Australian team manager Tanya McAndrew tells us all about the World Agility Open and what it involves, who is going to represent Australia, and how you can follow all the action.

Correction: Tanya said that Portugal also uses host dogs, but she meant to say Colombia.

World Agility Open website

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What is culture in agility? Culture is the way we behave, how we understand each other and the shared values that tie us together. Culture is not something you create once and it just exists in perpetuity. It requires regular reflection, interrogation and imagination to consider future possibilities.

In this episode, I explore how we can go about shaping culture consciously and thoughtfully, what kind of values we might want to hold, and what shared goals we might want to work toward achieving.

Reminder! I am not a professional agility trainer, a champion competitor, a judge, an official or a state or national representative. I am just one regular handler with a lot of ideas! These are my ideas for cultural values, but you don’t have to agree with me. Also, I am not a scientist or professional dog trainer so if I get some details in my discussion of the Humane Hierarchy wrong, it wasn't my intention. In the words of Jacob Wysocki: I am a regular guy; I know what it means to be me.

Resources mentioned:

Dogs Australia Rules for the conduct of Agility Trials and Agility Games

ADAA Agility Regulations

NADAC Exhibitor’s Handbook

Why Animals Need Trainers Who Adhere to the Least Intrusive Principle

Eileen and Dogs

APDT Code of Ethics

Dogs West Code of Ethics

Code of Conduct by Dogs Victoria Members at Dogs Victoria Events

Dogs SA Code of Conduct for Exhibitors

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I was thrilled to chat with animal trainer Becky Faulkner, owner and trainer of the dog Squid, star of the 2024 Australian film Runt. Check out Becky's work at We Do Animals.

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It's time to reflect on 2025 and set some goals for 2026! What are your agility goals for the coming year?

Bad Dog Agility episode mentioned

Arousal Valence Model

Hélène Lawler webinar mentioned

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What do you actually need to do agility? Not that much!

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Chatting with judge Heather Northover about Games. I didn't specify in the episode, but we are talking about Dogs Australia rules specifically.

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A short meditation on time and agility.

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Mindset is a huge part of any sport. Let's talk about it!

Fostering Excellence in Agility: Expectations of a Q

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