Episode #36
Episode 36: Inside the Mind of a French Ring Champion with Darshan Herrán
Dog trainer and French Ring competitor Darshan Herrán shares his background growing up in Mexico City with a veterinarian father who became a professional trainer and helped found Club Ring Sport de Mexico. Now based in California, Herrán runs a dog training business and a French Ring club, and he and his dog Pacheco are the 2025 NARA Ring 3 regional champions preparing for upcoming regionals and nationals. He emphasizes fairness, training the dog in front of you rather than one-size-fits-all systems, and discusses his shift from old-school methods to modern reinforcement, food, clickers, and extensive marker use to improve clarity, reward placement, and emotional regulation while reducing unnecessary corrections. He explains changing dogs’ expectations to address arousal and reactivity, building engagement and play, teaching impulse control drills, and advocates for French Ring to move away from unfair corrections. His advice to trainers: always remain a student and learn across disciplines.
