The Return of the Wednesday Wrap Up
The Wednesday Wrap Up is back! We say we took a summer “break,” but let’s be honest, it was wall-to-wall water polo practices, camps, and tournaments culminating in the Junior Olympics for our now 15-year-old daughter Hannah. With the high school season beginning August 1, things have only just started to calm down. And with the FCI Agility World Championships wrapping up this past weekend, the timing felt perfect to bring the WWU back into your inbox.
Dog Agility TED Talk
Speaking of the FCI World Championships, you may have noticed someone missing. Our very own Jennifer Crank had already earned her automatic spot on Team USA, but instead of jetting off to Europe, she was a little busy being nine months pregnant. Instead of chasing medals, she accepted an invitation to give a TED Talk—yes, that TED Talk, the red dot, the viral stage where “Ideas Worth Spreading” come to life.
Jennifer’s talk? What dog agility and dog training can teach you about communication and how those lessons apply to everyday life. The release date is still To Be Determined while the TED folks work their editing magic, but trust us, you’ll want to share this one with all your non-agility friends who still “don’t get it.”
Krypto the Superdog
Our podcast is officially back from its summer hiatus, and I can’t think of a better way to kick things off. Back in the January 9, 2025 WWU, I wrote about how excited I was to see Krypto (Superman’s dog) on the big screen. A reader reached out to tell me that the dog behind Krypto, Jolene, is actually an agility dog! Naturally, we had to set up an interview, and after the film’s debut, we sat down with Jolene’s owner, Connie Dieball, to hear the whole story.
This episode is everything I hoped it would be: fun, heartwarming, and a perfect crossover between the agility ring and Hollywood. You can listen here: Episode 368: From Agility Ring to Superman’s Superdog.
Jolene may play a superhero on screen, but we think she steals the show in real life too (she adorably offered several tricks during our podcast taping)! Click on the video below for a behind the scenes look.
FCI Agility World Championship
The FCI Agility World Championship took place this past weekend in Kalmar, Sweden. For those of you who want to dig into every course map and full set of results, you can find them here: agilitywc2025.com/results.
As we mentioned earlier, Jennifer Crank did not make the trip to AWC this year, but Sponsored Athlete Sarah Baker proudly represented both Bad Dog Agility and Team USA overseas.
In the Small division, Simon Tabourat (Switzerland) and Lewis secured the win, with Martin Reid (UK) and Selfie in 2nd and Silas Boogk (Germany) and Gadget in 3rd.
In Medium, Tobias Wüst (Germany) and Mercedes took gold, followed closely by Casey Keller (USA) and Fidget in silver, with Svetlana Krēsliņa (Latvia) and Panther rounding out the podium. Abby Beasley (USA) and Swindle also had a strong showing, finishing 8th overall.
In Intermediate, Kris Seiter (USA) and Naavdanya stood on top of the podium for Team USA! Michel Menez de Freitas (Spain) and Jakka earned silver, while Bianca van Gastel (Netherlands) and Ffenics claimed bronze.
And in the Large category, Lara Heinzel (Austria) and Miyu claimed gold, with Shannon Springford (UK) and Banter right behind in silver, and Iban Cubedo Alcazar (Spain) and Dash taking bronze.
It was a fantastic weekend of agility, with Team USA celebrating multiple top-10 finishes and another world title to bring home.
Here’s hoping Texas finally remembers what the fall season feels like. With cooler weather (allegedly) on the way, we’ll trade blistering afternoons for those rare, glorious evenings when you can actually sit outside without melting. And yes, autumn also means American football, but with the Cowboys’ slow start, I may not have much to report until, uh, maybe Thanksgiving.
Have something to say? Send me a welcome back email at team@baddogagility.com.
Happy Training,
