Injuries and Associated Factors in Swedish Sporting and Utility Trial Dogs-A Cross-Sectional Study

Simple Summary Canine sporting competitions, e.g., agility, obedience, rally obedience, and utility trials, e.g., protection, tracking, search, and messenger, are physically and mentally demanding disciplines. There is a growing concern within the dog sports community that some disciplines and breeds may be at higher injury risk. This study aimed to describe the frequencies and types of injuries experienced amongst Swedish sporting and utility trial dogs and to explore associations between discipline, breed, sex, neuter status, age, and injury history. Through a questionnaire survey, information about 1582 dogs was collected. During their lifetime, more than half of the dogs (n = 928, 58.7%) had suffered from an injury whether it appeared during training, competition, or outside of sport. Key findings were that muscular, joint, and dermatologic injuries were most commonly reported and the most common injury locations were the thoracic, lumbar and lumbosacral spine, paw, head, shoulder, and stifle. In a multivariate analysis, Border Collies, Belgian Malinois, and higher age at the time of report increased the odds of injury history. Our results provide more understanding of injuries in sporting and utility dogs and contribute to injury prevention strategies that potentially enhance canine welfare.Abstract Canine sporting competitions, e.g., agility, obedience, rally obedience, and utility trials, e.g., protection, tracking, search, and messenger, are physically and mentally demanding disciplines. This study aimed to describe the types and frequencies of injuries experienced amongst Swedish sporting and utility trial dogs and to explore associations between discipline, breed, sex, neuter status, age, and injury history. Dog handlers provided information on competition-level dogs (n = 1582) through a cross-sectional survey. The overall proportion of dogs sustaining any injury during their lifetime, whether it was during competition, training, or outside of sport, was 5