Handing Yourself. Handling Others.

One of my hobbies is running my Australian Shepard, Levi, in agility competitions.

When people see us run, their first comment is almost always -

"I love how your dog knows where do go. How did you teach him to follow the numbers on the course?"

I always smile.

No. Levi does not follow numbers. He relies on me, his Handler, to tell him where to go. If I don't communicate my intention, he will go off course and be eliminated.

In the agility world, we like to say, "Every dog has a Handler problem."

I've noticed the same thing in the human world.

If you think you are being tripped up by someone else, double-check to see if they are having a Handler problem.

Know what you want, where you want to go, and effectively communicate your goals. You will be amazed at how almost everybody will follow the numbers.