These people look at Eddie, the Jack Russell terrier on the TV show Fraser a few years ago, and everyone had to have one. What they don’t realize is that these are special breeds and have traits that not everyone can deal with.

Breeders

Most responsible breeders will make sure that their puppies are in the right homes but unfortunately, there are many irresponsible breeders out there. Just recently in the area where I live, someone opened a pet store named “Pet Land.” My wife and I were horrified to find that they are selling puppies there. No responsible breeder would allow his or her puppies to be sold in a pet store. As far as I’m concerned, these are just puppy mill dogs and this activity should be banned.

Larry

I have described the method that I use to train swimmers turns in my Training Manual on this site but I’m going to describe a different method that can be just as affective if done correctly.

The Running Method

There is another method for teach smaller dogs a box turn which I call the Running Method. Although, I have not used this method because I haven’t trained a height dog lately, it seems to work well because the faster teams use it and there small dogs have really fast box turns. I think this method came about because using the “Hit It” method dogs tend to hang on the box, be it only for a fraction of a second. I’ll try to describe the method but it’s easier to show it than describe it.

First off, it is important that the dog be highly ball driven, for with this method you will only be using a box, a ball, and your body. You need to know which way your dog turns but you can train all your dogs to turn the same direction if you like and may even be beneficial for other reasons that I won’t go into here. Anyway, you start off kneeling on the floor in front of the box with your highly motivated ball crazy dog, and in this case, we are going to train a right turn. With your dog on your left side and your left knee on the box kind of in the center and low on the box, you will lore your dog with the ball onto the box. As the dog runs up the box and over your knee, you will throw the ball behind you with your right hand. This training technique is done over and over, over very many training sessions.

The whole idea behind this method is to create a running fast tight turn. Just look at any of the faster teams, like the Gamblers or Rude Dogs and you will see almost all of there smaller dogs turn this way. They have a running approach to the box and run up it rather than hit and catch.

Larry

The Flyball Forum

Over a year ago, my wife suggested that someone create a Flyball forum but I didn’t think anyone would be interested because of the Flyball List, and now even U-FLI has their own list.  After some more thought, I think she is right and the Flyball community needs a forum.  So please check out the Flyball Forum.  Please keep in mind that I just created it and I’m sure it will go through some growing pains and my learning curve. Please let me know what you think and if I can do anything to make it better.

Larry

The Scenario

The team owner or a member of a team becomes friends with someone on a faster team. The friendship may or may not be a valid friendship, i.e. a ruse to acquire a fast dog, usually a height dog, from the faster team. The fast team may be pumping out height dogs just so that they can set records and a 4-second height dog may not be fast enough for them. So instead of the fast team having an over abundance of height dogs, they give a slower team in another region one of their fast height dogs. After all, a 4-second height dog is a real commodity to a slower team. It can mean the difference between being 2 or 3 in the region to taking the number 1 position.

As I said, it is not against any rule, and may I add that I don’t think a rule could even be created to lessen this activity, but it does seem somewhat underhanded or unfair to me. It’s especially unfair to the dogs and people on the team that own and trained their dog(s). After all, this ringer is now taking a spot on the team in place of one of the team dogs.

The Fast Teams

Who hasn’t sat in awe and watched these fast teams compete against each other. However, when you think of the dogs that may have been tossed aside for the sake of speed…it makes you wonder. I’m not saying that all fast teams do this but I know that one sub 16-second team does and I can’t help but think that more do.

I would like to know what you all think about this practice. Is it good for the sport or if more people knew about this would it give the sport a bad name? Is Flyball going the way of the conformation breeder, i.e. over breed to find the best? What are your thoughts?

Larry

I can see no good reason for running these little dogs in the start position. It seems obvious to me that all of the discussions we’ve been having about the U-FLI measuring method, NAFA and U-FLI jump heights and now NAFA talking about subtracting 5 vs. 4 all have the most impact on our height dogs. All of these issues are like a mantra for “Saving Our Height Dogs.” Yet all of this is for naught if people continue to run their little height dogs in the start position.

Wake up people; I don’t care how good at starting you are, your dog is running more than any other dog on the team.

Larry

It is obvious to me that it will be some time before I’m able to get into full swing again, hell; it may never happen so I’m just taking it slow and one tournament at a time.

I guess you can never definitively say never, but I believe the dogs that I currently own will be my last Flyball dogs. I’m not interested in owning another team, running a team or even training, and I’ve turned these activities over to my wife who still wants to play and be involved. Just tell me what dog is needed on whatever team I’m running on and I’ll be there in the lane waiting with my dog. I don’t want to think about points or even winning.

I’ve put together a list of things that I didn’t miss, things I missed, and things I still miss. This is not all-inclusive, but is the things that come to mind right off the top of my head.

Things I Didn’t Miss

• Preparing for the trip
• Loading the RV
• Unloading the RV at the tournament site
• Loading the RV after the tournament
• Unloading the RV after arriving back home
• The hurt and pain after the tournament

Things I Missed

• Watching the dogs perform - what heart they have
• Seeing old friends

Things I Still Miss

• Old friends that now play on other teams

Back to the Basics

I plan to get back to the basic reason why I started playing this game and that is to have fun with my dog. For now, I want to stay away from everything that made me want to quit. Most of those things had to do with people issues. Flyball can be hard on relationships and I know of family members that no long speak to one another over this game. I believe there a many people playing Flyball today that need to get back to the basics.

I want you all to know that I’m no longer a member of the flyball list and haven’t even looked at the NAFA or U-FLI websites in over 5 months. So I may not be able to return to my old self for a while but if you shoot me some ideas on things that interest you, I’ll give it a go.

I want to thank all the people that came up to me or sent messages, saying that they missed the regular post on this blog. Thank you, your support means a lot to me.

Larry

Flyball has rules about aggression. Putting an aggressive dog on lanes could be a liability to the club, owner of the dog and to the dog. A dog like this could start or participate in fight. A dog like this could freak out for no apparent reason.

Do you give this owner and dog a chance? Do you speak it over with the club and see what they want to do and are willing?

Do you just find a polite way to tell the owner that flyball is not a sport for them at this time?

Aggression is not something to be taken lightly.

Kim

So I would like to hear more about how everyone tries to help their dog(s) overcome fears so they can participate in flyball. This is a topic dear to my heart since I have a border collie that has many fears.

And if you feel you have exhausted your options and your dog is still not comfortable when do you finally say enough is enough and retire them? How long do you work on trying to make flyball fun for them? What if the dog shows some promise and is seemingly starting to enjoy the sport at times, do you continue working with said dog?

Basically, what have you done to try and help a dog overcome their fears and when do you finally just give up and allow the dog to be a loving pet only?

Kim

Point System

In case you need a refresher, here is the point structure of both NAFA and U-FLI:

NAFA (Section 8.1 of the NAFA Rules)

Each time a team races in a NAFA® sanctioned Flyball tournament with a recorded time under 24 seconds, each dog racing in that heat will receive 25 points toward a Flyball title; under 28 seconds each dog racing in that heat will receive 5 points; under 32 seconds each dog racing in that heat will receive 1 point; provided that a NAFA® judge is present and at least four teams compete. Each of the four teams must actually compete. All four teams may be from the same club provided each team registered with NAFA® was given an equal opportunity to enter, but chose not to.

U-FLI (Section 7.1 of the U-FLI Rules)

Dogs will receive points toward individual U-FLI titles based on the team’s time. Each dog listed as participating in a heat will be awarded points. No points will be awarded for heats in which a team received a forfeit, no finish, interference, fouling, or break out. Teams that receive an estimated time will be awarded U-FLI points.

Teams times	Points earned
19.999 seconds and under	30 points per heat
20 seconds up to 24.999 seconds	25 points per heat
25 seconds up to 29.999 seconds	15 points per heat
30 seconds up to 35.000 seconds	10 points per heat

Each of the dogs on a winning team in a heat will receive an additional 5 bonus points for that heat. If the team is racing against an Exhibition or Pickup Team, then no bonus points will be available.

Basic Suggestion

The point to Lori’s suggestion is that not every dog runs a 4-second heat and some teams never run under 24 seconds and are unable to achieve some of the basic titles. So, she suggests changes to the point system to allow dogs to be awarded 5 points for under 32 seconds, 10 points for under 28 seconds, and 25 points for under 24 seconds.

Recognition

I’ve said this before but it falls on deaf ears. Slower teams and slower dogs are not recognized by NAFA and this is just one more example of it. U-FLI does a much better job of recognizing slower teams and dogs. The U-FLI championship system and their point system are stark examples of this.

Dogs on these slower teams deserve titles even though they are not speed demons. These dogs work just as hard, if not harder, than dogs making 4-second runs. These slower teams and dogs are the heart and soul of what make’s flyball a sport for all dogs but they are least recognized in NAFA.

Larry

• Jackie: Mother of two boys of early elementary school age. They’ve been playing flyball since before the boys were born.
• Pam: Mother of three teen girls. Been playing flyball since her girls were early elementary school age.
• Bev: Mother of two boys. One teen, one middle school. Been playing flyball since they were elementary school age. Bev’s boys have earned the highest title possible in the U-FLI Junior Handler program.
• Trish: Mother of a one-year old. Been playing flyball since right before becoming pregnant.
• Me: Mother of two girls. One teen, one middle school. Been playing flyball since girls were early elementary school age.

What got you involved in flyball?

Jackie and Bev were involved in other animal sports, Jackie in horse showing, Bev in dog obedience. Jackie came to flyball with her dog that ran the cross country course with her. Bev was looking for an activity the dogs could do while she was show chair and unable to compete. The rest of us came to the sport as many do… looking for an outlet and focus for our high-energy dog.

What made it stick?

It was fun for the whole family. It was a sport that everyone in the family could do and could do together. The team component of the game… fun people, supportive people.

What life lessons do you think your kids have drawn out of the flyball experience (or are drawing)?

Jackie: Playing well with others, learning to take care of their pets, learning how to train. My boys are very compassionate, and I think it has a lot to do with all the rescue work we do as a family.

Bev: Flyball only rounds out the balance I feel. Its part of the big picture so to speak. They learn that life doesn’t always hand you a win. That was hardest for my oldest to learn, he is always on the All Star Team for whatever sports he plays. He has learned that our dogs are athletes, just as he is, and their mind and bodies need to be taken care of if he expects the best out of them. He has learned that conditioning is part of the big picture in flyball and includes that portion of caring for the dogs in his daily routine.

Trish: Right now, Max is learning to trust adults, other than just his parents. He will willingly go to any adult on our team if Mom and Dad are busy. As he gets older, I think he’ll also pick up the proper respect and treatment of animals, as well as what it means to participate in a team sport.

Pam: Definitely being a team player. There was a job for everyone from pottying dogs to ball shagging. Making them responsible individuals as a team player. Knowing how to run their dog beside teammates and taking practice seriously. Taking instructions from others beside their parents.

Me: Group dynamics and how adults interact. They will be so much better prepared for life in the “grown up world of work” from their exposure to all the different personalities they have observed over the years being involved in flyball. They have also learned about the responsibility of caring for animals as well as following through on commitments you make to others to do what you say you will do and be where you say you will be.

Do you think it’s shaped them in some way? How?

Jackie: Absolutely. They are great travelers - a 9 hour car ride is nothing to them! They can get up at 5 am, and go all day. They learn to respect the adults at tournaments, and follow directions. They also help me out a lot when we have to go without daddy - due to his work schedule.

Bev: Yes. Trevor has learned that in order to play with the big boys (so to speak, since it is mostly dominated by adults) that he can’t sit his pup butt on the porch and whine about the `what if`s`. He has learned that he has to go out and give it his all.

By playing this sport it has molded him into the young man that he is. It has allowed him to meet others not as athletic as he is and to see them as equals on the playing field while at the same time, showing him that he is not always an equal to those he is running against.

Pam: It has built up their confidence.

Trish: I think Max is definitely more outgoing for his age because of the exposure he’s had to everyone. He’s also a little more daring, willing to pet dogs other than his own.

What makes a tournament fun for your child?

For the younger children it’s connecting with their “flyball friends”. Children from other teams they only get to see at flyball tournaments. They also enjoy that the grown ups give them jobs that give them a chance to contribute to the team. Some really enjoy the freedom to get really dirty and covered in dog hair and mom doesn’t get on their case.

As the kids get older, it’s running a dog and hanging out with their “flyball friends”. The older kids love being treated as an equal in the ring. The rules don’t change from adult to kid. They are expected to play with as much skill as the adults do and love that the adults give them their trust and the responsibility.

How do you organize it all… stuff for the tournament, stuff for the dogs, and stuff for the kids?

Everyone’s response was along the lines of “A really Big Vehicle”. Seriously, though, they make lists, they keep to a routine, they make the kids responsible for a portion of the packing, and they keep some things packed all the time so it’s just grab and go.

Advice for others taking up flyball with kids in tow.

• Less is sometimes more… A few toys for down time, but letting them run and play is the best.
• Books on tape or a portable DVD player for the long car ride.
• A Pack N Play for the really little ones.
• Make it fun and keep things light.
• Enjoy the time you are getting to spend together; it is so precious in our busy world.
• Do it… it will be the best family fun and you will be making memories that you all will keep for a lifetime.

Connie

Note: “The Ultimate Dogsport for Family and Fun” is a registered trademark of United Flyball League International (U-FLI)