On Last Week’s Episode…
Many of you emailed to say that you were looking forward to an epic World Cup final featuring France vs Argentina, and the game absolutely lived up to the hype! I did indeed wake up early to watch the game with friends and saw Lionel Messi cement his legacy, scoring two goals and a penalty kick en route to a win over defending champion France, led by Kylian Mbappé who scored all three goals and a penalty kick for the losing side. The game was intense and physical, and there were several critical fouls called that resulted in penalty kicks for each side. Sarah was greatly amused by the flopping (embellishment of contact) demonstrated by the players. Do you think World Cup soccer players are more dramatic than this hog nose snake? Apparently, hog nose snakes can flop with the best of them!
College Bound
Last week, I mentioned that early decisions for colleges were on the way, and several readers emailed with stories about their own children leaving for college (Sarah and I were touched). Isaac ended up with all the good news he could handle! On Saturday, he was offered early admission to arguably the best school in the US: the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Just 685 students were accepted out of 11,924 applicants (5.7%). Isaac was very excited and happy because MIT is a great fit for him. However, Isaac’s top choice was Brown University, and three days later on Tuesday, Isaac was offered early admission to Brown, an Ivy League school in Providence, Rhode Island. He will start at Brown this fall. Like MIT, Brown is an elite school that is very strong in Isaac’s academic interests, but MIT enjoys a legendary status in American pop culture, so naturally, several of his classmates have asked why he didn’t choose MIT? Isaac replied that Brown was an even better fit for him.
College admissions has changed dramatically in the almost 30 years since my generation applied to college. There are more applicants in general, and the quality of applicants is much higher, leading to fierce competition for acceptances to elite schools. Top students often strive to get into the perceived “best” college that will take them, using rankings like the US News and World Report, to choose which schools to apply to. While rankings can be very helpful when used properly, we think many students overlook the importance of fit, and end up somewhere that isn’t very good for them. College rankings are also highly problematic, with schools like Columbia University outright misreporting data to boost their own ranking.
Here in the US, we have several agility organizations that emphasize different courses and attract different competitors and breeds. In essence, we have more venues to choose from than agility folks in other countries. This gives us an opportunity to consider which organization provides the best fit for us and/or our dogs. While we are often limited by geography, newcomers to the sport should explore each of the different organizations and look for the best fit. You’ll find that the best fit may change over your dog’s career. This applies to finding a good place to train as well. Seek out an environment (or several environments) where you and your dog will thrive.
US AKC European Open Team News
See the full team announcement HERE. We are pleased to announce that Jennifer Crank was selected for the European Open team with two dogs: Sheltie Sting (small) and Sheltie Bee (medium). In addition, Bad Dog Agility sponsored athlete Jada Sawhney and Border Collie Smudge were selected for the large dog team.
AKC Invitational Results
You can find results for the AKC Invitational HERE. Jada Sawhney went a perfect 6 for 6 with all first places on Friday at the Junior event, advancing her to the regular Invitational on Saturday and Sunday, where she put in several nice runs, including a 4th place finish in the 24” finals with Golden Retriever Tallee. Jennifer Crank and Sheltie Bee also did well but did not advance to the finals. However, Jennifer did make the finals running a Miniature Schnauzer named Lulu, who finished 10th.
AKC Agility Invitational Winners:
- 24”: MACH5 Regen’s He’s On The Dance Floor UD RN MXB2 PAD MJB2 PJD MFS TQX T2B3 ACT1 (Hogan) Weimaraner, Handler: Steve Basson
- 20”: AGCH MACH10 Hi-Top’s Fast-Trak Photon MXG3 PDS MJC3 PJS MFG TQX T2B6 TKI (Phire) Golden Retriever, Handler: Jane Bronson
- 16”: GCH CH MACH Cirtap’s Hertogin Senna V Tira-C MXB MJG XF T2B FCAT TKN (Senna) Nederlandse Kooikerhondje, Handler: Liz Barshack
- 12”: MACH5 Safranne’s Have No Fear MXB2 PAD MJS2 PJS (Skye) Poodle, Handler: Han Yu
- 8”: AGCH MACH25 Kayangee Dorothy Parker MXS7 PDS MJS8 PJS MFG TQX T2B5 CGC (Dot) Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Handler: Antonia Rotelle
Dog Agility Halftime Show
Jessica Ajoux and others were part of a dog agility showcase that took place during halftime of the NFL game between the New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles! Click HERE to see the dogs in action!
Holiday Break
The Wednesday Wrap Up will be back in mid-January, after we’ve had a chance to unwrap presents, hit the egg nog, and bring in the New Year!
Happy holidays to all and stay safe during the cold weather that is coming this weekend! As always, email me at team@baddogagility.com with your comments and questions.
Happy Training,
