Playing sports with your dog is good for the bond with your dog and a good way to give the dog enough exercise and challenge. Flyball is a sport that has not been known for long in the Netherlands, but is becoming increasingly popular. The teams keep growing every year. In this article you will find all kinds of information about the dog sport flyball.
History flyball
The American Herbert Wagner wanted to give his dog a lot of exercise without doing much himself. He invented a device that could shoot a ball. Later on, obstacles (jumps) were added and this is how the sport originated and became increasingly popular. Flyball has been a recognized dog sport in America since 1985.
In the Netherlands it has been taken over by Otto Stein. In 1989 his wife saw flyball on TV and they wanted to play the sport. The teams quickly grew thanks to demonstrations. At first she demonstrated how to train flyball, then a demo team came and turned it into a match. Flyball competitions are now regularly organized. In 2007 the first European Championship was held in England.
When can you participate?
Some dog associations require that you first have followed an obedience course so that the dog is well under appeal. Of course you must make sure that the dog is crazy about balls. The dog should be fully grown and about 18 months old. In principle, it is not forbidden for any breed to participate in flyball, but the jumps become very difficult for dogs with a long back and in very large / heavy dogs the joints can quickly become overloaded. The Dachshund and Basset are therefore breeds for which this sport is less suitable. The training sessions are usually given once a week at different levels.
What do you need for it?
To be able to hold the dog easily at the start, the dogs that walk flyball often wear a harness. This is not mandatory, you can also use a normal collar. Incidentally, slip chains are not allowed. You also need a reward for your dog, shoes with a good profile and clothing that is comfortable.
How does flyball work?
Flyball goes in a team. There are 6 dogs in a team, 2 of which can be changed. In principle, there are four dogs within a competition and there are 2 reserve. Within the team no more than 2 of the same races may occur. During the competition, the dogs are one after the other before the start. This does not have to be directly behind the starting line. Often the bosses let their dog start remotely so that it crosses the start at full speed. This is what the dog should do on the trail:
- Over 4 obstacles in a row
- Press with his paw on the box (ball throwing device)
- Catch the ball that comes out
- back over the 4 obstacles
A match goes on time and mistakes. Some mistakes that can occur are:
- walk next to the tank
- skip obstacle
- starting too early
- lose ball
The height of the obstacles is determined by the height of the smallest dog in a team. The height can vary from 17.5 cm to 35 cm. The obstacle is at least 10 cm lower than the smallest dog. The obstacles are always at a distance of 3.05 m from each other, so that the dog will jump to a time by feeling.
Class classification
In flyball there is an A, B and C class. The A is the highest attainable class in the Netherlands. Every year there are qualifying matches to see which team fits into which class. Those who are not good enough for the C class do not worry, competitions are also organized for these teams. A match can consist of 3 or 5 rounds. So it’s the best of three or the best of five. The results are of course immediately known because you can see it yourself, so you do not have to wait long for it.