Supporting Research That Supports Our Sport
At Bad Dog Agility, we’re passionate about data, not just in training, but in understanding the long-term health and success of our dogs. That’s why we’re excited to help share a new research project from Dr. Jordan Lee, who is conducting a survey-based retrospective study on juvenile shoulder OCD in agility dogs.
From the study author: “Historically, dogs with shoulder OCD have been considered to have an “excellent” prognosis following treatment. However, a recent study by Zann et al. (2023) evaluating arthroscopic management of shoulder OCD reported that many dogs treated with surgical debridement demonstrated progressive arthritis, reduced range of motion and muscle mass, persistent asymmetrical loading, and higher rates of subjective lameness and osteoarthritis than previously described in the literature. The goal of my study is to assess agility dogs for their ability to return to, or sustain, competitive performance following a diagnosis of juvenile shoulder OCD.”
We care deeply about evidence-based information, and projects like this help move our sport forward. If your dog has been diagnosed with juvenile shoulder OCD, your experience could meaningfully contribute to this research.
Click here for the survey: https://medvetexperience.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cuueDeqCm9sPUSa and direct any questions to Dr. Jordan Lee at jordanleedvm@gmail.com or jordan.lee@medvet.com.
PODCAST: Optimal Lines in Agility
Sarah here! This week on the podcast, we take a closer look at how dogs actually run a course and what handlers can do to help them run it faster and with more confidence. Everything starts with one basic idea: a dog’s line is simply the path the dog runs from one place to another. A dog will always run that path fastest when they clearly understand where they are going. Handling is the process of making that path obvious.
An important concept is that dogs solve paths, not individual obstacles. The dog is not thinking about jump number seven or jump number eight. The dog is following a trajectory defined by your motion, your position, and the cues that stayed active until you changed them. When handlers cue each obstacle one at a time, dogs slow down to reassess their direction after every landing. Clear, continuous path cues reduce hesitation and help the dog stay in full extension for longer stretches of the course.
None of this works the same way for every dog. The optimal line for any given dog depends on their stride length, turning radius, structure, acceleration, and experience. What works for a small dog with a short stride may be inefficient or impossible for a long striding Border Collie. Some dogs tighten naturally while others need more room to manage momentum. Understanding your own dog’s tendencies is essential because it determines how much space they need, where they can turn efficiently, and how soon they can commit to a new direction.
This leads to a key idea in course strategy. You always have to consider both distance and speed when planning your dog’s path. The optimal line is not always the one that keeps your dog at maximum speed and full extension. Full speed does not help when the dog overshoots the next obstacle or loses time on a wide turn. At the same time, the optimal line is not always the shortest distance around a corner. Tight turns require the dog to slow down, collect, and reaccelerate. That cost can be significant, especially for large dogs with a long stride. In many cases a slightly wider arc that preserves momentum is faster than the shortest possible path.
The only reliable way to know which option is faster for your dog is to run the sequence both ways and compare the video side by side. What feels fast is often not fast. The combination of stride length, structure, and turning radius creates subtle differences that handlers cannot see in real time. Video makes it clear which solution saves time and which one sacrifices speed.
Click here to listen to the podcast and if you’re a beginner, feel free to reach out with any questions.
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WAO Team Announced for USA
Please join us in congratulating the outstanding handlers and dogs chosen for WAO Team USA 2026, competing May 13–17, 2026 in Ermelo, The Netherlands at the FitPaws World Agility Open.
250mm
- Emma Bayonet & Nikkel – Junior (Boundless Youth Champs Win On)
- Dudley Shumate & TKake (US Open Win On, West Coast Open Win On)
- Cassandra Schmidt & Sola
- Emily Klarman & Mick
- Peter Wirth & Welly
- Diane O’Reilly & Delaney – Alternate
300mm
- Finya Logan & Ryuk – Junior (Boundless Youth Champs Win On)
- Perry DeWitt & Spike (US Open Win On)
- Meagan Johnson & Hanks (West Coast Open Win On)
- Sarah Baker & Skeptic – (WAO Medalist)
- Han Yu & Skye
- Rebecca Thrift & Salty
- Melanie Miller & Amity – Alternate
400mm
- Cristiana Crespo & Zelda – Junior (US Open Win On)
- Christine Brew & Indi (US Open Win On)
- Casey Keller & Fidget (WAO Medalist)
- Kerry Smith & Tap
- Stefanie Rainer & Imagine
- Amber Abbott & Marshall – Alternate
500mm
- Anabel Kubacz & Molly – Junior (Boundless Youth Champs Win On)
- Perry DeWitt & Genuine (1-TDC Win On)
- Jessica Ajoux & Hallelujah (US Open Win On)
- Lisa Andrews & Nell (West Coast Open Win On)
- Dudley Shumate & Jammy
- Tawni Millet & Dazzle
- Viveka Rosenberger & Monty
- Abby David & Bungee – Alternate
600mm
- Isabel McKee & Thunder – Junior (Boundless Youth Champs Win On)
- Lindsey Anne-Marie & Road Runner (US Open Win On)
- Grace Heck & Ember (West Coast Open Win On)
- Jessica Ajoux & Empowered (WAO Medalist)
- Perry DeWitt & Wit (WAO Medalist)
- Kaitlyn Kaminski & Viper
- Laura Selmic & Hup
- Stephanie Williams & Majel
- Maria Badamo & Klick – Alternate
Coaches
- Karen Holik
- Mary Ellen Barry
On the human-interest side, almost 20% of Team USA lives under the same roof. Perry DeWitt earned an incredible three team spots with three different dogs in three different height classes, and Jessica Ajoux added two more housemates to the roster. That’s a remarkable shared-household contribution to this year’s team!
A special congrats as well to BDA Sponsored Athlete Sarah Baker and Skeptic for making the team, and to Abby David and Bungee (one of our occasional BDA demo dogs) for being named alternates.
It’s Christmas Movie Time!!!
Sarah here, again! If you’ve been reading the Wednesday Wrap Up for any amount of time, you know Esteban is an absolute sucker for Christmas movies. This week we kicked off the season with our first holiday film on Netflix: Jingle Bell Heist. Esteban gets his Christmas-movie fix, I get my caper fix, and together it hit the perfect sweet spot. It’s fun, cute, light, and has just enough twists to keep things interesting.
And because we’re always hunting for Christmas movies that aren’t the bland Hallmark ones I can never stay awake through, send us your recommendations! Email us at team@baddogagility.com.
Happy Training,
