Handler vs. Obstacle Focus

When we talk about handler focus and obstacle focus it’s important to acknowledge that we need our dogs to have both. However, it can also be easy – especially for young dogs – to have a preference of one over another, each of which can present different challenges.

Handler Focus

A dog with handler focus is paying attention to the handler. They are able to quickly and easily follow cues from their handler. For this reason, dogs with strong handler focus are quite good at staying on course and are very accurate as they aren’t as tempted to run ahead and take the off course obstacles. But dogs who have too much handler focus might find their dog stopping and turning back to the handler, getting refusals, and struggling with distance sends. 

Obstacle Focus

A dog with obstacle focus is able to put their eyes on the equipment, drive to, and complete it. They tend to be very eager to do the equipment and are strong in connecting lines of obstacles and distance challenges; however, this can sometimes be at the expense of the course. It’s not uncommon for dogs who have a bit too much obstacle focus to ignore a handler cue in order to do the equipment they want to do… or course. If this were a gambles course where they can make it up as they go, they have it made in the sun and are likely to title up here first. However, they may struggle in numbered courses where they can’t just run around and take any jump, tunnel, or contact that looks exciting

Balance

So we can see how both of these skills are important, but can also have caveats. These two skills are interconnected because they are very related – when our dogs have too strong of obstacle focus and run ahead to do “bonus obstacles” this is often at the expense of the handler’s cue and the handler focus. And the reverse could be said for the dog who gravitates close to the handler, waiting on their every word – they would benefit from some obstacle focus to be able to run ahead and sequence with more independence. Ultimately, we need both of these skills and we want the best of both worlds. We want a dog who is fast, confident, and drives ahead, but we also are looking for them to turn on a dime at our cues.

In the pursuit of these goals, I often think about how we can create value for the skill set I want. Because if I have a dog who is the fast and the furious and drives confidently ahead to their obstacles, I still want them to be able to do this! I don’t want to slow them down and penalize them for doing a good job in one area in an attempt to get another skill. I just want to add some direction to it. So I ask myself, “how can I add value to following my cues in the face of a distracting environment?” And if I have a dog who is clinging to me – aw, I love you too – but “how can I add value to the equipment,” so that it’s fun too. Because having a dog who is strong in one of these areas is a good thing and means we’ve done our jobs well as a trainer, and now we just need to build up our skills in the other.