Pechette Markley Arielle, Kieves Nina R, Rivas Linda Blake, Shoben Abigail B
Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States.
Red Sage Integrative Veterinary Partners, Fort Collins, CO, United States.
Front Vet Sci. 2024 Jun 26;11:1415634. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2024.1415634. eCollection 2024.
Canine agility competitions are performed on a variety of surfaces. In the equine and human literature, surface type has been associated with speed, performance, and injury risk. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of general surface type and time of day on calculated speed (yards per second over a measured course distance) and course performance during the UKI Agility International (UKI) U.S. Open. We hypothesized that surface type would affect calculated speed, with sand being the slowest.
Data on course performance from the 2021 and 2022 events were obtained directly from UKI. The officiating judge measured course length, automatic timers recorded dogs' course times, and speeds were calculated from these values. Three surfaces (dirt, grass, and sand) were compared across three categories of courses (jumpers, standard, and speedstakes). Differences in calculated speeds and qualifying rates were estimated using generalized estimating equations (GEE) to account for multiple runs by the same handler.
Among jumpers courses, those run on sand in 2021 were markedly slower than those run on dirt. Grass and dirt were more similar in terms of average calculated speed, though some courses run on grass were significantly faster than courses run on dirt and vice versa. Time of day effects observed were inconsistent, with more variability observed for dirt and sand than for grass.
There was a notable variation in calculate speed based on surface with sand being slowest, likely due to the increased energy cost required to run on sand due to its high compliance. Calculated speeds on grass and dirt appeared generally similar, but there was substantial variability of calculated speed among various courses, making comparison of surface effects challenging. Variables within the surface itself (such as compaction level and moisture content) likely play a role in the effects of surface on speed and performance. This study provides insight into the complexity of surface effects on performance in agility dogs and highlights the need for canine-specific surface studies on the effect of surface variables and how these relate to risk of development of musculoskeletal injuries.
犬敏捷性比赛在多种地面上进行。在马匹和人类相关文献中，地面类型与速度、表现及受伤风险有关。本研究的目的是评估在英国犬敏捷性国际赛（UKI）美国公开赛期间，一般地面类型和一天中的时间对计算速度（在测量的赛道距离上每秒的码数）和赛道表现的影响。我们假设地面类型会影响计算速度，沙地是最慢的。
2021年和2022年赛事的赛道表现数据直接从UKI获取。裁判测量赛道长度，自动计时器记录犬只的赛道用时，并根据这些值计算速度。在三种赛道类型（跳跃赛、标准赛和速度赛）中比较了三种地面（泥土、草地和沙地）。使用广义估计方程（GEE）估计计算速度和达标率的差异，以考虑同一训练者的多次参赛情况。
在跳跃赛中，2021年在沙地进行的比赛明显慢于在泥土上进行的比赛。草地和泥土在平均计算速度方面更为相似，不过一些在草地进行的赛道明显快于在泥土上进行的赛道，反之亦然。观察到的一天中时间的影响并不一致，泥土和沙地的变异性比草地更大。
基于地面的计算速度存在显著差异，沙地最慢，这可能是由于沙地的高顺应性导致在上面奔跑所需的能量成本增加。草地和泥土上的计算速度总体上看起来相似，但不同赛道之间的计算速度存在很大变异性，这使得比较地面影响具有挑战性。地面本身的变量（如压实程度和含水量）可能在地面对速度和表现的影响中起作用。本研究深入了解了地面影响敏捷犬表现的复杂性，并强调需要针对犬类进行特定地面研究，以探讨地面变量的影响以及这些变量与肌肉骨骼损伤发生风险的关系。
