Flyball

[wolfsoul]

I'm curious; how does a dog learn flyball? It looks so difficult.

I'm wondering because catahoulas are such high energy dogs and I'm thinking that I may put him (my future one..as you should all know by now since I won't stop talking about it ) in both agility and flyball. However I talked to a catahoula owner and said that it's so hard to do both at the same time -- it takes up alot of your schedule. Is that true? Does anyone do both?

[binka_nugget]

I'd love to do both. This woman who owns an agility centre near by does both agility and flyball with most (if not all) of her 9 dogs. Somehow, she manages to run the business and still have time to compete so I guess it shouldn't be too hectic.

[wolfsoul]

You would think it'd be hectic lol. I'm still not sure about flyball, because I don't enjoy dogs with high ball drives. I just want to keep my dog happy and fit as possible.

Has anyone ever participated in doggy diving? I've only seen it on TV, and never heard of any events around here. I don't think it's very big yet.

[cali]

I do both, and flyball is not to hard, but it is hard to dind a flyball club in BC, there are lots on alberta, and manatoba, and sask. though.. they thing that shard with doing both is that agility trials, and flyball tournys just about ALWAYS land on the same weekends and you cant go to both. to train flyball you need, a flyball box, and flyball jumps, and flyball mats, first you start with recalls, er tug training first, train the dog to come to the tug, and to LOVE it to death! the you start recalls, someone hold the dog, and you stand no far away, and just stand at first, yell the dogs name and hold out the tug, then strat calling from farther away, and then start running, when you call, once that is down pat, you start adding jumps just one at a time, by now the dogs should be so focased on running straight to you and that tug they they go over the jump no problem, this will take a while until the dog is doing recalls over all 4 jumps. then you start boxwork, get them to hit the box with all for feet(put a jump in front of the box) later train the dog to get the ball(not from box, until they can get the ball from ground, AND are perfect on the box) well you get the idea, its back training

[cali]

oh and the dog does NOT need I high ball drive, the ball is the least importent thing in flyball ripley is a rare 4 second height dog, he has NO ball drive it took us moths to get him to tough the ball for heaven sakes! one of the most commen misconceptions about flyball is that they need a high ball drive, its simpley not true in the least, it helps if the dog does not have a high ball drive!, misty does not like balls either, she can still play great

[wolfsoul]

Thanks for the info! It helped alot!

I know the dog doesn't have to have a high ball drive, but I'm afraid it will teach him to have one lol. I think to fix that I should make it so ball time is strictly flyball time.

[cali]

that is exactly what you are supposed to do, restrict the ball for flyball, it makes them faster, and mor eexited to play, since that is th eonly time they get to play with it!

[Crikit]

I do agility and Winter is just learning to do flyball now, don't know what going to happen when I'm able to compete though to be honest not really planning on doing very much flyball with her.

[cloverfdx]

Cali pretty much summed it all up "backward chaining" is the way to go with flyball, and consistent recalls are very importent and to have the dog focused on you and the motivator (tug toy, food, another ball)

as for juggleing flyball and agility it should not be a problem, i compete in both Flyball and Obedience and cope pretty well with that, although we tend to get a few obedience trials and Flyball comps on the same weekend so we have to choose what one to go to (Flyball wins everytime ).

ill stop rambling now