Proofing

In my opinion proofing is the single most important element for getting a dog ready to compete.

Proofing - applying pressure to an exercise.
Pressure - anything that makes the exercise look different, forcing the dog to think through it and make the right choice. (your silence can be pressure, as can toys on the ground, strange people in the ring, people offering food, door slamming, different surroundings, etc...)

What Proofing is NOT:
(1) Proofing is NOT trying to get your dog to fail.
(2) Proofing is NOT trying to reproduce every situation that may actually happen in the ring.

What Proofing IS:
(1) Proofing IS a way of finding out what parts of the exercise your dog doesn't understands.

(By putting pressure onto an exercise the first things that fall apart are the pieces of the exercise that your dog is weakest at or doesn't yet understand).

(2) Proofing IS a way of teaching the dog to GENERALIZE the exercise.

(Just because you understand the broad jump exercise as -- dogs take jump on cue, jumps straight over middle of jump, makes nice turn to right, and fronts straight in front of you, does not mean your dog understands the broad jump exercise in this way. The dog may well understand it as -- there are white boards on a green mat about 2 ft from the white ring gate. I have my rear touching the mat and when she takes a breath I push off and head toward the boards holding my head just so, after jumping I switch to holding my head in this way, by running with my head held like that I end up in front of her and I sit. By proofing the broad jump exercise the dog will learn ...... wow, I have to jump even if the boards are grey, even if the mat is black, even if there is a person standing anywhere around it, even if there is food on the ground, even if a toy is thrown, etc.... Applying pressure in different forms to all parts of the exercise will result in your dog's understand of the broad jump exercise to more closely resemble your understanding of it).

A proofing book I really like is "The Art of Proofing: Preparing Your Dog For Obedience Trials" by Adele Yunck.