Flyball! The Best Kept Secret in Dog Training

Velo making a box turn. photo: courtesy Dawn Kovell

Flyball is a wild and crazy ride. It’s unique among dog sports because it is a team sport, which makes it a nice entry-level activity. A flyball club trains, practices, and camps together at flyball events so a newbie is able to bypass a lot of the stress that sometimes comes from competing in a new activity. Another advantage of flyball as a debut sport is that the game itself is relatively simple. It’s also family friendly, and junior handlers are enjoyed and applauded.

A flyball race consists of four dog/handler teams racing against another club’s four dog/handler teams. Each dog runs over four jumps spaced 10 feet apart and then does a swimmer’s turn on a wooden or plastic flyball box that ejects a ball when triggered by the dog’s turn. The dog then carries the ball back over the four jumps and when Dog #1 passes the finish line Dog #2 begins his run. The fastest four dogs to complete a clean run win that heat. A really fast heat is over in 16 seconds. Did I mention the other team is racing 10 feet away? And, yes, you counted correctly: there are eight off-leash dogs on the field. Wow!

Many trainers of other dog sports pooh-pooh flyball because it is noisy and is incorrectly devalued as a sport with little training involved. The concept is simple, but flyball definitely  requires skilled training. 

There are three main skills a dog must master to be on a flyball team. First, the technical swimmer’s turn on a box, a behavior that’s often taught on a vertical surface. Secondly, the dog must learn jump commitment - no veering off course at the last minute no matter how enticing the distraction. Finally, the dog has to learn to do these activities while racing full speed against another competitor dog, which includes running toward and past his own teammate dog who is exiting the course just as he’s running out to compete. Think about some of those herding breeds ignoring all that movement to stay on target. It’s amazing to watch so many dogs working at top speed with a complete understanding of their jobs.

Denise Fenzi, owner and founder of Fenzi Dog Sports Academy, is a world-renowned obedience and ring sport competitor who recently started training her young sport dog in flyball. “I was surprised about how much really good training is happening at club practice,” she says.  “Behaviors are very clearly sliced into fine slivers and criteria is consistently raised based upon an individual dog’s pace. Novice handlers to the sport get hands-on coaching and physical support from all of the other club members so training errors are minimized.”

Dice speeding to the finish line. photo: courtesy Dawn Kovell

Why do dogs love flyball so much? For starters, there’s a whole lot of running, jumping, ball grabbing, and tugging - and, hey, let’s not forget the treats. It’s also a game that allows dogs to pit their skills against other dogs in a safe manner. Many dogs have insecurities about other dogs and therefore don’t get the opportunity to test themselves in this way. 

We all know the pitfalls of a bad dog park experience and not every dog is lucky enough to have sibling play partners. In flyball, insecure dogs learn to build confidence because direct interaction with another dog isn’t part of the game. At the same time, overly social dogs learn that all good things end with a game of tug with their person. 

Then there are the people. Every club member ends up handling each dog during one exercise or another over the course of a club practice. This lets the dogs experience “stranger” contact while having a whole lot of fun. It’s hard to beat that counterconditioning!

“Training in flyball is the best thing that I could have done with Xen,” Denise Fenzi says. “He is learning to focus on off-leash training with me in the presence of other dogs. He learns that he can be around and work with a lot of dogs without direct interaction. He sees the same team dogs week after week and he learns to trust them while racing side-by-side or passing in tight quarters at high speed. The end of every activity is an exciting chase to my tug toy. He has become much more comfortable with other dogs and with people holding his harness or playing with him.” How’s that for an endorsement?

So, are there any downsides? Well, flyball is definitely a noisy sport so sound-sensitive dogs might want to take a pass. Dogs also need to be at a healthy weight and enjoy balls, tugs, and/or treats. Some jumbo-sized dogs may struggle with a good box turn. And it isn’t a sport for dog-aggressive dogs, although many reactive dogs have overcome their fear or frustration after learning flyball. 

Because the jump heights are dictated by the shortest dog on the team, small dogs are prized additions to most flyball teams, and mixed breeds are welcome. Of course, the human handler (that’s you) must also commit to the team, which comes with a variety of responsibilities. 

So that’s the inside scoop on flyball. No longer a secret, it’s a frisky, fun-filled team sport that’s great for active dogs and their people. Pro tip: choose your team well and get ready to shop for tug toys!

Does flyball sound like your bowl of kibble? Marin Humane has a robust competitive flyball program. It’s currently full, but if you’re interested in joining the wait list, please contact Behavior & Training at OhBehave@MarinHumane.org