Flyball is one of the world’s fastest growing dog sports. It combines basic obedience skills with the athleticism of agility, the fun of playing fetch in the backyard, and the thrill of drag racing. (as taken from the North American Flyball Association website) “Flyball races match two teams of four dogs each, racing side-by-side over a 51 foot long course. Each dog must run in relay fashion down the jumps, trigger a flyball box, releasing the ball, retrieve the ball, and return over the jumps. The next dog is released to run the course but can't cross the start/finish line until the previous dog has returned over all 4 jumps and reached the start/finish line. The first team to have all 4 dogs finish the course without error wins the heat.”

 

The History

 

The idea of Flyball began in the late 1960s and early 1970s in California when a group of dog trainers started running scent hurdles with their dogs. As a reward for the dogs, a man at the end of the race would throw a tennis ball for the dogs to chase. Soon, a throwing-arm box was created to replace the man, then the scented lure was removed. What remained was nothing more than four hurdles and a dog-operated ball thrower.

 

The Basics

 

The Dogs that can play Flyball can be any breed or mixture of breeds. They must be at least one year old to compete, but can begin training at any age. They must also be healthy and fit. Flyball is an athletic event and it is only fair to treat and prepare these dogs as athletes; that means the right amount of food and exercise.

 

The Lane is 51 feet plus at least 60 feet of runback. From the starting line, there is 6 feet to the first jump, 10 feet between each of the four jumps, and 15 feet from the last jump to the box. Dogs and handlers line up in the runback, the area behind the starting line. Where a dog and handler line up along the lane depends on the order the dog runs in, the size of the dog, and the speed of the dog. Small dogs tend to start closer to the starting line, while larger and faster dogs are back at least 30 feet from the starting line. The further back a dog starts, the more room it has to build up speed before taking the jumps. However, there is a fine balance between enough running room for speed and running too much and tiring the dog out.

 

The Box is a wedge-shaped, spring-loaded box that propels a ball when the front pedal is compressed by the dog.

 

The Balls can be anything from a regular tennis ball to a mini tennis ball to a stress foam ball. All it has to do is act like a tennis ball when propelled from the box. Different dogs use different balls based on their preferences. Although many Flyball dogs are ball-obssessed, it isn’t required to train a dog for Flyball. A significant number of our team’s dogs did, in fact, either hate balls or have no desire to play with one before we began training.

 

The Jumps are set five inches below the height of the smallest dog (at the shoulders) on the team. Most teams race three big dogs and one small dog (a height dog) that brings down the jump height for the bigger dogs. A shorter jump height usually translates into faster speeds. The height of the jumps can be as low as seven inches and as high as 14 inches.

 

The Details

 

The Start Dog is the first dog racing on the team. The handler has to time her release perfectly with the starting lights. The goal is for the start dog to cross the starting line the instant the green light comes on. The sequence of the lights is yellow-yellow-yellow-green set at a 1.2 second delay. The handler of the start dog is also responsible for making sure the rest of the team is ready and in place before nodding to the head judge to start the race.

 

The Height Dog is the smallest dog on the team and sets the jump heights for the rest of the team’s dogs.

 

The Anchor Dog is the last dog on the team. Usually this is the dog who loves to race! The goal here is to outrace the other team. A good anchor dog will turn on the afterburners to try and beat the other team’s dog back to the finish line.

 

Releases vary from dog to dog and handler to handler. There is no right or wrong way to release a dog on its turn. Some handlers stand, some kneel, some sit. Some handlers chant “Ready, Set, Go” and some just say “Go!” Some dogs run with collars, some with harnesses, and some naked. Good communication and bonding between a dog and its handler is paramount to the release. You have to know your dog, what he likes and dislikes.

 

The passes or exchanges are the moment two dogs cross the starting/finish line. Ideally, you want both dogs’ noses to hit the line at the same instant. This, however, is very hard to do since dogs are inherently unpredictable. Most teams, instead, aim for the passes to be within a three foot span from the previous dog’s finish and the next dog’s start. Passing dogs well is a skill that can take handlers years to perfect.

 

The Reward at the end of the run is probably most important. This is the reason your dog really plays this game - the fun she has once she’s done her job. Like the release, there is no end to the way you can reward (short of using a live animal or throwing a ball). There are dogs who like to tug, dogs who just want food, and dogs who get giddy with dancing and praise from their handler. Once again, you have to know your dog.

 

Errors include such things as: a dropped ball (the ball must be carried over the finish line), an early pass (the running dog crosses the start line before the previous dog crosses), a missed jump (one or more of the eight jumps isn’t taken), etc.

 

Points and Titles can be earned based on the overall speed of the team of four dogs. If the dogs race under 24 seconds, they can earn 25 points, under 28 seconds earns 5 points, and under 32 seconds earns 1 point. Points translate into titles - from 20 points to 80,000 points!

 

The Team consists of the four racing dogs and their handlers, a box loader to load the balls into the box, a pass coach that helps the handlers time their releases, a ball shagger to pick up all the loose balls the dogs drop after they finish their run, and a captain that organizes it all and makes this chaos look easy. Two teams race each other, mediated by head judge, two line judges, and two box judges.

 

Team Choreography refers to the way the team moves in the lane. It is almost like dancing. Each person and dog has to be trained to move in a certain pattern - with the flow of “traffic” in the lane. Dogs and handlers usually run down the lane on the right side, while the previous dog and handler return on the left. After one handler releases her dog, the next handler will move her dog into the lane and set her dog for his release, and so forth. Communication among the handlers is key to making sure no one is in the wrong place at the wrong time and accidentally hurt. Flyball moves quickly and accidents can happen if handlers aren’t aware at all times to not only their dog but the rest of the team.