Summer Break
As we wrap up this incredible 2024–25 season, this will be our final Wednesday Wrap Up until fall. Yes, we missed last week—life got the better of our schedule—but we’re back for one last send-off before our annual summer break. This is the time of year we step back to focus on family and recharge. Hannah’s gearing up for her Junior Olympic water polo season, and Isaac will be home from college for just a bit before heading out for back-to-back computer science internships. First up, he’ll be joining a team of undergraduates working with Dr. Kenny Zhu on translating dog vocalizations like barks, whines, and ruffs into human speech. It’s a perfect blend of tech and canine curiosity. From a news release about the research: “Early indications are that dogs from different parts of the world vocalize differently. He looked at videos of Shiba Inu dogs in the United States and Japan and noticed that their vocalizations were not the same. The Japanese dogs tend to ‘speak’ faster and in a higher-pitched tone than their American counterparts.” You can read the full article here.
Podcast Break
We’re hitting pause on the podcast for a few weeks while Jennifer takes on the world at the WAO in the Netherlands. Don’t worry, we’ll be back soon with new episodes and stories from abroad!
Summer Reading
If you’re looking for some dog agility-related summer reading, I highly recommend two recent releases that offer very different but equally valuable perspectives on the sport we love, written by agility competitors. Canine Agility and the Meaning of Excellence: Formulating an Ethical Approach by Beth Dixon is a thoughtful and philosophical guide to defining success in agility on your own terms—perfect for handlers who enjoy reflection and deep dives into motivation, mindset, and purpose.
On the other end of the spectrum, BLUE: the Deaf Agility Dog by Barbara Ebel, M.D. is an inspiring, real-life journey following a deaf Australian Shepherd named Blue as he navigates the world of competitive agility. It’s part memoir, part training insight, and entirely heartwarming. A portion of sales from Blue’s book will go to A.A.R.F. (All about Rescue & Fixin’ Inc.).
WAO
The 2025 FitPaws World Agility Open Championships are officially underway today, May 14, in Ermelo, Netherlands! Representing Bad Dog Agility as members of Team USA are Jennifer Crank with her Sheltie Bee, and Sarah Baker with her Wocker Skeptic. The WAO is one of the premier international agility events of the year, featuring top handlers from around the world competing across multiple jump height divisions. You can follow the action and view the full schedule on the official WAO website. Best of luck to Jennifer, Sarah, and all the competitors!
Have a great summer and we’ll see you in the fall—though you can always reach me by email at team@baddogagility.com.
Happy Training,
