Considering Flyball

[PixieSticksandTricks]

Now im taking agility classes with Pixie and now also Tucker (when I can make it). But with Tuckers energy I figure more than one event couldn't hurt. He is very fast and very toy driven. I have always liked watching Flyball competitions on tv and in real life and I think Tucker could do with with alot of work.

Anyone else here do Flyball? What is the best away to get into it?

 

[tessa_s212]

Never done flyball..though it looks very fun, yet really really competitive.

Just out of curiousity, where are you taking agility classes?

I would ask your agility instructor about flyball. He/she might know something.

 

[Giny]

I've tried flyball twice, once with a Dobe I had years ago, and the other with my Poodle, Boomer, last summer. It is a very fun sport, though your dog really has to be ball happy, almost sickly addicted to it, in order get him interested in the sport. Boomer loves toys and will play with tennis balls but not enough to really get him focused on the target in order to play Flyball. We got him jumping the 4 jumps like a poodle-maniac but I couldn't get him interested in the box. I took classes with our area team, Maine Coast Runners. Have you check the North American Flyball Associations website? You may find a team near you. Here's the link.
http://www.flyball.org/
Hope you have one near you, it's fun. Even if it doesn't work out.

 

[2pups622]

i would love to do that with my yorkie but he hates other dogs hes very ball obsessed !

 

[Snark]

Yeah, try the Flyball Association, there seems to be clubs all over... A friend of mine had the first SharPei to earn her Flyball championship (or whatever the highest title is...)


The local flyball club put on a demo at the Labor Day Air Show a couple of years ago (our agility group had put on a demo just before them) and they let me try Emily, my Rott mix, at it. She was ball crazy but shy with strangers. I got her over the four jumps and she'd just taken the ball from the box when the idiot anchoring the box leaned over and yelled, "Go!!" Poor Emily nearly had a heart attack, dropped the ball because she thought the person had yelled 'no' and that was the last time I ever got her near the box. Grrrrrrrr... I could have brained that person! Emily wouldn't even pick up tennis balls after that.
Haven't had any ball-crazy dogs since Emily passed away...

 

[ihartgonzo]

Flyball is awesome! I do Flyball with my Border Collie, and I will with Fozzie once it's safe for him

Before you start - make sure your dog has a GREAT recall, if necessary work on it in the backyard and the park. Have some one hold your pup, and run across the field with a tug toy or a ball calling him... release him, and when he comes to you, PLAY, PLAY, PLAY and praise him! He should have solid Obedience and he obviously knows "over" already from Agility. If you have all of that done, for some dogs it takes just a few months to get them to tournament level. :0) Flyball is so, so, so fun! I have done both Flyball & Agility, and me and Gonzo vote Flyball all the way! The tournies and teams and so much fun, and the dogs are just as addicted as all of the owners.

Snark, I'm sorry you had that experience However, that's exactly what all of us do when a dog is running from the box, to motivate them to run. I would've made the same mistake were I the loader.

 

[Snark]

Snark, I'm sorry you had that experience However, that's exactly what all of us do when a dog is running from the box, to motivate them to run. I would've made the same mistake were I the loader.

Surely you wait to yell until the dog had some inkling of what they are supposed to do? It was Emily's very first try at Flyball, it took some encouragement just to get her over the jumps and to take the ball with a stranger standing so close. She had no idea she was supposed to race back.

It wasn't so much that Emily wanted nothing to do with Flyball after that (we would have done it for fun, not competition), as my efforts in getting her to accept strangers took a huge step backwards in a split second.

 

[ihartgonzo]

No, I don't mean that it was right for the person to yell. But I work with dogs new to Flyball routinely at practice/training classes, and encouraging comments such as "Go!" and "Run!" in an up-beat voice haven't had any bad affects with dogs that I've met. It's really second nature to Flyballers. Did you inform the loaders that your dog is shy and therefore take it slow with her? With such a hyper-reactive dog, that is probably the best step to take with introducing her to such new things so quickly.

I was going to add recommendations to get her ball-drive up, but I just read about Emily's passing. I'm very sorry, she sounded like a sweet pup.

 

[smkie]

check out this post and shyeow's blog there is a lot to learn from her experiences if you are interested in learning about this sport. http://www.chazhound.com/forums/showthread.php?t=13318
http://peonythestormrider.blogspot.com/

i found this link to the fly ball box on her blog
http://peonythestormrider.blogspot.c...yball-box.html

 

[IliamnasQuest]

Flyball can be a lot of fun, although it's not "intellectual" enough for me to stay interested in it! I like something that you have to keep advancing in.

But it's great for those high energy tennis-ball-crazy dogs! Even my youngest chow learned to do flyball. I had to work on her ball drive, though. For a long time I reinforced her for every time she picked up the ball, and I had a couple of balls that I had cut a slit in so I could put treats inside the ball itself. That way the treat came FROM the ball too, which helped her interest.

The first photo is working hurdles only, the second was just working ball drive (obviously she's not heading for the hurdle in that one!). She's about six months old here.

I didn't keep with the flyball because I had too many other things to do (like obedience, rally, conformation and agility) but I still encourage enthusiasm in the ball. Just tonight we were playing a game - whoever brought me the ball got a treat! It's funny to watch two shepherds and three chows all trying to be the one with the ball.

I may get back into flyball with my youngest. She was having fun with it, although she was never going to be a speed demon like the BC's are!

Melanie and the gang in Alaska

 

[ihartgonzo]

With Flyball, I think "moving up" is working on speed, reliability, & passes. As far as I've seen, there will ALWAYS be room for improvement! Especially with my guy ;0). What is definitely important is what your pups enjoy the most, you must already have your hands FULL with 5 dogs doing rally, obedience, & agility. For me, Gonzo enjoys Flyball the most because he is obsessed with tennis balls & he looooves racing.

 

[akaspaddero]

Jake and Zoie are learning fly ball. Jake is currently woking on the box, his swimmers turn isn't the best.
Zoie is side lined due to an injury.

We love it lots! It is great fun for all of us and really helps withe our bond. Plus, it seems to help them on some issues they need training on.