Flyball - A Sport for Dogs!!!
Flyball is the fastest growing organized dog sport in North America. Sanctioned by the North American Flyball Association (NAFA), the Buffalo Wings Flyball Team competes in tournaments throughout the Eastern and Midwestern United States and Southern Ontario, Canada. Flyball is a sport where two teams of dogs compete in a structured relay race. Tournaments allow large numbers of teams to compete for titles. While the sport is exciting and fast paced, it is extremely safe and beneficial for the dogs involved. Flyball not only gives your dog a job, but helps to foster a strong bond between dogs and their handlers which helps build discipline and trust.
The Buffalo Wings Flyball Team is involved in Western New York! We accomplish this by holding periodic training classes, and offering demonstrations to the public. Many dogs from our training program go on to competition and earn ribbons as well as career points and titles. Our dogs have provided entertainment for audiences attending sporting events such as the Harlem Globetrotters, a Canisius College Basketball Game, and have shown their skill at pet store demonstrations, participated in various public events, and helped to raise money for charity. Our goal is not only to represent our sport, but to promote positive dog ownership in our community. If your organization is interested in the efforts of our group, the people and dogs of the Buffalo Wings welcome the opportunity to work with you!
In order to really enjoy a dog, one doesn't merely try to train him to be semi-human. The point of it is to open oneself to the possibility of becoming partly a dog."
-- Edward Hoagland
How do they race?
Each dog runs with a team made up of four dogs. His team is competing against another team of four dogs. Sounds simple but it's not! Each dog learns how to run over a series of four jumps, pounce on a spring-loaded box which shoots out a tennis ball, catch the ball in his mouth, then runs back to the start! His three teammates do the same and hope to do it faster than the four dogs they're running against! This is a fast-paced sport which requires training for both dog and handler. The lane each dog is racing in runs 51 feet and the jumps can be over a foot high!
Besides having a great time, each dog earns points towards titles during sanctioned tournaments. The point system is based on the team time per heat:
less than 32 secs: Each dog receives 1 point
less than 28 secs: Each dog receives 5 points
less than 24 secs: Each dog receives 25 points
What's In It For the Dogs?
Watch Flyball, and you'll see some fast dogs! Dogs earn titles based on the points they accumulate whether they win or not. Teams compete for trophies and ribbons but the dogs compete because it?s fun. The first title a dog achieves is Flyball Dog which means he's earned 25 points. The highest title is that of Flyball Grand Champion at 30,000 points!
What Kind of Human Plays Flyball?
You should be willing to train and be part of a team. The success of each dog depends on the effort of his owner. The typical Flyball person likes to spend a lot of time with his/her dog and works hard to ensure his good health and well being. Dogs who play Flyball are often accomplished at other activities too. Many Flyball dogs compete in Agility, Search and Rescue, Lure Coursing/Tracking, volunteer for therapy work and more!
What Else Should I Know?
Flyball is a sport concerned about the well-being and quality of life for dogs with their owners. We follow guidelines issued by NAFA regarding the care and handling of all dogs. This means we train our dogs safely and promote good sportsmanship and ethical handling of canine participants. Dogs thrive in the sport because it provides an outlet for many of the instinctual drives which make up the canine personality. It is everything a dog loves to do---run, jump, and catch a ball! Owners who compete with their dogs in this sport enjoy a companion who is more obedient, healthy and confident. Flyball is good for dogs and good for people too!
What Kind of Dog Plays Flyball?
Any kind! Registration in NAFA does not require a dog to be purebred or to have papers. Dogs come in all shapes, sizes, breeds, and mixes. Flyball dogs come from breeders, animal shelters or breed specific rescue organizations. The background of Flyball dogs are varied and unlimited. The profile of a Flyball dog has more to do with motivation, ability and temperament than it does with where he/she came from. This means all dogs are welcome.
Learn More!
To Contact the Buffalo WingsFyball team:
c/o Janice Grimes-Davis, (716) 839-0169
to Flyball Home Page website
to NAFA Homepage website