You do not have to run the course, only the DOG has to run the course. If it's an AKC course (slow and twisty) it's easy to find a spot where you can stand in the middle and steer your dog. USDAA courses are faster and more wide open, so it's a little more difficult. But USDAA puts a premium on remote handling, because in the Gamblers class you have to handle your dog away to a series of obstacles while standing behind a touch line. (It took Shelley and me awhile to get a pass in Gamblers!)
Boy are things different in competition. Peaches is really fast and can turn on a dime and very responsive to what I tell her. She can be stubborn though. I bet she would something in it.