8 9 8 5 7 6 9 9 8 5 7 6 Figure 8 shows the line we hope to achieve with a good turn from #6 to #7. If this turn is achieved then the dog has a straight line from #7 to #9 and he can be handled on the right from the tunnel to #9, with just the shoulder rotation and handler position cueing the left turn out of the tunnel and the #6-#7 left turn. Figure 9 shows the dog’s line if the left turn from #6 to #7 is a fraction wide. This will then create a right turn from #7 to #8; therefore #6 through #8 should be handled as a serpentine, shown here. This will not only cue the correct behavior and prevent the dog learning to swerve towards you and away from you when you are running a straight line but it will also help the dog to prepare for the second turn (#7 to #8) which should prevent the bar being knocked at #7 or the refusal at #8. Both of these faults were seen on the course from the handlers that did not respond with serpentine handling. Whichever line you perceive your dog is going to take, it is very important that you run away from the #5 tunnel as soon as the dog commits so that you can cue the serpentine if needed. When you use serpentine handling you should stay ahead of your dog so that he chases you through the sequence. The blue dog and handler in Figure 9 show the handler position on the serpentine as the dog lands from #7, just after the second arm change. Many dogs running this course swerved off to tunnel #10 before or after #8 because the handler stayed at tunnel #5 far too long. 18 Clean Run | March 12http://www.NTIGlobal.com