🌟 Wednesday Wisdom: Reading Your Dog’s Line Like a Pro 🌟

One of the biggest differences between average runs and elite runs isn’t speed or handling tricks—it’s how well you can read your dog’s line.

Your dog is always showing you the path they’re about to take. The best handlers don’t just look at the next obstacle—they see the invisible line connecting everything together. That’s where the real magic happens.

Here’s how to sharpen your line-reading skills:

1️⃣ See it from your dog’s view.
Stand where they’ll land, bend down low, and look across the jump. Is their path curving left or right? Straight or angled? This gives you their perspective.

2️⃣ Watch the commitment point.
As soon as your dog locks onto an obstacle, their body tells you where they’re going next. Pay attention to shoulder direction, head turn, and stride length—it’s all information.

3️⃣ Connect the dots.
Don’t see obstacles in isolation. Ask yourself: If my dog takes this jump on this angle, where does that momentum carry them? The answer is their true line.

4️⃣ Adjust before the mistake.
Top handlers don’t wait for a wide turn to fix it—they read the line early and cue the next direction before the dog has committed too far.

5️⃣ Practice without running.
Walk courses focusing only on your dog’s path. Trace it with your finger, draw it on paper, or walk it out slowly. The better you see the line, the cleaner your handling decisions become.

💡 Wisdom for today: your dog doesn’t run obstacles—they run lines. The obstacle is just a checkpoint along the way. Read the line first, and your handling becomes faster, smoother, and far more reliable.

👉 Next time you walk a course, try this: ignore the numbers for a moment and trace only your dog’s path. You’ll be amazed how much clearer the handling choices become.