By I. Martin Levy, M.D., Charles B. Hall, Ph.D., Natasha Trentacosta, and Monica Percival

Anecdotal reports of injuries to the dog athletes that participate in agility have raised concerns over specific obstacles, course design, and training methods. Before any changes are made, it is essential to determine if these anecdotes are unfortunate, isolated events or the harbingers of a trend. To achieve this, we need to look at the population at risk (your dogs) and determine the factors that directly affect them. A survey is a useful tool for alerting us to those factors. One year ago many of you participated in our survey that asked you to report injuries that your dogs sustained while training for, or trialing in, agility. 

Note: This is the 2-page summary article that appeared in Clean Run magazine. See the article below for the complete study and results. The seesaw is unlike any other obstacle on a dog agility course in that the performance on the obstacle depends on the performance of the obstacle. Variations in plank, fulcrum, and base construction directly influence the motion characteristics of each seesaw design. In an effort to insure consistency of performance, the organizational bodies for the sport of dog agility have been quite specific about plank dimensions and pivot height. However, they have been less precise when defining a seesaw’s response to varying conditions of load. Because of this, a variety of seesaw solutions have been designed and constructed, each with its own set of performance characteristics. The rate of descent, support base movement, plank vibration and noise are all influenced by the design solution and the materials chosen to execute that design. In an effort to understand the effect of design variations on the performance of a seesaw, we evaluated three distinct designs.

The seesaw is unlike any other obstacle on a dog agility course in that the performance on the obstacle depends on the performance of the obstacle. Variations in plank, fulcrum, and base construction directly influence the motion characteristics of each seesaw design. In an effort to insure consistency of performance, the organizational bodies for the sport of dog agility have been quite specific about plank dimensions and pivot height. However, they have been less precise when defining a seesaw’s response to varying conditions of load. Because of this, a variety of seesaw solutions have been designed and constructed, each with its own set of performance characteristics. The rate of descent, support base movement, plank vibration and noise are all influenced by the design solution and the materials chosen to execute that design. In an effort to understand the effect of design variations on the performance of a seesaw, we evaluated three distinct designs.

Over the years I have become aware of many otherwise healthy athletic agility dogs in their prime with shoulder tendon, knee, or back injuries (especially mid and lower back), some chronic, where no trauma had been observed. Could these strains be due to repetitive stress, and could tight weaving be the major contributing factor for these injuries?

The seesaw obstacle, which has been included in dog agility since the sport’s beginning, has recently been facing scrutiny. It is the only moving obstacle, and therefore, the performance of the obstacle itself can influence the dog’s performance on course. With the increasing speeds of the canine participants, the functional consistency of the seesaw and the overall safety of this obstacle is now being questioned.

Whether it’s fast and furious or slow and rhythmical, perfect execution of weave poles is something agility competitors strive for. Did you ever stop to think about why it is the hardest obstacle to learn, what stresses and challenges the dog’s body endures during performance, or how the dog’s conformation and weaving style may create risk factors for injury?