© ClEanrUn 2 6 4 5 I must decide to cue my dog to turn left or right on jump #4. I will use jump #6 to make the decision, NOT #5. Can you see that the red path sets a better line to #6 and the orange path sets a better line to the off-course jump? choosing the angle that will set him up best for #7. It is often the case that it is super easy to get to #6 from either wing of #5, yet how hard or easy that route is not what you are trying to determine; it's what happens next. See Figure 2. If you plan correctly, you will be creating "softer" turns for your dog. In many cases, the softer turn will be faster, even if the actual yardage is longer. In class with no course map? Walk the dog's path yourself. Snug up to the tunnels and contacts that you can't actually execute, and try walking on the less obvious side of those obstacles to gather even more information about the lines. I used to put my hands up on each side of my eyes, fingers pointing Don't lose the contacts you worked so hard to train! ....................................... Perfect and preserve your dog's 2-on/2-off performance by addressing all the questions that dogs typically have about the behavior. Left unanswered, these questions can erode the behavior in competition. ....................................... www.cleanrun.com July 19 | Clean Run 47http://www.cleanrun.com