[gaijingirl]

If you want to learn to run a course, I really think it's probably absolutely necessary to take classes...like Brister said, it's quite difficult for the human. It is, in my opinion, really complicated for the human! There is so much skill involved...and not just for the dog... to learn as far as footwork and a lot that goes on with body language that hugely affects what the dog does. You really need an experienced instructor to guide in this, because a lot of the time you end up telling your dog to do things with your body that you would otherwise have no idea you were doing! (I think the humans probably make it much more difficult fo the dog sometimes....we are so confusing!)

If you aren't physically able to run a course, you could definitely get a professional handler (or I guess, anyone, really) to run your dog. One of the dogs that comes to my class trains with a professional handler and his parents just sit and watch.

Some people in my class were talking once about a guy that comes to trials who is in a wheelchair and sits in the middle of the ring and gives his dogs the commands all by voice from where he sits. So, it can be done with a handler unable to run...although I'm sure there would be a lot of training that would have to happen before that point with someone who could teach the dog to properly use the equipment.