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Flyball racing is a fast and exciting sport,
not only for the spectators and handlers, but for the dogs as well.
Flyball races are run relay style, matching two teams of four dogs, running
side-by-side over a 51-foot long course. The first or START dog is normally
released with the first caution light, often more than 50 feet from the
start line, depending on the speed of the dog. Racing side by side, each dog
races down its lane, flying over the four jumps. At the far end of each lane
is a flyball box. Each dog must step on a flyball box pedal releasing a
mechanism flipping a tennis ball from the cup. Like Olympic swimmers, dogs
bank off the box, hopefully with the ball, if not, the dog must retrieve the
ball, and than return over all four jumps with the ball.
As each dog makes the turn another dog is waiting eagerly to be released.
Dogs are often released more than 50 feet from the start/finish line in an
effort to reach top speed as they pass the returning dog at the start/finish
line.The lead changes several times as dogs and handlers alike make
mistakes. Sometimes dogs chasing loose balls will miss a jump, or get turned
around all together and return over the wrong set of jumps. If a dog misses
a jump, drops the ball before crossing the start/finish line, or crosses the
start/finish line before the dog coming back reaches the start/finish line,
the dog will have to rerun. The first team to have all 4 dogs complete the
run without errors wins the heat.
As teams line up, excitement builds. With each dog eager to compete,
sometimes it’s all the handler can do to hold their dogs. A judge signals
the start of the race between the two competing teams. The first dog from
each team is released. Each handler is hoping the green light will go on
before their dog hits the start and finish line. The first team to have all
four dogs successfully complete a run wins the heat.
Don’ t blink! This racing is fast. An average team runs the course in 20.00
seconds (the current world
record is 15.54 seconds). Flyball racing is enjoyed throughout Canada,
United States, Great Britain, and Australia. There are over 400 member clubs
with more than 8000 registered dogs. All dogs including mixed breeds are
eligible to compete.
Author - Deb Royal |
Dog Agility was
started around 1979 at the Crufts Dog Show in England. Agility is a dog
sport in which a handler directs a dog over a course of obstacles designed
by an agility judge. The course is roughly 100 by 100 foot in area. The
course is judged on both time and accuracy of the dog. The dog run off-leash
with no collars (naked) and no use of toys or food as motivators. The
handler must make use of his/her body language and voice to control the dog.
The handler is not allowed to touch the dog nor the obstacles. The
handler must direct the dog through a numbered course in the correct order
with no knocks downs or refusals. The handler is given the time to walk the
course and plan on handling strategies. There is usually a time set for the
course to be completed.
Dogs compete only
against dogs of similar height at the withers. All dogs must be
measured before they compete. The dog with the lowest number of faults and
the fastest time wins the class or height division.
There are several
obstacles common to all the different organizations:
A-Frame
Dog Walk
See-Saw
Collapsed Tunnel
Pause Table
Weave Poles
Tire
Various Types of Pole/spread Jumps
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