If you’ve ever run an agility course with a fast dog, you know it’s both exhilarating and a little like hanging onto a tornado. One moment you’re in awe of your dog’s speed, and the next you’re scrambling to keep up. Fast dogs bring a special energy to the agility field, they don’t wait for us to catch up. They expect clear, confident direction, and if we hesitate, they will make their own decisions! In this blog, we’ll explore how to handle a fast dog in agility with confidence. From mastering timely cues to guiding your dog’s path, these tips will help turn those wild rides into smooth teamwork. Let’s dive in!
Connection: The invisible thread in dog agility
Before worrying about specific handling maneuvers, start with the foundation: connection. Connection is that almost-invisible thread of attention between you and your dog. When you’re fully connected, the dog can focus on going to obstacles. And you’ll see everything that’s happening on the course. Building this connection is especially crucial with speedy dogs. Why? Because your dog is always reading your body language, more so than your verbal commands. If you stay in sync through body cues and eye contact, even a lightning-fast agility dog will be able to follow your directions. Instead of just taking the next obstacle on their own terms!
How to maintain connection
Ever feel like your fast dog has a sixth sense for when you glance away for half a second? That’s because they do! They’re experts at reading even slight changes in our focus, as well as our body language. OneMind Dogs Coach Niki Drage says“Connection is about staying in tune with your dog, so they know exactly where to go next.” In practice, this means keeping your eye on your dog as you handle. Watch your dog, so your dog can focus on staying on the line to each obstacle. If your dog suddenly veers off course or takes an unexpected obstacle, it’s a sign that connection was lost or handling was late. In other words, it’s a cue for us as handlers to communicate more clearly. Stay connected, and you’ll feel like you and your dog share one mind on the course (that’s the goal of OneMind Dogs, after all!). Want to learn more about connection? Check out our free webinar: Connection in Dog Agility.
Timing is everything: Give information early
Handling a fast agility dog is a bit like playing a fast-paced game of chess. You always need to think one step ahead. Timing your cues correctly can make the difference between a smooth run and a chaotic one. When your dog is racing full speed toward an obstacle, you need to tell them what’s next before they take off. If you’re late, your clever speedster might fill in the blanks on their own (hello, off-course!). As OneMind Dogs Instructor Lynn Madden puts it, “Timing is the key to effective handling”. For a fast dog, that means early, proactive cues are your new best friend.
When to cue
A common mistake is waiting until your dog has completed an obstacle before deciding what to cue next. By then, a fast dog is already thinking two obstacles ahead (or has possibly invented their own course!). The moment your dog commits to an obstacle, your job is to cue the next line immediately. For example, if your dog is in the air over a jump, you should have already shown them where to go after that jump. Good timing keeps your dog on the intended path and prevents those wide, loopy turns or sudden halts where they look back at you as if to say, “Now what, human?”. By improving your timing, you help your dog flow from one obstacle to the next seamlessly. Learn more about timing your cues in this webinar: Timing Your Cues in Dog Agility.
Quick tip: Try practicing short sequences where you focus on the 3Cs. Connect, Commit, Cue. Connect with the dog, see the commitment to the obstacle, then finish the handling technique before the dog reaches the take off. It feels like mental juggling at first, but with practic, you’ll develop an intuitive rhythm. Your fast dog will thank you by taking the correct obstacle with confidence. Because you set them up for success with timely information.
Handle the line, not the obstacles
When things get fast and furious, many handlers fall into the trap of focusing only on individual obstacles (“Tunnel ahead! Now a jump!”). But an agility course isn’t a random collection of obstacles. It’s a connected path or line that your dog is running. Especially with a fast dog, thinking in terms of your dog’s line through the course is a game-changer.
Instead of reacting obstacle by obstacle, start guiding the path your dog takes. Visualize an invisible line that you want your dog to follow through the sequence. If you concentrate on shaping that line, you’ll naturally guide your dog to the right obstacle without needing frantic last-second instructions. This approach creates smoother, more efficient runs. And fewer mistakes as an added bonus, because your dog isn’t surprised by a turn or an obstacle. They’re already on the right track.
What does “handle the line” mean?
OneMind Dogs founder Janita Leinonen emphasizes this concept: “When you focus on handling the dog’s line, you’ll see faster times and fewer mistakes.” In practice, handling the line means using the 7 Handling Elements to indicate the path ahead of time. For instance, if you know a sharp turn is coming up after a jump, cue the turn when the dog commits to the obstacle. Your body language will signal the upcoming turn, so your dog can land already preparing to turn the correct way. Guiding the line is like giving your dog a GPS route rather than calling out directions at each intersection. It makes the journey much clearer.
Want to learn more about handling lines in agility? Download our free ebook on this essential skill!
Dogs run a parallel line to the handler
Here’s a fascinating insight that can really help if you feel like your fast dog has you on a leash instead of the other way around: dogs naturally move in parallel with their handlers. This means your movement on course directly influences your dog’s path. If you sprint straight ahead, your dog is likely to charge straight ahead too. If you start drifting or curving, your dog will tend to follow that arc (unless they are already committed to an obstacle). When handling a large striding dog, you need to be especially aware of parallel lines. Because they’re constantly adjusting their route based on where you are and how you’re moving and they don’t have a lot of strides between obstacles to do so.
How to use it in practice
Think of it like dancing with a partner. If you make a big step to the right, your partner (if they’re in sync with you) will step to the right as well. In agility, if you suddenly cut left, your fast dog will also adjust leftward (sometimes faster than you expected!). This is why staying aware of your own running line is crucial. With a speedy dog, even small motions count. Leaning forward might send them accelerating. While a deceleration (slowing your pace or leaning back) can cue them to collect or prepare to turn. “Whether you’re running alongside your dog or handling from a distance, dogs move in parallel lines to you until they commit to an obstacle,” explains Coach Niki Drage.
Quick Tip: OneMind Dogs founder and coach Janita Leinonen says “Dogs have taught us that they see the course in straight lines. Always choose a straight line as your handler path.” This will help you avoid off-course obstacles, and help you get ahead more easily. By running a straight path yourself, you’re effectively making course reading as easy as possible for your dog.
Distance handling: Trust your dog and “run smarter”
Many people assume that if you have a fast agility dog, you just have to run faster. Good news: that’s not the solution (phew!). Often, a smarter approach is to let your dog do their thing independently while you take strategic shortcuts. This is where distance handling comes into play. Distance handling means you can direct your dog through part of a sequence without being right next to them. It’s an essential skill for managing a quick dog because it allows you to send your dog on a path and then move yourself into position for what’s coming up next.
To develop distance handling, start by teaching your dog that it’s okay (even fun!) to take obstacles without you right by their side. This is what we call obstacle focus. Follow the lessons in our Foundations for Agility program to make distance skills easy for your dog. Already beyond foundations? Going back to foundations lessons is always the answer for filling in any holes in your dog’s skills. Check out our free webinar: 5 Steps for Super Distance Skills for tips on distance training and handling.
Build commitment and forward focus in your dog
The foundation stages of your team’s agility journey are all about building your dog’s skills. Three key traits make a world of difference for a fast agility dog: commitment, forward focus, and independence. These skills are all built step-by-step in our Foundation For Agility online program. We’ve touched on independence with distance handling. But let’s break these down a bit more. Because building these traits in your dog will make handling their speed much easier:
Commitment
This is your dog’s ability to stick to an obstacle once you’ve directed them to it. For example, if you cue a jump and then peel off toward the next obstacle, a committed dog will still take that jump without second-guessing. They don’t abandon the jump just because you moved away. A dog with strong commitment knows “that obstacle is my job now,” allowing you to move on confidently. Training commitment involves rewarding your dog behind the obstacle for finishing obstacles even if you’re already heading elsewhere. It’s like saying, “You’ve got this, buddy. I’ll show you the next line!”
Forward Focus
A fast dog naturally loves to go forward – harness that! Forward focus means your dog is always looking for the next obstacle ahead of them. Rather than constantly looking back at you for guidance. A dog with good forward focus drives straight toward the obstacle you’ve indicated and is eager for the next one. This is great for speed, because a dog that’s charging ahead is maintaining momentum. You can encourage forward focus by practicing sequences where after an obstacle, you throw a toy straight ahead or place a reward to encourage them to keep moving forward. When combined with early cueing, forward focus means your dog will commit early, and you’ll be cueing early. A perfect match for keeping the flow.
Independence
We touched on this with distance handling. Independence is your dog’s confidence in performing obstacles without needing you right there. An independent dog doesn’t freak out if you’re 20 feet away. They know what to do and they trust that you’ll tell them if something else is needed. Building independence comes from gradually increasing distance and complexity. Start with sending to a single obstacle and a placed reward after it. Then a short line of two, and so on, always making sure to reward your dog on their line for taking initiative. Independence is what lets you handle those tricky sequences even if you can’t physically keep up with your dog. Because you’ve basically trained your dog to run part of the course on autopilot (under your remote guidance).
By developing your dog’s commitment, forward focus, and independence, you transform them into a confident partner. Instead of you trying to babysit a fast dog through every jump and tunnel, you have a teammate who runs with purpose. This takes a lot of pressure off you as the handler. You can trust your dog to do their part and you can concentrate on your part. Which is being in the right place at the right time and communicating clearly.
Conclusion: Turn “too fast” into an exciting adrenaline rush
Handling a fast dog in agility might sometimes feel like riding a rocket. But with the right approach, you can direct that rocket exactly where you want it to go. The key is clarity, communication, and trust. Focus on maintaining a strong connection, work on impeccable timing, and guide your dog’s line through body language. Teach your dog that once you’ve pointed them to an obstacle, you trust them to take it (and they’ll trust you to guide them afterwards). Remember, if something goes wrong on course, it’s not because your dog is “too fast” or “out of control”. It’s usually a cue for us to refine our handling or training. Every misstep is just information that helps you improve.
At OneMind Dogs, we’re all about seeing agility from the dog’s perspective and using that insight to become better partners for our dogs. The beauty of this approach is that it works for dogs of all speeds and sizes. In fact, our method includes over 20 proven handling techniques based on natural canine behaviors. Meaning your dog instinctively understands the cues when you handle with their perspective in mind. A fast dog isn’t a liability; it’s an opportunity to learn how to “speak dog” on the agility field. With practice and the right mindset, you’ll go from merely surviving your fast dog’s runs to truly thriving with them.
Ready to learn more?
If you’re excited to take your handling skills to the next level, don’t miss our in-depth webinar on handling fast, powerful dogs in agility. It’s packed with demonstrations and insights on spotting commitment, handling your dog’s line, and knowing when to move on (so you’re always ahead of your speedy friend). The full webinar recording is available now for our Agility Premium members. You can watch it here today and turn your agility runs with your fast dog from chaotic to fantastic. Happy training, and see you on the course!
