Flyball for beginners...

[melinda]

Can someone who knows about flyball help me out here please!

There's a Coventry flyball club open day on sunday and i'm planning on taking Oscar along, but I can't get hold of anyone there to find out if it's worthwhile considering Oscar's current favourite game is 'take' rather than fetch...

What does a dog need to be able to do before you start flyball?

Oscar loves tennis balls and he flies after them at lightning speed, but we're still working on him bringing it back and his recall, which Bev is helping us with.  I can get the ball back usually if I swap it for another one...I don't want to disturb Bev as I know she's poorly, so is it worth me trying out Flyball with Oscar yet or should I wait until he's a bit better with these things?

He's super fast and a very quick learner, so i'm sure that he will enjoy it once he learns what's expected but I don't want to get ahead of myself 

[Izzie]

I would wait until you got all the behaviours in, fluent and reliable.

[melinda]

Thanks Izzie, that's what I thought might be the case so i'll work on things at home first then

Hopefully when Bev is better she can show me the best way to get a Pointer to give up a tennis ball... as right now, he wins most times as I can't catch the little monkey

[Mudgie]

Hi Melinda

Bev not a great lover of flyball to be honest - she seen a lot of injuries through it.

My dog was totally obsessed with balls - now he couldnt really care that much about them - prefers hide the duck (rubber duck) or scent stuff or just running with mommy    oh and swimming in skanky water that is a big favourite but at flyball he would get the ball and generally spit it at me - they pick the stuff up quick.  All the other dogs were manic - he was under bench sleeping in between runs. 

We dont do it now - great for social stuff and I really enjoyed it as did he but it is very Yorkshire based as far as competitions go and the travelling was too much for us.  I started for fun but soon the competitive edge takes over. 

Agility is much more controlled and a real good one for obedience and bonding and working together.
Depends what you are looking for to be honest. 

He will look at you trying to catch him as a game.  I would just ignore him he will soon come back with the ball - not much fun just running around with it with no one to throw it.

[Val]

Flyball  I hate it wish they would ban it seen a lot of injuries caused by it.
Agility is great fun and causes far less injuries IMO
Val

[melinda]

We've kinda managed to get the ball off him by waiting for him to drop it, then rewarding him or by swapping it for a different tennis ball at the moment.  When we're out on a walk I ignore him and let him carry it around.  I know there's a better way than this, so it's one of the things I plan on asking Bev to help me with when she next visits.


I didn't think about Flyball injuries.. I thought agility would be worse which is why I was thinking Flyball, so will hold off for now and talk to Bev about his suitability for Agility when she's better. Oscar has a little bit of crepitus in his knees and Bev says he has a little bit of arthritis in his spine so probably not a good choice of sport for him.

I just quite fancy having a go at some kind of dog sport, i've been desperate to do it for ages but Simba's not cut out for it (far too busy being the Queen of the world).  Oscar's quite hyper so I think, if I can get the focus and control I need, he'd enjoy some kind of sport.

Thanks!

[Mudgie]

if he has spine problems or any bone problems he needs to steer clear of flyball

agility is calm and controlled much safer than flyball

you dont have to join a club you know - my dogs favourite 'sport' is hide the duck - hide and seek around the house - they love it their noses love it their brains love it - you can do it in any weather and it costs nothing but time 

[melinda]

lol, yep Oscar likes those games too.  But with him it's tennis balls... he's obsessed with them.

When he's a bit better trained maybe i'll try agility with him. 

 

[Mudgie]

no dog was more obsessed with tennis balls than nooch - i used them a lot to "manage" him - hardly in his reach at all these days - use the ball to get his focus - use it for click reward - the ball could be what he works for at agility.  It doesnt have to be negative obsession its about you using it to your advantage

[melinda]

Oscar amazed me yesterday, I took him for a walk in farmland near by and he disappeared off into the hedge and found the tennis ball he lost 2 days earlier! 

[*Lassie*]

Have you thought about trying this - http://www.caninefreestylegb.com/

[melinda]

That's a good idea Lassie, thanks!

I think we're still quite a way off from that... Oscar's obedience is still a work in progress but I can see he'd be able to do it in time.