Stepping into the ring and leaving the food behind

I often hear the comment "But you can't take food in the ring", or I find a student preparing for a trial by suddenly moving to "show mode" (no food, no toys, no corrections, etc) days before the event. I've struggled to explain how to move towards the show without the dogs behavior declining. It seems to me that people think in black and white. A trial is coming up and the handler wants to get ready for it. In doing so the handler either panics and really stresses the weak areas of a dog performance while working the dog, or starts treating the dog like they are in the show ring a day or more before the trial. I've tried explaining how to keep the dog from knowing that you won't use food in the ring. A savvy handler learns to use food, toys, and play interchangeably. The experienced handler knows how to utilize training aids in such a way that they are a reinforcement that magically appears rather than a lure/bribe to entice the desired behavior. I've told my students that my dogs think I'm a cookie dispenser able to produce treats from the sky (and my hand, pocket, mouth, etc)! I've also explained to use food right up till the minute before you step in the ring.
In catching up on some reading today, I came across a quote from Patty Ruzzo (a highly successful obedience competitor who used positive food based training) that really stuck in my head and I wanted to share it with all of you. Patty, who was frequently asked how to work away from food in preparation for a trial, stated this "If you knew a famine was coming, would you starve your children to prepare them for it?" Neither should the dog trainer "starve" their dogs prior to a trial, be it with an absence of treats, toys, or corrections!
Remember in preparing for a trial, keep "show mode" to a very small percentage of your overall practice and never right before you go into the ring. Instead, try Upping the level of reinforcement and see what happens! This relates to proofing as well. I've said this before, but I think it bears repeating. When facing a particularly challenging distraction up the level of reinforcement in terms of both quality and quantity! Feed for instant focus. Feed for 1 second of focus, 2 seconds, 3 seconds, etc. This method has a name. Ask me about it in class this week!