Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40066192›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in veterinary science2025

Dog agility tunnel risks for incidents.

Dianne P Ford, Kimberley L Cullen, Kathryn Stickney, Murray Sharman, John D Cullen

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Frontiers in veterinary science, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Dianne P FordFaculty of Business Administration, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL, Canada.
Kimberley L CullenSchool of Human Kinetics and Recreation, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL, Canada.
Kathryn StickneyForm & Function - Veterinary Physioatherapy, Okehampton, United Kingdom.
Murray SharmanDepartment of Primary Industries, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
John D CullenFaculty of Medicine, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL, Canada.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Flexible tunnels are the second most common obstacle on all dog agility courses, surpassed only by jumps. There has been a lot of debate and concern regarding risk factors associated with slips, falls and delayed exits (unseen slips, missteps, trips, falls). However, only one study was found which focused on the tunnel-related injuries, and it relied on handler reporting and did not consider base rates of the risk factors. As such, it is currently unknown which risk factors are statistically predictive of incidents. This study addresses this gap. Methods: Observational data from local, regional, national and international agility competitions (between June 30, 2023, to September 22, 2024) were collected from various agility organizations and countries by a team of researchers who are also judges and/or coaches within the sport. Tunnel, equipment, competition and course attributes, ground type and conditions along with tunnel incidents (slips, falls, and delayed exits) were recorded. Correlation, regression analyses, and chi-squared tests of independence were conducted to identify the relevant factors associated with incident rates. Results: The data included 563 tunnels (75.0% were incident free), with 30,418 tunnel performance observations (1.552% were incidents). The identified factors associated with incidents include tunnel characteristics (equipment specifications, shape on course), type and density of fixtures, course design (shape in design, angle of approach), ground and conditions. Their association with incident occurrence will be further detailed below. Discussion: Several previously assumed risk factors were relevant; however, some were not supported, and additional new factors were identified. Implications for future research and for organizations, judges, trial hosts, and competitors are discussed.

Indexed as

competitiondog agilityrisk factorssafetytunnels

Identifiers

PMID40066192
PMCPMC11892107

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.