Bad Dog Agility Podcast

In this episode (1:17:56)
In this episode, Sarah and Esteban welcome Dr. Arielle Pechette Markley and Dr. Abigail Shoben to discuss their CARIS research update analyzing data from 1,385 trials and over 300,000 runs per obstacle. They break down the findings from the largest coordinated safety study in agility history on contact obstacle incidents and what the numbers actually mean for handlers and dogs.
You Will Learn
The actual incident rates by obstacle: dogwalk leads at 2.1 per 1,000 runs, followed by teeter (1.04) and A-frame (0.40)
Why 91.5% of contact incidents result in no apparent injury, with actual injury rates as low as 1 in 33,000 runs for dogwalks
How these prospective findings compare to previous retrospective studies and why the methodology matters for interpreting risk
Which agility obstacle has a much higher incident rate than any of the contact obstacles
Mentioned
The CARIS Research Update everyone is talking about: https://www.caninesportsscience.org/post/caris-research-update-what-we-re-learning-about-contact-obstacle-incidents.
The "speed study": Increasing course speeds in canine agility: a decade of trends from American Kennel Club competition data
Sponsored By
Canine Handler Fitness

In this episode (28:03)
The AKC International Sweepstakes Class launched mid-2023, bringing European-style FCI course design to AKC trials at three levels of difficulty. Now, with two full years of data in hand, Sarah takes a deep dive into the numbers to see where the program stands and what the trends might tell us about where it's headed.
You Will Learn
How ISC entries compare to overall AKC participation, and what the 2024 vs. 2025 growth numbers actually look like
Why big dogs dominate ISC entries, and how the 20″ and 24″ height classes compare to their share of the broader AKC entry pool
What the shift away from Level 1 toward Levels 2 and 3 suggests about who is running ISC and how the competitor base is maturing
Mentioned
Episode 323: The Past, Present, and Future of AKC ISC
Episode 351: The Inaugural AKC ISC Championship
Sponsored By
Canine Handler Fitness

In this episode (37:31)
Jennifer, Sarah, and Esteban are joined by Chris Durkee of 4 Legged Flix to talk about Video Assisted Review (VAR), a technology now being used at the highest levels of agility competition in the United States. VAR was deployed at both the recent AKC National Agility Championship and the UKI Invitational, with video services provided by 4 Legged Flix.
You Will Learn
Why contact obstacle judging is so difficult
How VAR works and what triggers a review
How judges interacted with VAR and whether it affected their confidence or decision-making
Whether VAR more often adds faults that were missed or overturns faults that were incorrectly called
What events may adopt VAR going forward
Mentioned
Episode 151: Judging with Video Review
Sponsored By
Canine Handler Fitness

In this episode (26:28)
Esteban, Sarah, and Jennifer share personal experiences and unpack the common stereotypes around male and female dogs in agility. With Esteban running girls, Sarah running boys, and Jennifer having trained both, the trio brings a range of perspectives and lands in the same place: the sex of a dog matters a lot less than people think.
You Will Learn
Why Esteban, Sarah, and Jennifer each gravitate toward (or away from) a particular sex and what actually drove those choices
The most common stereotypes about male vs. female dogs in agility, and how much truth the three coaches find in them
Why limiting your puppy search by sex may cause you to overlook the dog that could be your best partner yet
How other factors like temperament, drive, relationship, and timing outweigh sex when it comes to finding and developing a great agility dog
Sponsored By
Canine Handler Fitness
Saint Rocco's Treats

In this episode (57.15)
In this episode, Esteban, Sarah, and Jennifer sit down with Peter Wirth, the handler of that amazing Corgi, 8″ National Champion Welly. We also discuss the challenges of this year's courses, including the low Q rates, multiple falls off the dogwalk, and the weave pole challenge that eliminated half the Finals field.
You Will Learn
What Peter and Jennifer thought about the high number of weave pole faults in the Finals
What the Q rates were in both Prelims and Finals and what they tell us
What this year's NAC might signal about the future direction of course design
Mentioned
Hammy the Corgi as a Potato
Episode 379: The Medium-Speed Dog's Guide to NAC