Canine Agility and the Meaning of Excellence
Formulating an Ethical Approach
$39.95
In stock
About the Book
This book is a philosophical inquiry about the meaning of excellence in canine agility. No matter how accomplished we are as trainers, students, or competitors, we are all either striving for excellence, realizing excellence, or falling short of it, sometimes by a lot. This study employs a unique methodology to explore the foundational issue of excellence in agility as well as in other canine sports. Using interviews with ordinary practitioners of agility, judges, and competitors, as well as memoirs, autobiographies, and fictional stories, the author formulates and argues for the ethical concept of excellence.
About the Author(s)
Bibliographic Details
Beth A. Dixon. Series Editor Brian Patrick Duggan
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 187
Bibliographic Info: 20 photos, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2025
pISBN: 978-1-4766-9409-2
eISBN: 978-1-4766-5392-1
Imprint: McFarland
Series: Dogs in Our World
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments xi
Preface 1
Introduction 3
What Is This Book About? 6
Why Stories? 10
One. The Problem of Excellence 13
The Story of Dusty 13
Moral Character and Excellence 18
Maggie’s Online Trials 19
Some Questions About Exceptional Performance 24
Why Agility? 25
Agility as Hobby 27
Agility Organizations 28
Training Excellence 28
Telling Stories 29
Introducing Sue Hall 29
Summary 32
Two. Exceptional Performance 35
What Is a Qualifying Run? 36
Tiny, Beautiful Moments 42
Skills 44
When Do We Cheer, and for Whom? 45
What Does Luck Have to Do with It? 48
“Matters of Fortune” 50
Introducing Sue Pietricola 52
What Does Excellence in Agility Look Like? 53
Summary 54
Three. Agility as Play 57
Agility Is Not Just Something We Do on the Side 57
Moral Virtues 62
Playing Agility 65
What Is Play? 68
Excellent Play 70
Amateurs Play, Professionals Excel 71
Introducing JoLee Yeddo 72
Summary 77
Four. Agility as Hobby 80
Recreation 81
“The Gentle Pursuit of a Modest Competence” 85
What Is a Hobby? 86
The Amateur Hour 89
The Core of Excellence 90
An Objection 91
Does Your Dog Have a Hobby? 94
Introducing Ann Benjamin and Jodi Pangman 95
Summary 99
Five. The Internal Goods of Agility 101
Internal and External Rewards 102
What Is a Practice? 104
The Relational Values of Agility 107
Who Displays Excellence? 109
Do Agility Institutions Corrupt? 114
Introducing Diane Fyfe 117
Summary 121
Six. Training Excellence 123
A Great Dog 124
Training Capability 126
Respect 128
Trust 131
Communication 135
Introducing Robin Magee 138
Summary 144
Seven. How to Tell a Story About Excellence 145
Intelligible Behavior 146
Narrative Arc 147
Who Am I? 149
The Explanatory Value of Stories 152
The Role of Fancy 155
The Ethical Value of Stories 159
“Muster Dogs” 161
Summary 165
Chapter Notes 167
Bibliography 169
Index 173
