Dogwalk Dangers: What's Hurting Agility Dogs?

Agility dogs face real risks on the dogwalk. About 15% of these dogs fall off, and nearly 30% have close calls. Worse, almost 4% get hurt because of these incidents. That's a lot of danger for something that should be fun! Taller dogs and those with more experience on the dogwalk are more likely to fall. But older dogs and those competing at higher levels seem to handle it better. Border Collies, taller dogs, and those with inexperienced handlers are more likely to get hurt. These findings come from a study of over 1600 Finnish agility dogs.The study looked at data from six months before a competition rule change. But the change didn't seem to make a difference in the number of falls or injuries. This suggests that the current dogwalk design might not be safe enough for these dogs. The study also found that for every 1000 dogwalks, there are about 2. 6 falls and 0. 6 injuries. That's a lot of potential harm. The study highlights the need for more research to make the dogwalk safer for agility dogs. It's important to note that this study only looked at Finnish agility dogs. But the findings could apply to agility dogs everywhere. The dogwalk is a key part of agility courses, and it's crucial to ensure it's safe for all dogs.