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Thread: Flyball Classes

  1. #1
    Senior Dog Tanya's Avatar
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    Flyball Classes

    So I apparently lost my mind and thought flyball classes with Penny would be a good idea We had our first class yesterday (we actually missed the first class last weekend for dock diving)

    I did flyball for a few years with Rocky. But he is very laid back and I had to work hard to get him "reved up". NOT an issue with Pen. OMG she was nutters at the class. Barking (she has the most annoying high pitch bark), lunging, snapping. So with her it's all about management and relaxation tricks :P It's all her highest level distractions (dogs running and barking, balls moving, dogs chasing balls). Plus we are a big class (8 dogs) in a smallish space. But we are also busy almost the entire class!

    It will be interesting to see how things progress. I do know I have even less interest in really doing flyball with Penny though

    Have you tried flyball? Or taken a class and thought "OMG what have I gotten myself into"?

  2. #2
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    Oh man, we did flyball with Kimber when she was about 4. She was good at it- ball? Check. Turning? Check. Drive? Check check check. Like Penny, she got really revved up watching the other dogs run. The barking! The lunging! The "I wanna chase too!" I actually had to get DH to come to class with me because I wasn't sure I could control her.

    We decided to stop after that six-week class because she would hit the box hard on the turn and she'd limp the next day. That was nothing we wanted to fool with. For the next series we returned to agility and found our home.

    Hope you and Penny have fun!
    Stormageddon, Princess of Darkness, aka "Stormy"
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  3. #3
    Senior Dog Tanya's Avatar
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    wow odd that she was limping with the swimmer turn! (and that you got there in 6 weeks LOL! next week is week three and pen hasn't touched the box). But I remember box loading for some dogs n competition and you would just CRINGE seeing them hit the box. the goal should be to have a smooth turn to limit impact.

    we had fun yes, i just have to be "on" and always managing or engaging penny. Rocky got me used to being lazy :P

    I prefer agility as well, we'll likely take an indoor agility class in January just to help maintain as spring is far away (the club i practice at is closed til spring)

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    I'm in a pretty isolated area so we tend to do a lot of "peer" coaching rather than professional training. In this case, the class was run by the people who are on the local flyball team, and the biggest dog on the team was a border collie. When I pointed out that Kimber was SLAMMING the box- and mentioned she was limping the next day- they were just stumped. They also didn't quite know what to do when Kimber nailed the swimmer turn in the second class, and then totally lost it for classes 3 and 4. Ah well, it was a class we got to do together and Kimber enjoyed it.
    Stormageddon, Princess of Darkness, aka "Stormy"
    Birthday 9-13-18, Gotcha Day 11-11-18
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  5. #5
    Senior Dog Tanya's Avatar
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    Flyball training usually is done by someone involved in the sport. the answer is - you use props! LOL There are different things. but depending when you took the classes things changed a lot as the sport became popular (more training techniques and such).

    Rocky is a BIG lab. very tall, solid, around 80 pounds. No one would have thought he would have a turn. but we trained HARD and consistently for a year. He always had props up to ensure he kept it (other than in competition). when he did start competing if he lost his turn more than 1-2 times he was pulled. Most people in the sport said they would never have tried to teach him because "he's too big". My coach/trainer was a stickler for form, said that his being bigger made it that much more important for him to have good form. we worked on the turn for a year. A YEAR. not that that's normal

    My current teacher isn't terrific. she doesn't explain how to get things. Like she said "get the dog to touch your hand with teh ball in your hand" (to train hand delivery, holding onto ball). but - how do you do that? that's like a bunch of chained commands!? (get it, hold it, bring it back, then touch it to my hand). She told me if pen doesn't drop the ball then don't bother working on that :P She doesnt' demo before sending us off to our corner to work on something either haha.

    ETA: oh some groups put on classes for "pet dogs" with the goal of stringing as much of it together so people leave after 6-7 weeks "doing flyball" (ditto with agility and such). works for people who don't intend to do anything and they leave feeling great and a way for the club to raise $

  6. #6
    Senior Dog Jeff's Avatar
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    Hemi does flyball, he loves it. He really goes nuts trying to get the the ball once it is in the box. It's nice because it really wears him out. He has a great swimmers turn and is actually working with other dogs right now, leading a team and being in the middle and the end. Its the one time he doesn't listen to any commands. I have to hold him back to keep him going.

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  8. #7
    Senior Dog Tanya's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jeff View Post
    Hemi does flyball, he loves it. He really goes nuts trying to get the the ball once it is in the box. It's nice because it really wears him out. He has a great swimmers turn and is actually working with other dogs right now, leading a team and being in the middle and the end. Its the one time he doesn't listen to any commands. I have to hold him back to keep him going.
    that is awesome! how big is Hemi? He must be one oft he bigger dogs (Rocky sure was!)

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    Senior Dog Jeff's Avatar
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    Hemi runs around 90lbs. The box loader says it is quite the site to see Hemi coming full speed straight for them. They also had to put several of the sandbags that hold tunnels in agility in and around the back of the box to keep it from moving. Even though he does a swimmers turn it is quite a force hitting it.

  10. #9
    Senior Dog Tanya's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jeff View Post
    Hemi runs around 90lbs. The box loader says it is quite the site to see Hemi coming full speed straight for them. They also had to put several of the sandbags that hold tunnels in agility in and around the back of the box to keep it from moving. Even though he does a swimmers turn it is quite a force hitting it.
    LOL I can imagine!

  11. #10
    Senior Dog Tanya's Avatar
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    Three classes in and things are MUCH better. The first class was definately the worse. Thank goodness pen has taken to the tug when we are waiting so she redirects any building energy there.

    I'm also pleasantly surprised she can ignore the dogs and even squeaky toys on recalls. I love how tired she is after class! how many classes does your dog end up panting halfway thru haha. We were only four dogs (out of 8, though one seems to have permanently dropped out) so that was even better.

    We're doing recalls over 4 jumps and building up the turn (over and backs) closer to the box. WE did send-out to get a ball and come back and send out over a jump to do the turn (over and backs). So lots of small things.

    Two more classes! I don't plan to continue. Penny would love it if kissing the box loader were part of the sport though haha.

 



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