TED Talks Daily How to communicate with your dog, from a Westminster champion | Jennifer Crank
28 snips
Nov 19, 2025 
Jennifer Crank, a world champion dog agility competitor, showcases her border collie, High Five, to illustrate the art of interspecies communication. She demonstrates how refined signals and trust between a handler and dog can lead to impressive agility performances. Crank shares insights on effective communication techniques that resonate with both dogs and humans, highlighting the importance of body language and clarity in conveying messages. Her engaging onstage demonstration emphasizes that the key to success lies in understanding your teammate, whether furry or human.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Meet The Teammate Who Steals The Show
- Jennifer Crank introduced High Five, her Border Collie teammate, and demonstrated agility onstage.
- She described competing with multiple dogs and training year-round in professional arenas.
Speed Trumps Equipment Skill
- At elite levels dogs rarely make equipment mistakes; races are won by speed and timing.
- The decisive factor is the handler-dog communication system, not the dog's basic obstacle ability.
Use The Dog's Native Signals
- Use cues that match the dog's natural language: motion, location, shoulders, and eye contact.
- Rely less on voice and hand signals because those are least natural to dogs.