating & Review in iTunes (Here’s How) Join the discussion for this episode in the comments section at the website for this show  
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  Agility Challenge Tip #18 – Choose 5 minutes a day instead of an hour a week 29.04.2024 7m

  In this Agility Challenge Tip, learn why practice "snacks" are better than practice "binges", what days of the week you should practice, and what it means to be ruthless about noticing and fixing mistakes. Never miss an episode by subscribing via iTunes, Spotify or by RSS Help improve the show by leaving a Rating & Review in iTunes (Here’s How) Join the discussion for this episode in the comments section at the website for this show
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  Agility Challenge Tip #17 – Embrace Struggle 22.04.2024 14m

  Many might ask why in the world would somebody continue to put themselves in the face of feeling frustrated, why would anybody want to struggle? In this episode, Daisy discusses why struggle is not only unavoidable when it comes to growing your skills and talents, but NECESSARY. Never miss an episode by subscribing via iTunes, Spotify or by RSS Help improve the show by leaving a Rating & Review in iTunes (Here’s How) Join the discussion for this episode in the comments section at the website for this show
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  Agility Challenge Tip #16 – Each day, try to build one perfect chunk 15.04.2024 8m

  What's the difference between activity and actual accomplishment? And, how do we go about making sure that we don't fall in to the trap of mistaking one for the other? Check out this Agility Challenge Tip, pulled from Daniel Coyle's Little Book of Talent, with Daisy Peel! Never miss an episode by subscribing via iTunes, Spotify or by RSS Help improve the show by leaving a Rating & Review in iTunes (Here’s How) Join the discussion for this episode in the comments section at the website for this show
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  Agility Challenge Tip #15: Break everything in to chunks 08.04.2024 9m

  In this Agility Challenge Tip, I'll speak on the topic of how to break down what might seem like an insurmountable list of training tasks in to chunks, in order to attain REAL agility mastery. Never miss an episode by subscribing via iTunes, Spotify or by RSS Help improve the show by leaving a Rating & Review in iTunes (Here’s How) Join the discussion for this episode in the comments section at the website for this show
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  Agility Challenge Tip #14: Take Off Your Watch 01.04.2024 5m

  Why you should take off your watch and avoid looking at the clock when you train. And how to define when and how a training session SHOULD end, instead of defining it in terms of minutes and seconds on the clock. Never miss an episode by subscribing via iTunes, Spotify or by RSS Help improve the show by leaving a Rating & Review in iTunes (Here’s How) Join the discussion for this episode in the comments section at the website for this show
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  Agility Challenge Tip #13: Find The Sweet Spot 25.03.2024 17m

  Is your training actually productive? Do you enjoy it? Or do you view it as drudgery, something to be suffered through? In this Challenge Tip, I'll dive in to how you can really get to the 'sweet spot' in practice and training, and how to get away from the unproductive swamp of 'shallow practice'.  Never miss an episode by subscribing via iTunes, Spotify or by RSS Help improve the show by leaving a Rating & Review in iTunes (Here’s How) Join the discussion for this episode in the comments section at the website for this show
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  Agility Challenge Tip 12: Five ways to pick a high-quality teacher or coach 18.03.2024 10m

  Teaching, just like anything else, is a skill that must be developed. GOOD teachers are those who have practiced good teaching skills. There are a lot of instructors out there in our sport who have not paid as much attention as they could to the practice of actually TEACHING. Here are 5 ways to pick a teacher or coach who will actually help you improve and GROW your skills. Never miss an episode by subscribing via iTunes, Spotify or by RSS Help improve the show by leaving a Rating & Review in iTunes (Here’s How) Join the discussion for this episode in the comments section at the website for this show
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  Agility Challenge Tip 11: Don’t Fall for the Prodigy Myth 11.03.2024 5m

  It's so often that we think of talent as something that we're born with, like the color of our hair, or the color of our eyes. We assume that the surest sign of talent is early,  instant, effortless success, i.e., being a prodigy. Basically, this is just not the case – there's a well established body of research that shows that our assumptions about talent are just…false. Early success turns out to be a weak predictor of long-term success! Never miss an episode by subscribing via iTunes, Spotify or by RSS Help improve the show by leaving a Rating & Review in iTunes (Here’s How) Join the discussion for this episode in the comments section at the website for this show
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  Agility Challenge Tip #10: Honor The Hard Skills 04.03.2024 9m

  We've been talking about hard skills and soft skills as though they're entirely separate, but in reality, most talents are not exclusively one or the other. They're some combination of the two. You have to have the hard skill of good front cross footwork and the soft skill of knowing when to start that footwork in relation to your dog on course to successfully execute a front cross, for example. However, in his book the Little Book of Talent, author Daniel Coyle suggests we prioritize the hard skills, because in the long run, they're more important to developing your talent. Never miss an episode by subscribing via iTunes, Spotify or by RSS Help improve the show by leaving a Rating & Review in iTunes (Here’s How) Join the discussion for this episode in the comments section at the website for this show
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  Agility Challenge Tip #9 – To build soft skills, play like a skateboarder 26.02.2024 11m

  To build soft skills you should behave less like a careful carpenter and more like a skateboarder in a skateboard park: aggressive, curious, and experimental, always seeking new ways to challenge yourself. Dig in to this concept more with Daisy Peel in this week's Agility Challenge Tip! Never miss an episode by subscribing via iTunes, Spotify or by RSS Help improve the show by leaving a Rating & Review in iTunes (Here’s How) Join the discussion for this episode in the comments section at the website for this show
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  Agility Challenge Tip #8 – Work Like A Careful Carpenter 19.02.2024 6m

  To develop reliable hard skills, you have to connect the right wires in your brain. You want to be careful, slow, and highly aware of errors. You want to work like a careful carpenter. Dig more in to this concept in this week's Agility Challenge Tip with Daisy! Never miss an episode by subscribing via iTunes, Spotify or by RSS Help improve the show by leaving a Rating & Review in iTunes (Here’s How) Join the discussion for this episode in the comments section at the website for this show
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  Agility Challenge Tip #7: Figure out if it’s a hard or soft skill 12.02.2024 11m

  The first step toward building a skill is to figure out exactly what type of skill you're building. Every skill falls into one of two categories: hard skills and soft skills. This tip comes from Daniel Coyle's The Little Book Of Talent, and is adapted for use by us agility handlers! Never miss an episode by subscribing via iTunes, Spotify or by RSS Help improve the show by leaving a Rating & Review in iTunes (Here’s How) Join the discussion for this episode in the comments section at the website for this show
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  Agility Challenge Tip #6: Choose Spartan Over Luxurious 05.02.2024 5m

  It's tempting to think that if we don't have the latest and greatest this or that, we'll never be successful. If we don't have the latest and greatest dog toy, how will our dog ever be as motivated as that super motivated border collie over there? If we don't have the latest and greatest equipment – the best jumps, the prettiest tunnels, a heated arena with an amazing turf surface – how can we possibly be the best we can possibly be? But, do we really NEED all that fancy stuff to be our best and make progress with our dog agility handling and training?  Never miss an episode by subscribing via iTunes, Spotify or by RSS Help improve the show by leaving a Rating & Review in iTunes (Here’s How) Join the discussion for this episode in the comments section at the website for this show