Have you ever felt like agility courses are becoming more complex? Is your dog becoming frustrated or confused on course (or maybe you are!)? The key to mastering these modern challenges lies in understanding how your dog sees the course and adjusting your handling to support their natural movement. By focusing on handling lines, not just obstacles, you can create smoother, faster, and safer runs.
Our Premium Webinar: Mastering Modern Agility Courses dives deep into the principles and strategies you need to succeed on today’s courses. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn.
Handling lines: See the agility courses through your dog’s eyes
When you look at a course map, the first step is to identify your dog’s reality lines. These are the paths your dog naturally takes through the course based on the layout. Instead of targeting individual obstacles, focus on the overall flow:
- Understand takeoff and landing points: Where will your dog take off and land for each jump? This determines their line to the next obstacle.
- Natural vs. course lines: Recognize where your dog’s natural path deviates from the course design and adjust your handling to guide them efficiently.
- Lead leg changes: Dogs naturally turn towards their leading leg. Position yourself on the inner curve whenever possible to support smooth turns.

Tunnel exits: Predicting and shaping your dog’s line on the agility course
Tunnel exits can make or break your run. Dogs anticipate what comes next while still in the tunnel, based on what they saw before entering. Your motion and position play a huge role in determining their exit line. Experiment with handling options to find what works best for your team.
Modern dog agility courses are often designed with multiple options for the dog after the tunnel. Knowing how to affect your dog’s line after the tunnel is a key element of success as courses become more complex.
Positions and critical points: Be where you need to be
Effective handling starts with planning your positions. Identify the critical points on the agility course where your presence will have the most impact for your dog, such as takeoff spots and key turns. By moving intentionally and proactively, you’ll guide your dog to the ideal path.

Handling options: Tailor strategies to your team
Not all handling options are created equal. When analyzing an agility course, consider your dog’s point of view:
- Which options fit your dog’s strengths and your handling style?
- How will each option affect your dog’s line, speed, or lead leg?
- What choices allow you to get to the next critical point?
Building essential skills for modern dog agility courses
Today’s agility courses demand advanced skills like independent backside sends, forward sends, layering, and speed into collection. At OneMind Dogs, we build these skills in our Foundation for Agility program. When a skill is lacking, going back to foundations is almost always the answer.
The dog’s perspective: Understanding their view of the course
Seeing the course through your dog’s eyes is at the heart of OneMind Dogs methodology. Dogs respond to your handling cues and body language more than the course layout. Learn to predict your dog’s path by observing their movement, lead leg, and gaze and use that information to keep your dog on their ideal path.

Take the next step: Watch the webinar
Ready to elevate your agility handling? Dive into our Premium Webinar: Mastering Modern Agility Courses to learn these concepts, and many more, in action. You’ll see real-world examples and practical tips to apply to your training immediately.
Watch the webinar now and discover how to:
- Create handling plans based on your dog’s reality lines.
- Support your dog’s natural movement with proactive handling.
- Address the unique challenges of modern agility courses.
With OneMind Dogs, you and your dog can achieve smoother, faster, and more connected runs. Don’t miss out—your best runs are just a webinar away!