12/05/2025, 18:44 SciELO Brasil - Kinetics and kinematics of dog walk exercise in agility dogs of different experiences Kinetics

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CLINIC AND SURGERY • Cienc. Rural 54 (6) • June 2024 •

https://doi.org/10.1590/0103-8478cr20230211 link copy
Kinetics and kinematics of
dog walk exercise in agility
dogs of different experiences
link
Cinética e cinemática do obstáculo
passarela em cães de agilidade de
diferentes níveis de experiência
Authorship SCIMAGO INSTITUTIONS RANKINGS

ABSTRACT:
The injury rate in agility dogs is relatively high compared to the
general population. No study to date has considered the
biomechanical effects of the dog walk obstacle in agility trials,
highlighting a research need. This study assessed forelimb joint
kinematics and peak ground reaction forces (PVF) over a dog walk
agility obstacle and correlate with experience. Ten (n = 10) dogs were

more_horiz filmed running across a Kennel Club (KC) standard dog walk for
kinematics analysis. Two pressure sensors were secured to the (1)

dog walk contact area at exit and (2) ground at the end of the dog
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dog walk contact area at exit and (2) ground at the end of the dog
walk (landing area) for kinetics analysis. Forelimb joints angles and
PVF at the contact zone at the walk exit and landing were analysed. A
key finding is that the way a dog will move across the obstacle
changes depending on their level of experience, with experienced
dogs showing faster obstacle negotiation and increased flexion of
the elbow joint compared to inexperienced competitors. Higher
speeds over the dog walk also resulted in significantly increased
elbow joint flexion. Another important finding is that PVF at landing
are higher is dogs that are faster and also in dogs performing
running technique in comparison to stopped technique. Overall, dog
walk obstacle created more forelimbs joint flexion and similar PVF in
comparison with previously studied agility contact obstacles which
leads us to conclude that further research is required to ascertain the
long term health implications for dogs used in agility trials.

Key words:
agility; biomechanics; canine; obstacle

RESUMO:
A taxa de lesões em cães de esporte é relativamente alta em
comparação com a população em geral. Nenhum estudo até o
momento considerou os efeitos biomecânicos do obstáculo
passarela em provas de agilidade, destacando uma necessidade de
pesquisa. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a cinemática das
articulações dos membros anteriores e as forças de reação de pico
do solo (PVF) sobre o obstáculo de agilidade passarela com cães e
correlacionar com a experiência. Dez (n = 10) cães foram filmados
correndo em uma passarela padrão do Kennel Club (KC) para análise
cinemática. Dois sensores de pressão foram fixados na (1) área de
contato da passarela na saída e (2) no solo no final da passarela (área
de aterrissagem) para análise cinética. Os ângulos das articulações
dos membros torácicos e PVF na zona de contato na saída da
passarela e na aterrissagem foram analisados. Uma descoberta
more_horiz
importante é que a maneira como um cão se move através do
obstáculo muda dependendo de seu nível de experiência, com cães
experientes mostrando negociação de obstáculos mais rápida e
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experientes mostrando negociação de obstáculos mais rápida e
maior flexão da articulação do cotovelo em comparação com
competidores inexperientes. Velocidades mais altas durante a
caminhada do cão também resultaram em um aumento significativo
da flexão da articulação do cotovelo. Outro achado importante é que
o PVF na aterrissagem é maior em cães que são mais rápidos e
também em cães que executam a técnica de corrida em comparação
com a técnica parada. No geral, o obstáculo da caminhada do cão
criou mais flexão das articulações dos membros anteriores e PVF
semelhante em comparação com os obstáculos de contato da
agilidade estudados anteriormente, o que nos leva a concluir que
mais pesquisas são necessárias para determinar as implicações de
saúde a longo prazo para cães usados em provas de agilidade.
Palavras-chave:
agilidade; biomecânica; canino; obstáculo

INTRODUCTION:
Dog agility is becoming increasingly popular amongst dog owners in
the UK, with competitions, training classes and workshops held
regularly all over the country. Dogs taking part in the sport are at an
increased risk of injury due to the nature of the sport, as seen in a
survey of 1627 agility dogs where 33% were currently injured (
LEVY et al., 2009). The obstacles found to be associated most
frequently with injury were the jumps, A-frame and dog walk (
CULLEN et al., 2013; LEVY et al., 2009). The dog walk is a walk plank
of approximately 1.2 m measured from the ground to the top of the
plank, with firmly fixed ramps at either end.

Several studies have researched the impact of jumping on the dog’s

body by studying landing forces and joint angulations of dogs over
jump obstacles or A-frames (APPELGREIN et al., 2018, 2019;
BIRCH, et al., 2015; BLAKE & GODOY, 2021; CULLEN et al., 2016;
PFAU et al., 2011; WILLIAMS et al., 2017) whilst none have

more_horiz considered the biomechanics of dogs over the dog walk obstacle
which is considered one of the most common sources of injury in
agility dogs (CULLEN et al 2013) Research has shown that the most
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agility dogs (CULLEN et al., 2013). Research has shown that the most
common sites of injury in agility dogs are the shoulders, back and
digits and that injuries are most likely to be soft tissue in nature (
KERR et al, 2014; LEVY et al., 2009).It is also believed that the
greater the forces experienced by the limbs and the more acute the
joint angles, the greater the strain placed upon the dog’s body
leading to a higher risk of injury (PFAU et al., 2011). Because the dog
walk is, according to agility injuries surveys (CULLEN et al., 2013;
LEVY et al., 2009), one of the of the obstacles most implicated in
injuries in agility dogs, and there is no study of the biomechanical
demands of this obstacle negotiation, this study has been devised to
elucidate some of these aspects.

This study examined forelimb joint angles and GRFs when agility
dogs tackled the dog walk agility equipment, as well as considering
the impact of speed, weight, age and agility experience. Data was
collected at two points (1) at the end of the dog walk contact,
referred during the manuscript as “contact”; (2) during landing on
ground as the dog exited the dog walk, referred as “landing”.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

Sample population

The study population consisted of ten large dogs and two medium
dogs of various breeds aged 5.22 ± 2.22 years old and weighing
20.07±5.91 kg. All were dogs who had previous agility experience.
Each dog was graded by experience in accordance with the official UK
Kennel Club agility grades, ranging from grade one to grade seven (
table_chart
Table 1). Progression through the grades is achieved by gaining a
number of class wins at the relevant grade, with each grade requiring
a higher number of wins. Kennel club grading would; therefore, be
dependent on ability but would also infer relevant experience at a set
level. Eight dogs performed the stopped contact technique and four
dogs performed the running contact technique.

more_horiz
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 table_chart
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Table 1
United Kingdom Kennel Club grade of dogs
included in the study.

zoom_in
Experiment set up

A Kennel Club standard aluminium and rubber dog walk was set up
on a grass surface at a height of 1.2m in accordance with Kennel Club
agility regulations (UK KENNEL CLUB, 2023). A pair of timing gates
(Brower, Draper, USA) were placed at the beginning and the end of
the dog walk to measure the speed performed by each dog to
traverse the total length of equipment (10.58m). Two cameras (iPad,
Apple, Cupertino, USA) were mounted on tripods opposite each other
and adjacent to the end of the dog walk for video capture of the dogs
for joint angle measurement. Video was captured at 1080p resolution
and a frame rate of 240 fps. To enable the angles of the joints of
interest to be measured, reflective markers were attached to specific
anatomical locations on both forelimbs using a commercially
available double-sided tape. They were placed on the dorsal border
of the scapula, greater tubercle of the humerus, olecranon, carpus
and metacarpophalangeal joint (BIRCH,& LEŚNIAK, 2013). A pressure
mapping sensor attached to the end of the dog walk with double
sided tape and covered by a 2mm foam mat was used to analyse
peak vertical forces at the exit contact of the dog walk. The pressure
mapping sensor (5330, Conformat, Tekscan, Norwood, US) had
dimensions of 571.5 mm by 627.4 mm and consisted of 1024
pressure sensors at a density of 0.5 sensor/cm2. A 0.6 centimetre
(cm) thick pressure walkway pressure mat, consisting of two sensors
mounted on a rigid platform was set up at the bottom of the dog
walk, with the edge of the mat aligned flush with the end of dog walk
contact and a thin rubber mat secured on top with tent pegs was
used to collect kinetic data at the ground landing. The mat measured
more_horiz 148.5 cm by 58.4 cm with a sensor panel measuring 146.3 cm by 44.7

cm The mat contained 4 sensors/cm2 and had a maximal sample

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cm. The mat contained 4 sensors/cm and had a maximal sample
rate at 185Hz (Walkway, Tekscan, Norwood, USA). Sampling rate was
100 Hz for both pressure systems. The sensors were calibrated
before starting data collection according to the manufacturer
image
instructions ( Figure 1).

Figure 1
Set up of the experiment showing the
positioning of the pressure sensors at the
zoom_in contact and landingarea.

Data collection

Once the anatomical markers were applied to each dog by a single

researcher they were ‘warmed up’ by following the standard warm-up
procedure used by the handler before normal agility training or
competition. This consisted of 5 timed minutes of walk on a leash
and a further two times minutes of trot on the leash. The same
handler completed each warm up to maintain consistency. This
minimized any risk of injury to the dogs and simultaneously allowed
for the dogs to become accustomed to wearing the markers. Once
warmed up, the dogs were set up in a wait area 5 metres away from
the beginning of the dog walk. The owner then released the dog and
handled it over the dog walk as they would normally in training or
competition. As each dog completed the equipment, they ran
through the timing gates to provide an accurate value for the speed
performed from one end of the dog walk to the other. Video
recording was collected as the dog ran down the end of the dog walk.
At the same time, the pressure sensors recorded GRFs for the
forelimbs as they struck the contact zone at the end of the dog walk
and as they landed on the ground immediately after the dog walk.
The dog walk was repeated three times for each dog and all data sets
for all dogs were collected over the course of a single day. The dogs
were rewarded by the owner at the end of the exercise in the manner
more_horiz
in which the owner would normally provide a reward. Only forelimbs
kinetics and kinematics analysis were performed in line with most of
agility studies in a frame (APPELGREIN et al 2018 2019;
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agility studies in a-frame (APPELGREIN et al., 2018, 2019;
BLAKE& GODOY, DE, 2021; CASTILLA et al., 2020;
WILLIAMS, J. M. et al., 2017) and jump (BIRCH,. et al., 2015;
BIRCH, &. ; LEŚNIAK, 2013),as this pair of limbs is submitted to
higher biomechanical stress during contact obstacles.

Data analysis

Videos were analysed with a video analysis software (Quintic

biomechanics v.30, Quintics Consultancy, Birmingham, UK) to identify
the angles of the marked joints. Joint angles were recorded for the
shoulder, elbow and carpus on both forelimbs and analysis were
taken from the video frames captured at (1) the point of maximum
weight-bearing during the last stride of each forelimb on the dog
walk, and (2) as the forelimbs initially made contact with the ground
after the dog walk at the point of maximum weight-bearing.

The data collected from the pressure sensors were analysed by the
dedicated softwares (Conformat Research and Walkway, Tekscan,
Norwood, US) and peak vertical forces were recorded and normalised
by the dog weight in Newtons.
Statistical analysis

A mean value was taken from the three values recorded for each
joint on the left and right forelimb on the dog walk contact and on
the ground. A mean value was then taken from the means calculated
for the left and right forelimbs to provide an average angle for each
joint across both forelimbs. These mean values were used to describe
the kinematics of joints on the dog walk contact and ground landing.
GRF recordings were taken from the peak pressure point of the first
forelimb to strike both mats. A mean value was taken from the three
trials for the PVF at the contact and landing. Furthermore, agility
experience and speed were analyzed in relation to the joints
kinematics and PVF.

All statistical analysis were performed with SPSS (IBM Corp. Released
more_horiz 2021. IBM SPSS Statistics for Mac, Version 28.0. Armonk, NY: IBM
Corp) and the confidence level was set as 95%. All data sets were
assessed for normality prior to correlation testing using a Shapiro
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assessed for normality prior to correlation testing using a Shapiro-
Wilk test. Pearson’s product-moment correlation was used to assess
for significant correlation between speed and kinematics/kinetics
variables. Spearman’s rank-order correlation was used to assess
association between kinematics/kinetics and KC level as this
correlation was assessed between ordinal and continuous variables,
so Spearman’s was considered appropriate. Dogs were also sorted
into two categories by dog walk contact training methods: running (n
= 4) and stopped (n = 8). Differences in forelimb joint kinematics and
PVF between running and stopped contact training methods were
tested for using either an independent sample t-test or a Mann-
Whitney U test, depending on whether a Shapiro-Wilk test
determined the data sets to be parametric or non-parametric.

RESULTS:
Joint kinematics

Carpal, elbow and shoulder angles measured at the two points: (1)
the point of maximum weight-bearing during the last stride of each
forelimb on the dog walk, and (2) as the forelimbs initially made
contact with the ground after the dog walk at the point of maximum
table_chart

table_chart
weight-bearing, are shown on table 2.

Table 2
Mean±SD of forelimb joints angles in degrees
(n = 12) at:(1) contact at the end of the dog
walk, and (2) landing on ground from dog
zoom_in walk.

Spearman’s rank-order correlation was run to determine the

relationship between joint angle and Kennel Club grade. For the
elbow joint angle on the dog walk contact, a strong negative
correlation was observed in relation to KC grade, which was
statistically significant (r = -0.608, n = 12, p = 0.036); therefore, more
more_horiz experienced dogs showed a higher flexion at the elbow. The other

joints angles did not show any significant correlation with the KC
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joints angles did not show any significant correlation with the KC
grade (P > 0.05). KC grade was also found to be significantly
correlated with speed, with more experienced dogs being faster than
dogs with lower grades (r = 0.763, P = 0.004) by Pearson’s rank-order
test.

A Pearson’s rank correlation was run to determine the relationship

between each joint angle and speed. For the elbow joint, a moderate
negative correlation was found between speed and elbow joint angle
on the dog walk contact (r = -0.695, P = 0.012), faster dogs flex more
on elbow during the end of the dog walk.

An independent samples t-test was performed to test for a significant

difference between the two categories of training method for each
joint angle. All data sets were also tested for homogeneity between
groups using Levine’s test for equality of variances and the
significance value recorded correspondingly. The results of the
independent t-test showed that there was no significant difference
between running contact trained dogs (n = 4) and stopped contact
trained dogs (n = 8) for any of the joint angles measured (P > 0.05).
Peak Vertical Forces (PVF)

The mean±SD PVF of the first forelimb to contact the pressure

sensors at (1) the contact at the end of the dog walk, and (2) ground
table_chart

table_chart
landing, are shown on table 3.

Table 3
Mean±SD of forelimb joints peak vertical
forces (PVF) in N/N (n = 12) at:(1) contact at
the end of the dog walk, and (2) landing on
zoom_in ground from dog walk.

Following a Spearman’s rank-order correlation test, there has been

no significant association between experience and PVF at any point
(P > 0.05).
more_horiz
A Pearson’s product moment correlation was used to assess
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A Pearson s product-moment correlation was used to assess
correlation between speed and PVF on the dog walk contact, which
was non-significant (r = -0.028, n = 12, P = 0.931). However, a
moderate positive significant correlation was observed for between
speed and the PVF at landing (r = 0.734, n = 12, P = 0.007).

Forelimb PVF for the dog walk contact and the ground were grouped
by training method and assessed for normality using a Shapiro-Wilk
test. Data for the running dog walk category was considered non-
parametric for forelimb GRFs on both the dog walk contact and the
ground. As a result, a Mann-Whitney U test was run to determine
whether any significant difference was present between the forelimb
GRFs of the two training methods. There was no significant
difference found between the running contact group (n = 4, Median =
0.37 N/N) and the stopped contact group (n = 8, Median=0.67N/N) for
forelimb GRFs on the dog walk contact (U = 2.337, P = 0.126 ).
However, the PVF at landing was significantly higher in the running
group (Median=3.05 N/N) than on the stopped contact group
(Median = 2.00 N/N) (U = 5.654, P = 0.017) ( Figure 2). image
Figure 2
Peak vertical force (PVF) in N/N during
ground landing from the dog walk obstacles
zoom_in in agility dogs performing running (n = 4) and
stopped contact (n = 8) technique. The
bottom and top of the box are the first and
third quartiles, the band inside the box is the
second quartile (the median), and the ‘x’ is
the mean. The lines extending vertically from
the boxes (whiskers) indicate the minimum
and maximum of all of the data. * represents
significant differences between groups (P <
0.05).

DISCUSSION:
more_horiz
A key finding is that the way a dog will move across the obstacle
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A key finding is that the way a dog will move across the obstacle
changes depending on their level of experience, with experienced
dogs showing faster obstacle negotiation and increased flexion of
the elbow joint compared to inexperienced competitors. Higher
speeds over the dog walk also resulted in significantly increased
elbow joint flexion. Another important finding is that PVF at landing
are higher is dogs that are faster and also in dogs performing
running technique in comparison to stopped technique.
Of the four independent variables tested for correlation with joint
kinematics, only two to had a significant correlation: agility
experience, and speed. Elbow joint flexion was higher in more
experienced and faster dogs. This suggested that there is a
difference in biomechanics between inexperienced and experienced
agility dogs when navigating the dog walk contact. One possible
reason for this could be that dogs increase in speed with more
experience, which is supported by the significant positive correlation
observed between speed and KC grade. With experience, dogs have
further training and skills adaptations, allowing them to perform the
task in a faster speed, but at expenses of more flexed joints, possibly
increasing the risk of injuries. This findings agreed with previous
findings regarding other agility obstacles as A-frame (
WILLIAMS et al., 2017) and jump (BIRCH, et al., 2015), with
experienced dogs showing higher speeds and more flexion on joints
on those obstacles too. Along with generally navigating the dog walk
more slowly, less experienced dogs had an observed tendency to
look towards their handler when navigating the contact area,
creating a more upright posture and thus increasing carpal extension
(although not significant) and reducing elbow flexion. Contrastingly,
more experienced dogs appeared to perform the behaviour more
independently and at higher speeds, producing a lower, more
crouched posture and thus reducing carpal extension and increasing
elbow flexion. As a result of the biomechanical differences between
experienced and inexperienced agility dogs, it could be expected that
different joint areas would be more prone to injury on the dog walk
more_horiz between the two groups. More specifically, the results from this study

suggested that the carpal joint and associated soft tissues are
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suggested that the carpal joint and associated soft tissues are
potentially more susceptible to increased strain in inexperienced
dogs, whereas the elbow joint and associated soft tissues are placed
under more strain in experienced dogs.

Contrary to expectations the angle of the shoulder joint showed no

significant correlation with any of the independent variables tested.
This was of interest as previous literature has stated that the
shoulder is one of the most common sites of injury in the agility dog (
CULLEN et al., 2013; LEVY et al., 2009). It may be the case that other
obstacles place increased strain on the shoulder and therefore
account for the high incidence of injury in the area. Previous research
(BIRCH et al., 2015) reported that shoulder joint angle was
significantly affected by changes in jump distances, suggesting that
bar jump obstacles are a likely factor in the high riskof shoulder
injuries in agility.

Interestingly the mean shoulder joint angle on the dog walk contact
was 98.15 ± 2.78° and 99.86 ± 3.56° on the ground at the end of the
dog walk whilst a previous study reported the lowest mean shoulder
joint angle during jump landing as 110.81° (BIRCH, et al., 2015) - a
difference of over ten degrees. And we should also consider that
shoulder flexion angle during normal trot is 104.5° (
LORKE et al., 2017). It could; therefore, be surmised that the dog
walk contact results in greater flexion of the shoulder joint than jump
landing, and even higher flexion than standard trot, leading to
increased strain through the shoulder and subsequent increased
injury risk. Previous research has reported that during jump take-off
the lowest mean shoulder joint angle was 71.28° (BIRCH, et al., 2015)
which is almost thirty degrees lower than the mean shoulder joint
angles reported in this study.

The mean elbow joint angles in this study were 71.68 ± 13.26° and
81.33 ± 18.69° respectively, which are considerably more acute than
the lowest mean elbow joint angle reported during landing from a
jump previously (BIRCH, et al., 2015), but, as with the shoulder joint,
more_horiz the mean elbow angle reported during jump take-off was more acute

than that reported in this study The increased stress associated with
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than that reported in this study. The increased stress associated with
this equipment seems even more severe if we compare with standard
trot elbow flexion angles, which are in average 83.2° (
LORKE et al., 2017). Further research comparing joint flexion
between the several agility obstacles within the same population
would be required to definitively determine if one had more of an
impact on joint flexion and subsequent associated soft tissue strain
than the other. Future studies may also consider examining joint
angulation at different points along the dog walk to provide a more
complete analysis of the effects of the equipment on the dog’s body.

With regards PVF, we found that faster dogs and dogs performing
running contact technique displayed a higher PVF at the ground
landing, with no significant findings at PVF on contact. This was not
surprising as a stopped contact technique leads to deceleration on
the down plank of the dog walk prior to reaching the contact, whilst
running contact continue at a more consistent speed. This would
explain the higher PVF recorded as at higher speeds, greater force
would be expected to be exerted through the forelimbs in order to
stop at the end of the dog walk contact. Furthermore, the results
from this study also indicated that the forelimbs of agility dogs may
experience similar force on the ground landing from the dog walk
than during A-frame contact (APPELGREIN et al., 2019), potentially
indicating an increased risk of injury associated with the dog walk.
Further research comparing forelimb PVF between agility obstacles
within the same population would be needed to determine whether
the dog walk poses a significantly increased risk of forelimb injury
than the jumps.

Some recommendations can arise from this study. Faster dogs, as

expected, have shown higher PVF at ground landing, suggesting that
training at full speed should be limited. The addition of other
obstacles, as a hurdle jump, closer (within regulations) to the dog
walk could help to limit maximum speed and therefore decrease PVF
during training, preventing stress injuries. We also found a greater

more_horiz flexion on shoulder and elbow joints,; therefore, training and pre-

habilitation should include strengthening exercises for the muscles

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habilitation should include strengthening exercises for the muscles
involved on these joints to enable dynamic support.

CONCLUSION:
This was the first study to examine the kinematics and kinetics of
agility dogs on the dog walk. Whilst the relatively small sample size of
the study population has its limitations, a significant difference in the
kinematics of experienced and inexperienced agility dogs over the
dog walk contact was found. This suggested that inexperienced dogs
may be at risk to different types of injuries than experienced dogs
when completing the dog walk, further evidenced by the increased
flexion observed through the elbow joint in faster dogs, which is
generally associated with increased experience. To minimise the risk
of injury in inexperienced dogs, it may be beneficial for these dogs to
spend more time training for the dog walk contact on considerably
lower equipment. It would also be advisable to minimize the number
of repetitions of the dog walk during training, certainly if at its full
height, to reduce strain on the elbow and shoulder joints.
Furthermore, it is worth noting that PVF observed in this study are
similar to the reported in agility dogs at A-frame contact and dogs
performing at higher speeds and running contact experience higher
PVF at landing phase; therefore, the dog walk agility exercise should
not be overlooked as a potential cause of injuries.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Grateful thanks to all the owners and dogs for taking part in this
study. Also, Clare and Tim Griffiths at Redgates agility club for use of
their facilities and organising volunteers.

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CR-2023-0211.R1

BIOETHICS AND BIOSECURITY COMMITTEE

APPROVAL
The data has been acquired according to modern ethical standards
and according to guidelines set by The Animal (Scientific
Procedures) Act 1986 (United Kingdom) and has been approved by
the Animal Welfare and Ethics Committee of Writtle University
College. The approval number was 98330530/2019. A written
informed consent was obtained from the owners of the participants
of the study. Veterinary consent was required to discount any
current or underlying orthopaedic conditions that could hinder
results.

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from

more_horiz the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Edited by
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 Edited by
12/05/2025, 18:44 SciELO Brasil - Kinetics and kinematics of dog walk exercise in agility dogs of different experiences Kinetics and kinematics o…

Editors: Rudi Weiblen (0000-0002-1737-9817) Alexandre Mazzanti

(0000-0002-1330-2142)

Publication Dates
» Publication in this
collection » Date of issue
02 Feb 2024 June 2024

History
» Received » Accepted
19 Apr 2023 19 Sept 2023
» Reviewed
07 Dec 2023

This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of

the Creative Commons Attribution License

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