Dogster

Flyball at home?

Running, catching, leaping; this is the forum to discuss dog sports and agility training with other active pups!

The Beast

Barked: Wed Feb 15, '12 3:02pm PST


	I have been watching videos of dogs playing flyball and it looks like something Baby would really enjoy. Is there anyway I could make something to play flyball at home? I know how to make jumping hurdles out of pipes, but I was wondering about a flyball box that the ball goes in. Thanks Edited by author Wed Feb 15, '12 3:17pm PST

Delicate- Flower's Beauty- School Drop-Out

Barked: Wed Feb 15, '12 7:22pm PST


	Flyball is really best learned in a group setting since it is a team sport. There are a lot of things that folks can't really see from videos. And a flyball box is a fairly complicated and expensive piece of equipment. My wife build them and she charges folks about $700. You can find a club near you here: http://www.u-fli.com/clublocator.php or here: http://www.flyball.org/flyball_teams.html Email the contact listed for team in your area. Most teams are either happy to have you out to a practice or refer you to another team in the area if they aren't looking for new members. There are some great fundamental skills you can work on in the meantime: retrieving a ball and dropping for a tug, tugging and letting go of the tug and a fast and focused recall to you, even with distractions, from up to 110 feet away. We love flyball! Our team is super small but we practice weekly and compete about 6 times a year. It's a great outlet for dogs that love to run and tug who need a job. Best of luck!

Go Go Devil- Bunnies!

Barked: Sun Feb 19, '12 8:57pm PST


	If you're looking to train to compete, just join up with a team. Teaching your dog to go up four jumps, grab a ball and come back is nothing. To compete, you need to teach them to go up for jumps, grab a ball and come back in a place they've never been before while their teammates are screaming behind them, while other dogs they have never seen before are tearing back and forth a few feet away, while strange people and dogs are milling around, barking, screaming, talking, opening doors and going outside, while whistles are blowing... There is no possible way to ready your dog for a flyball competition at home. If you just want to play around, as mentioned, getting an actual flyball box isn't really feasible. You'd be better off building a crude, well-padded stand with some velcro, or even just setting the ball on the ground and having him grab it (no impact that way). It's still worth hanging out with a team, though, because there are safety concerns you should know about (like lessening impact) and methods to train the whole routine.

Lad about town

Barked: Mon Feb 20, '12 5:04pm PST


	Do you have a long hallway at home? I started with one jump in mine and tossed a ball to the end, then slowly increased the obstacles. That way they cannot go around the hurdles, they learn to jump very quickly. Teach the dog to wait til the ball is thrown, it is a good first step before going to club, and you can see if your dog likes it or not.