February 8, 2023

February 8, 2023 Wednesday Wrap Up (agility safety, non-COVID viruses, Super Bowl Sunday)

On Last Week’s Episode…
Thank you for the many responses we received last week! The majority of readers (79%) reported that they would definitely teach an old dog a new trick on course, at least if Jennifer Crank was the instructor. However, a solid number of handlers admitted they would simply try something else with their veteran dog. There were also several trainers who straddled the fence and said they would tailor their decision to the dog they were running.

A few of you have had experiences with your dog getting cut or otherwise injured by jump cups. Based on the accounts, which include photos and videos, I’d like to add that some dogs get hurt while executing tight wraps with normal angle approaches (straight on, not sliced). Thankfully, while the majority of respondents indicate their dog was injured just once, there were a few dogs who were cut on the face several times over the span of a career. People pointed out that plastic jump cups can become brittle with age and very rigid, even breaking to create jagged edges. Favoring flexible rubber jump cups would help reduce the injury risk to dogs.

Equipment availability, standardization, and cost continues to be an issue, especially for clubs that are smaller or don’t generate the kind of money where they can replace equipment frequently. As a community, every person has a responsibility to keep the safety of our dogs in mind when we think about using or purchasing agility equipment.

Why Am I Sick?
It’s not COVID, but it still sucks. I’ve spent the past few days congested, tired, and miserable. For the second time in the past few months, I’ve been sick, and this one has sidelined me from training with my dogs. Yes, I agree, I’m being a tad whiny and I’m fortunate that I’ve not had COVID. After COVID first hit, the vast majority of the global community took precautions to dampen its spread, and one of the unintended results was the decrease in circulation of non-COVID viruses that also spread by droplets. However, these non-COVID viruses have returned with a vengeance! For the interested reader, you can learn more from this brief article published online by Nature.

Super Bowl Picks
As a Dallas Cowboys fan, I will take the Kansas City Chiefs over our hated rivals, the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles are slight favorites to win, according to oddsmakers, but I want to know, who do YOU think will win, and will you be watching the game this Sunday? If you watch, take note of the commercials, because there will be a quiz on them next week!

Email me at team@baddogagility.com with your comments and questions, and let me know who will win the Super Bowl this Sunday!

Happy Training,

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