Flyball with Traveler?

[Linds]

So I was looking at starting a Flyball class with Traveler. I know very little about it though, is there a good site for information?

Is it a bad idea to be taking agility and flyball classes at the same time? I remember hearing something about jumping styles being different.

And is there anything I or Traveler should know if we do it? Any behaviors I could start on my own or should have down?

[CharlieDog]

I think I remember something about the jumping in flyball being much more flat than agility...

Other than that I'm no help. I'd love to do both with my dogs, but it'd be Enzo doing agility and Knox doing flyball

[Shai]

Really I think it depends on how seriously you plan to pursue either one. And yeah flyball dogs can have big flat jumping styles and a total inability/lack of desire to work to collect and turn over bars...but so can dogs who've never done flyball. Just means you have to put the work in to show them the difference.

JMO anyway. I suspect Trav would really like flyball lol

[Linds]

Ok, that's about what I had heard about doing them both at the same time,

I would really like to try it out and see if we like flyball, I think you're right Shai and he would very much enjoy it I hope elegy pops her head in here since she does both I believe.

I just don't want to not try it when it may turn out we both really like it. Not sure how serious I would be yet, I do want to compete seriously in something though!

[AdrianneIsabel]

No way, Flyball is WAY too loud of a sport, Traveler would hate it.



Backup is naturally a flat jumper with no desire to collect. Flyball facilitated this and now in agility I run into several issues that were caused by a flyball foundation. I do know a lot who do both but like Shai said, it's all about what you want to compete seriously in.

I loved FB, we had a lot of fun playing but the politics of that sport vastly outdo any other sport I've been involved in, which makes sense when you have to deal with a team and you train like it's a part time job.

Arnold was a very slow, happy as can be, racer. Sloan was too prey driven for border butts, and Backup coulda been a contender (his long body may have posed an issue) but we pulled out because of the time commitment. We are however in a crazy region for FB so it could vary greatly in other areas.

[FG167]

Originally Posted by Linds

So I was looking at starting a Flyball class with Traveler. I know very little about it though, is there a good site for information?

Is it a bad idea to be taking agility and flyball classes at the same time? I remember hearing something about jumping styles being different.

And is there anything I or Traveler should know if we do it? Any behaviors I could start on my own or should have down?

U-Fli.com is a good site flyball.org too.

Nope, I have done it multiple times with multiple dogs. Even the dumb ones figured out that the jumping was different so I am SURE Traveler will be fine! Flat jumps for flyball, collected jumping for agility.

Does he have a restrained recall? I know he retrieves. That's pretty much it. You run down a straight lane bring back a ball down the straight lane for a tug or food reward from Mommy It is really simplistic in theory but the box turn is hard. Find out how they are teaching it in your class and then you can work on that at home. Eden's was taught almost 100% at home and Kastle's was cleaned up at home.

[Shai]

There's a LOT of Flyball politics where Linds is too because I know some flyballers and former flyballers there. Mostly formers...for the reasons AI mentioned.

But if you aren't on the super elite teams I don't think it's quite as bloodthirsty from what I was told. And hey maybe you'll like it so much you'll want to be right down in the jostling masses

[Sekah]

I do agility with Cohen, and we're also taking a flyball class. The flyball certainly isn't helping her collection, but it's doing wonders for her obstacle focus, speed and forward drive. I wouldn't consider myself a serious contender in either sport (not yet at least) but I think the two compliment each other fairly well.

And yes, it's loud. Cohen fits right in. barkbarkbarkbarkbark...

[golden&hovawart]

Go to:NAFA FLYBALL
Great site and there's a page for teams,for each region.
I did some flyball with my golden and we loved it.

[Aleron]

I personally wouldn't do Flyball with a dog that might have an agility career who didn't already have a solid foundation in jumping, especially collected jumping/wrapping jumps. Dogs who have a solid jumping foundation and aren't prone to jumping issues don't have any trouble with flyball vs. agility. The dogs I have known who have issues are the dogs who have done flyball jumping before they really learned how to jump otherwise.

It can be a good cross training option for dogs who are already skilled jumpers. Like Sekah, I found there are some positives to training agility dogs in Flyball like obstacle focus and distance skills.