392: Hitting the Road
Bad Dog Agility Podcast
In this episode (29:33) A listener wrote in asking for advice on planning their first long-distance trip to a major event, and the three of us had a lot to say. We talk through how dogs and humans experience the same travel day differently, whether you’re better off with fewer long driving days or more shorter ones, and whether it’s worth stopping to practice along the way. If you’ve got a big trip on the horizon, this one’s for you. You Will Learn How dogs and humans experience the same travel day differently, and why that matters for planning The case for fewer, longer driving days...
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391: Performing Under the Lights
Bad Dog Agility Podcast
In this episode (45:24) In this episode, Jennifer, Sarah, and Esteban address a question from a listener who felt overwhelmed at a big event under the bright lights of the cameras and the importance of the moment. The team shares their own experiences competing on live televised finals and dig into what the research says about choking under pressure and the techniques that actually help. You Will Learn Why pre-performance routines matter and how to use them strategically How post-performance processing routines can also impact high stakes performance How to handle it when your routine gets...
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390: When to Add to Your Pack
Bad Dog Agility Podcast
In this episode (17:25) Sarah and Jennifer tackle a listener question about timing: when is the right moment to add a puppy to your pack, and how will it affect your relationship with your current competition dog? They share their own histories with bringing in new dogs and talk through what they’d recommend. You Will Learn The age range for your current competition dog that Sarah and Jennifer think makes for the smoothest puppy transition What to expect (and what not to worry about) when it comes to your older dog’s relationship with you after a puppy arrives Whether having an older dog...
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389: 320,000 Dogwalks
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...
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388: What ISC Entry Data Tells Us
Bad Dog Agility Podcast
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...
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387: Video Assisted Review in AKC and UKI
Bad Dog Agility Podcast
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...
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386: Boy Dog or Girl Dog?
Bad Dog Agility Podcast
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...
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385: AKC National Agility Championship Wrap-Up with Guest Peter Wirth
Bad Dog Agility Podcast
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...
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384: 4 Feet or 5 – Does Bar Width Actually Matter?
Bad Dog Agility Podcast
In this episode (27:08) Does the difference between 4-foot and 5-foot bars really matter in dog agility? In this episode, we dig into how bar width impacts everything from course design to your dog’s performance, and why this seemingly small difference can have bigger implications than you might think. You Will Learn How 4-foot vs 5-foot bars affect course design and handling decisions Whether bar width changes your dog’s jumping mechanics and consistency Why Jennifer and Esteban don’t like opening a course with a tire followed immediately by the dogwalk Mentioned Sponsored By
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383: Dog Agility on Netflix?
Bad Dog Agility Podcast
In this episode (27:08) In this episode, Sarah, Jennifer, and Esteban explore what a dog agility series on Netflix or another streaming platform could look like. They discuss several possible formats and why agility has the ingredients for mainstream success. You Will Learn Different formats a dog agility series could take on a streaming platform The kinds of stories and personalities that would make the sport compelling for a wider audience Why dog agility has strong potential as a binge-worthy series What makes the sport visually exciting and emotionally engaging for viewers Mentioned : a...
info_outlineIn this episode (20:34)
In this episode, Esteban and Sarah talk about what it really means when things go wrong in the ring. A knocked bar, a wrong course, a dog that runs straight to the leash—none of these moments predict your future in agility. Instead, they’re feedback about where you and your dog are in your training journey.
You Will Learn
- The key difference between formative and summative feedback—and how it applies to training and trials.
- Why tying your success or failure to self-worth actually slows progress (and how to stop doing it).
- How to read your dog’s “mistakes” as information about confidence, arousal, and understanding.
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