This week we are learning all about Flyball! A fun competition for you and your dog to get into! Read on to learn about the history of this fast paced competition and what you and your dog can gain from taking part!
Flyball was created in Southern California in the late 1960’s by a man named Herbert Wagner. Flyball was created as a different take on scent hurdle racing. In scent hurdle racing, dogs are required to jump over a series of hurdles, at the end of the hurdles they are giving the option of several different objects to pick up. They must choose the correct object (only one of the objects matches the scent that they were given at the start of the race), then bring back the object to the handler, jumping over each hurdle again. Whichever dog is the fastest and most accurate in bringing the correct object, wins!
A similar premise to scent hurdle racing, in Flyball, dogs have to jump over a series of hurdles, at the end of the hurdles is a spring loaded box that releases a tennis ball when pressed/jumped on by the dog. Once the dog presses on the box and has the tennis ball, he runs back over the hurdles to his handler. Once again, the fastest dog or Flyball team, wins!
The sport of Flyball is fantastic for all breeds. You’ll find just about every type of dog can get excited about this sport, whether it’s a Chihuahua or an Irish Wolfhound! Although many dog breeds can get involved in scent hurdle racing, typically the dog breeds with more scent receptors will have a higher success rate. With Flyball, all your dog needs to do is run, jump and catch! This is a great way to drain out some energy from very active dogs, and it even gives them mental stimulation so you can be sure they’ll be exhausted when they get home! High energy working breeds such as the border collie love to get involved with Flyball. They get to run as fast as they can, and they use their brain power to really focus in on the task at hand (get that ball!).
Flyball is not only great for getting out some energy, but also for strengthening your bond with your dog. Spending all day together at a Flyball competition or spending an hour practising, simply spending that interactive time together will bring you two closer, and your dog will likely give you even more cuddles for it!
Feeling inspired to get your dog started? You can easily find Flyball groups looking for new members on the North American Flyball Association website.
