3 3 FC FC 2 1 1 1 2 FC 2 3 This is the correct handling path for a front cross. Notice the nice smooth line from jumps #1 to #2, and also how short and straight the dog’s path is. This well-executed cross is very motivational for dogs because they get to flow easily from one obstacle to the next. Here is the typical incorrect handling path for a front cross. Notice how the handler steps in front of the dog, causing the dog’s path to be awkward and much longer. Dogs are often turned off by being abruptly blocked and redirected in this way. Can you blame them? The ideal handling path for the front cross is the same no matter what obstacles are in the sequence: inside the closest edge of the first obstacle to outside the farthest edge of the second obstacle. Here is a typical incorrectly executed front cross. Note how the handler’s path is in a V-shape and the dog almost comes to a stop after landing. He has no idea what obstacle comes next, so he almost stops instead of flowing smoothly from jump to jump. The handler’s path for the correct execution of a front cross should be a straight line from the inside of the closest edge of the first obstacle to the outside edge of the second obstacle. This keeps the handler out of the dog’s landing area and naturally leads the dog in the straightest line possible to the next obstacle. 36 Clean Run | December 08