Flyball facts for kids
Flyball is an exciting relay race for dogs! Two teams of four dogs compete against each other. Each team also has handlers (the people who guide the dogs) and a person to load the balls. There are usually two extra dogs and handlers ready to step in if needed. Each race has three parts, called legs.
History of Flyball
Flyball started as a fun dog sport in the late 1960s and early 1970s. This happened in Southern California, USA. Some dog trainers thought it would be fun to combine hurdle racing with dogs bringing back a tennis ball.
Then, they added a special machine that would launch the tennis ball. This was the very first flyball box! A man named Herbert Wagner is known for creating the first real flyball box. He even showed flyball on a famous TV show called The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.
The first official Flyball tournament was held in 1983 in the United States. Since then, Flyball has become popular all over the world! You can find it in countries like Australia, Canada, South Africa, and many places in Europe. Countries like Belgium, Czech Republic, Germany, and the United Kingdom all have their own national flyball tournaments. They even hold big European championships together each year.
What is Flyball?
Flyball is a super fun and active way to spend time with your dog. It's also a great way to meet other people who love dogs! It gives dogs lots of exercise and helps them use up their energy. This is especially good for dogs that love to work, like Border Collies or Staffordshire Bull Terriers.
One reason Flyball is so popular is that all kinds of dogs can play. This means mixed-breed dogs (mutts) can compete right alongside purebred dogs. Even though some herding dogs are very fast, many champion teams have mixed-breed dogs on them. Dogs can even earn special titles and awards based on how well their team does in races.
As the sport has grown, people have learned better ways to train dogs for Flyball. For example, specific training helps dogs make a quick "swimmers" turn on the flyball box. This helps them catch the ball and turn around super fast.
Flyball isn't just for big dogs! Small dogs like Patterdale Terriers, Jack Russell Terriers, Whippets, and even miniature poodles often do very well. They can compete successfully in teams with dogs of different sizes. Smaller dogs are often very important because the height of the jumps is set based on the smallest dog on the team. This small dog is called a height dog. The only challenge for small dogs is making sure they can push the release pad on the box to get the ball. Sometimes they have to jump right onto it!
Flyball is a great team sport where both dogs and people work together. Many dog owners do Flyball just for fun. It's a way to relax and hang out with other dog lovers. Many champion flyball dogs are simply pet dogs who enjoy their hobby. However, some teams are very serious. They have well-trained dogs and coaches to help them perform their best. Some even use dogs specially bred for sports.
Flyball Competitions
Flyball competitions are usually put on by a local flyball club. These clubs follow the rules of a national organization. The club might only focus on Flyball, or it might be involved in many other dog sports.
The host club asks the national organization for permission to hold a competition. Most competitions happen over a weekend. Teams are usually placed into divisions with other teams that are about the same speed. This makes the races much closer and more exciting! Each team in a division will usually race against all the other teams. The team with the most wins is the overall winner.
Teams also try to beat their own best race time. Sometimes, a team might race much faster than expected. This is called "breaking out" of their division. The "break-out" time is usually set at one second faster than the fastest team in that division. If a team breaks out, those races don't count as wins. This rule encourages teams to be honest about their speed when they sign up.
The biggest regular flyball competition is the North American Flyball Championships. It's also known as the CanAm Classic. In 2009, about 300 teams competed in this three-day event!
Images for kids
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The dog jumps on a box releasing a tennis ball.
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A dog jumps hurdles in an outdoor Flyball competition.
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A Patterdale Terrier 'height dog' turning on the box after catching the ball during a race.
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Dogs & handlers lining up to race.
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Dog in competition on grass.
