Episode 003 - Why Distance Handling Matters in Dog Agility Training

Season #1 June 17, 2025

Show Notes

Why Distance Handling Matters in Dog Agility Training

In this episode of the Maximum Fun Agility podcast, Lorrie Reynolds explains why teaching distance and independence is such an important part of dog agility training. While not every team needs to handle from extreme distances, building the ability for your dog to work away from you creates better speed, positioning, and flexibility on course.

Lorrie shares why distance skills are valuable for both competitive agility teams and handlers with physical limitations, and how communication, independence, and confidence form the true foundation of distance handling.

In This Episode You’ll Learn

• What “distance handling” really means in dog agility training
• Why teaching independence can actually increase your dog’s speed on course
• How distance skills help handlers achieve better positioning during complex sequences
• Why modern agility course design often favors teams with distance skills
• How distance handling allows handlers with physical limitations to stay active in the sport

Episode Overview

Distance handling is often misunderstood in dog agility. Some handlers assume it means running entire courses far away from their dog, while others believe it’s only useful for specific venues or distance games.

In this episode, Lorrie explains that distance handling is really about communication, independence, and confidence. When a dog understands the path ahead and trusts the handler’s cues, they can perform obstacles correctly even when the handler isn’t right beside them.

Teaching your dog to work independently helps prevent the handler from slowing the dog down and allows you to reach better handling positions on course. It can also help avoid off-course obstacles and improve overall course strategy.

Distance skills are particularly important for games like Gamblers, FAST, and Chances, where teams must send their dog to obstacles from a distance. But even on standard agility courses, teams that can work apart often have more handling options and smoother runs.

Whether your goal is championship titles, improved course strategy, or simply continuing to enjoy agility despite physical limitations, teaching distance and independence can benefit every agility team.

Key Training Concepts Mentioned

• Distance handling in dog agility
• Independence and obstacle commitment
• Communication between handler and dog
• Course positioning and handling strategy
• Confidence building for agility dogs

Key Takeaway

Distance handling isn’t just about running far away from your dog. It’s about building the communication, confidence, and independence that allow your dog to perform obstacles correctly even when you aren’t right beside them.

When these skills are developed, distance becomes simply another handling tool that can improve speed, positioning, and flexibility on course.

Resources Mentioned

Maximum Fun Dog Sports
https://www.maximumfundogs.com

The Agility Playground membership

Join The Agility Playground

If you want to build a successful agility team where runs with your partner feel flowing and in sync, join The Agility Playground.

The Agility Playground is a low-cost membership designed to help agility teams improve communication, independence, and confidence through structured training exercises and supportive coaching.

Start your free 7-day trial here:
https://courses.maximumfundogs.com/2025-bb-tap1-7D

Related Episodes

If you want to continue improving independence and clarity in your dog agility training, listen to:

Episode 049 – Determine and Plan Performance Criteria Before Training

Additional Resources:

To read articles about dog agility and trick training, visit: Maximum Fun Dog Sports Articles

Website: https://www.maximumfundogs.com
Shop: https://courses.maximumfundogs.com/shop
Email: [email protected]
Articles: https://www.maximumfundogs.com/articles
The Agility Playground: https://courses.maximumfundogs.com/2025-bb-tap1-7D

Episode Transcript

Lorrie Reynolds [00:00:08]:
Welcome to the Maximum Fun Agility podcast. I'm Lorrie Reynolds, owner of Maximum Fun Dog Sports. We help your agility team build your relationship, communication, confidence, and fun in training so that you can joyfully succeed on any course. In this episode, we'll explore why incorporating distance into your handling is important for dog agility training and competition. Distance in agility is crucial for agility teams for a variety of reasons. Let's dive into the benefits of teaching your agility dog to work at a distance and explore how it can improve your performance as a team. As you'll know if you've explored my website at all, I'm a huge proponent of teaching dogs to work independently and at a distance. Just to be clear, I don't think everyone should use distance on every course unless there are physical reasons why they can't run.

Lorrie Reynolds [00:01:00]:
If handlers can run, I think they should where it makes sense, but they also need to teach their dogs how to work away so they have the distance when they need it. My definition of distance handling is having a dog that can perform obstacles independently when directed to the correct path by the handler, even if the handler is 20, 30, or 60 feet away. You'll hear me talk about teaching distance, but what I really teach is communication, independence, and confidence. When you have a dog who understands what you are asking, has been taught to have value for the obstacles and can maintain criteria independent of the handler's position, and has confidence in himself and his handler, distance just becomes another variable like angled weave entries or a sliced jump. The primary reason I teach my dogs distance is because of my physical limitations as a handler. Not everyone has medical issues that prevent them from running, but there also isn't anyone who can run as fast as their dog when the dog is running full out. So the first reason we should teach our dogs to work independently is because of speed. If I have to run every inch of the course with my dog and my dog has to wait for me, I'm slowing him down.

Lorrie Reynolds [00:02:18]:
We want our dogs to be able to run without imposing our limitations on them. The second reason is creating better positioning on course. If I am running alongside my dog, not only am I slowing him down, I also can't "get there". I can't make it to the handling positions I need to be in to help my dog navigate difficult sequences where the obvious choice isn't the correct obstacle. In my seminar handouts, I have examples that show how sending your dog to a straightforward sequence at a distance can help you take shortcuts to get into position for the more technical sections of the course. Also, there are many cases where driving with the dog means your motion has the potential to drive them right to an off course obstacle. Conversely, taking shortcuts can sometimes eliminate the potential for an off course if you are between it and your dog's path. The third reason to teach distance and independence is because judges are evil.

Lorrie Reynolds [00:03:19]:
To all my friends out there who are judges, I'm kidding about the evil part, but you know you like to put challenges in your courses that are very difficult if a team doesn't have any distance skills. Venues like NAIDAC have always favored teams with some distance skills, but course design in all of the venues is currently putting teams to the test on independent obstacle performance and distance. These are not the heel around the ring courses of 20 years ago. Courses are being designed so that a team that can't send their dog to an obstacle on their own gets restricted by a contact obstacle or the weave poles. The courses make handlers choose between trying the send or getting an off-course or refusal in the next section of the course. An obvious reason to teach independence and distance is to qualify in the distance games like gamblers, FAST, and chances. I've had a lot of people over the years come to a seminar because they have all the regular and jumpers runs they need for the championship title, but they are way behind on Qs for the distance games. Getting through novice levels can often be done just using your dog's natural working distance. But when the distance spreads to 30 or more feet, many teams struggle. Most championship titles require you to have a well rounded team with all of the skills, including being able to work in sync even when you are apart.

Lorrie Reynolds [00:04:43]:
It's disheartening to continue to enter and, quote, unquote, waste money on runs that you have a low qualification rate on. Just to be clear, though, teaching distance, independence, and communication will help you qualify more often on every type of course, whether it has a distance element or not. Another reason to teach distance is so that people like me with physical issues can continue to play with their dogs even if we won't ever be able to run. I often joke with students that if they see me running, they should run too because either something is chasing me or the building is on fire. When physical issues are due to age or injuries, being able to direct your dog from a stationary position keeps you in the game longer. If you're into extreme distance, it's important to teach independence, confidence, and communication so that you can do NAIDAC bonus runs or go to NAIDAC championships and run-in the stakes classes where you stay in a prescribed area to handle the entire course. There is absolutely nothing that compares to being completely in sync with your dog while he is following a path through the obstacles 50 or 60 feet away. It takes a huge amount of trust and understanding to be able to work like that on course, and it is definitely an addicting rush.

Lorrie Reynolds [00:06:04]:
Now, of course, not every dog will be able to work at those kinds of distances, and that's perfectly okay. Training should help your dog expand their working distance while maintaining their confidence and joy in the game. Every team is capable of elite or masters level distances on a gamblers or chances course. Not every team will be able to, or even want to, work at greater distances. Your dog's natural abilities, preferred working distance, and confidence will determine how far you can go. To sum today's podcast up, distance is a critical element of handling that increases speed, enhances positioning on course, helps teams overcome course challenges, and allows handlers with physical issues to continue to play the game with our best friends. Whether you are trying to earn a championship title or just need more options for handling agility courses, distance skills can be nurtured in every team regardless of a dog's breed or a handler's ability to run. Thanks for listening to this episode of the Maximum Fun Agility podcast.

Lorrie Reynolds [00:07:12]:
If you want to build a successful agility team where runs with your partner feel flowing and in sync, join us in The Agility Playground. The Agility Playground is a low cost membership that meets you where you are on your dog agility journey and helps you propel your team to new heights. You can check out The Agility Playground and join our community at www.maximumfundogs.com. See you next time.