Starting with a new puppy
(for more detailed information, order my book: Flyball Racing- The dog sport for everyone!
Which kind of dog is best suited to flyball training?
Dogs with strong prey drive: Herding Breeds, which like to chase and bring; Terriers, which like to chase and kill; Retrievers, which like to go and bring (retrievers are sometimes slow at flyball, because they have too high a degree of control built in--it's their job to fetch, but there's nothing in the job description about speed or chasing!).
The Sighthounds, while bred to chase and kill, are not the best prospects for flyball, as they are weak in the "bringing it back" area. However, almost any dog which can be motivated enough to go after the ball can be motivated to bring it back (for another ball!). The reward for the dog is always at the end (the finish line).
Lots of other breeds can be taught to play flyball well. Each individual dog is different. If the dog is ball crazed, energetic and driven to posses things (likes to play tug-of-war games), chances are he will be a good candidate.
At what age is it best to start flyball training with a new puppy?
It is never too early for the basics, which consist of 1.) Familiarization with the box, balls and jumps; 2.) Handling (control exercises); and 3.) Vocabulary building.
START HAVING FUN WITH THE BALL
START HAVING FUN WITH THE BOX
START HAVING FUN WITH THE JUMPS
I do not recommend introducing your puppy to the rigors of jumping until his bones have formed and grown more fully. However, the puppy would normally run and play in the course of growing up, and to encourage "structured" running, will not pose any detriment to the puppy. Using "baby jumps" (one, two or four-inch boards), play restrained recall games (have a helper hold the puppy while you call him over one or more jumps toward the finish fine), toss his ball down to one end of the jumps. When you toss a ball down the mat for the puppy, he will just run over these baby jumps like they were nothing, The puppy is not actually jumping--he is just learning to run or walk over obstacles which are in his path, rather than walking around them. When he is big, and jumping full height, you do not want him to run around a jump for any reason.
As the puppy comes to accept these white strips in his path, begin spacing them out, so that one stride equals one jump. How far apart you place the boards depends on your puppy's size and stride length. For example, a three-month-old Border Collie puppy may use the 1 " or 2" boards, spaced 5 feet apart. A four-month-old may be ready to start hopping over 4" boards, spaced 6 feet apart. The height is not as important as the spacing between the jumps right now. The board only has to be high enough to make the puppy step over them, rather than landing on them, or running into them. The distance between the jumps should be set so that there is only one "pounce" between each one. The jumps aren't really for jumping at this point, they are just to help him get his stride and timing--like using cavaletti. As the puppy grows bigger and extends his stride distance, move the jumps farther and farther apart. In flyball competition, you will want your dog does single strides between the jumps, which are spaced IO feet apart.
When the puppy can jump 8" jumps, start putting the parts together. Do not make a dog jump his own shoulder height (maximum 16") until full bone growth is achieved, In competition, the dog will never be asked to jump higher than 4" less than his height at the shoulder. And, it there are shorter dogs on the team, he may never even have to jump that height.
BUILDING VOCABULARY
There are a few basic words, which are not necessarily "commands," that your dog should learn. Here are a few of them, with their meanings. The dogs may or may not come to know the meaning of these words, but there's no harm in using them and trying to build your dog's understanding of what's going on.
READY?
This word is meant to get the dog very excited. It means he is about to race. Your dog could also take it to mean, "line up and get ready"
SET!
This can be used as in, "ready. . -set.,.go" SET is when we release the dogs (it means "go!" They never actually hear the word, "go”, as they should be crossing the starting line, 20 feet away from you, by that time.
GET YOUR BALL!
Use this to "pump up" your dog before you let him go in a race, or use it to send a dog back for a dropped ball. It is meant to get him to focus down to the box end.
DOG'S NAME!!
This should produce an instant recall with a flip turn off the box and a burst of speed. It should also produce an instant recall at any time you want your dog to come back to you (like if he starts to take off down to the box without being sent).
FALSE START
Say this to your dog to calm him down when the first dog has false started in racing. It means, "I'm sorry, but you're not going to get to run this time, so don't pop a vessel in your neck. It's beyond my control. You're still a good dog, and you WILL get to play eventually, but just not right now."
JUMP!
lf your dog fumbles the ball and goes out of the line of jumps, you can shout this to get him to angle back in to that 4th jump. Some people use it at the box, to remind the dog of the next thing he has to do.
BIG JUMPS
Say this to your dog when your team has had to pull the little dog, and the jump heights have gone up. I don't know how much good it does, but it you say it often enough, the dog may come to understand he must be careful to clear the higher jumps. This is important if you did not warm up at the bigger height. You don't get a chance to practice them over the higher jumps once you're racing.
QUIET!
While at a tournament, your dog will spend a good deal of time in his crate, or waiting to race. It is a good idea for him to know what it means to stop barking or whining.
HURRY UP
Before or between races, you will want to exercise your dogs. A word like "Hurry" or "Potty" is useful. You want the dog to get down to business and get it over with.
KENNEL
This is just to tell the dog to get in his crate.
STOP IT!
This is just to get the dog to stop doing anything--twisting in circles while you're trying to hold him, biting the person in front of you, clawing the mat, whatever.
CONTROL EXERCISES
For optimum safety in playing flyball, your dog should have a few basic control exercises under his belt. Here are some things that are important to work on.
COME WHEN CALLED
It is obvious that if you do not have a dog which will come when called, then you do not have a dog! If the dog is not reliable at coming back to you, you will not be able to safely practice off leash, and much of the flyball training takes place off leash. In addition, we keep the door to the training building open in the summer, and if your dog can not be trusted off leash, he might run into the road (cars go by at 65mph) or run after the neighbor's horses and get kicked in the head or something. Please make sure your dog will come when called, if you want to progress with training.
LIE DOWN
Sometimes it is important to stop a dog immediately, or "park" him quickly while you take care of something. The emergency "down" command works well for this. Make sure that your dog understands that when he hears this command, he is to drop in his tracks and not move until told to do so. This also sometimes helps when trying to catch a "runaway" dog.
LEAVE IT!
Leave it means "Look at me instead" or "do not touch or molest it". Flyball is a very exciting, fastpaced sport. The dogs become very riled and anxious to join in the chasing and fun. Dogs which are the best at flyball are also the ones which love to chase things (like livestock, rodents, other dogs...), so don't be discouraged if your dog is wanting to go after the other dogs. This is natural. However, it is also unacceptable, and you must teach your dog a rock solid "leave-it" cue. The best way to teach this to your dog is to divert his desire to chase or "go for" something by getting the dog focused on his object of attraction. This is a rope tug or other object that the dog loves to tackle at a flying run, shake the puddin' out of, and try to shred, while you hold onto the other end. The dog is, in essence, acting out the prey-catching game, and it's way more fun than actually going after the other dogs (who might bite back). For more information on the foundation steps of teaching the leave-it, see the positive training page on the Dog Scout website.
STAY
Staying put is a good thing for a dog to be able to do. We expect our dogs to "Stay" when we give the lie down command. We do not want your dog to be under such good control, however, that you could take him to the end of the jumps and leave him on a sit-stay and walk down to call him over the jumps, If your dog is this controllable at flyball practice, then he doesn't want to play flyball badly enough!
OUT
If your dog does not give up the ball when he brings it back, you need to get a command which means to spit it out. In a competition, you may get flagged and have to turn around and re-run your dog. That would be a little hard with a ball already in his mouth. Tugging and playing keep away is O.K., but get him to give it up on command.
Your dog must also allow himself to be handled and restrained by strangers.
BACKWARD CHAINING
Backward behavior chaining is a term used to describe a type of training in which the last behavior in a chain is taught first. Flyball is not one behavior. It is a series of over 25 behaviors completed together, in a chain. The easiest way for the dog to learn a chained behavior such as flyball, agility or obedience is to start at the end and move toward the beginning. This accomplishes two very important things:
FOCUS
The reward for the dog is always at the end of the chain. The end of the chain is when the dog has successfully run the course and brought back the ball. He is doing this for a reason, for his reward. The reward must be his goal, his focus, his target. The focus can be the other ball you will give him at the end. Or, it could be a toy a treat, a game of tug of war, or a wrestling match. Whatever it is, IT MUST BE THERE EACH AND EVERY TIME for the dog. If you train without a focus point, your dog will run without focus. He may wander into the other lane, or try to turn around and run back to get another ball from the box, or he may chase another dog down. The dog MUST BE ABSOLUTELY RIVETED ON HIS TARGET.
FINISH LINE + TARGET
Have a helper hold your dog and call him to you over and past the finish line. Show him his target. When he gets to you, give him the target as his reward.
JUMP #1 + FINISH + TARGET
Have the helper hold your dog behind the first jump. Walk away and go over the jump yourself. Show him the target. Call him. Get excited. The helper lets go and aims the dog toward the first jump. If the dog fails to jump, he does not get the target. Have him try again. Remember not to walk around the jump. The dog is not stupid. If he sees you go around the thing, he will, too. When he is doing well repeatedly go on.
JUMP #2 + JUMP #1 + FINISH + TARGET
Same as above. Remember to walk through (over) the jumps. Don't be surprised if the dog only jumps ONE of the two jumps. After all, that is what he knows so far! He may try to skip the 1st or the 2nd, but be patient, and don't reward him until he does both jumps. When he is doing well repeatedly go on.
JUMP #3 + JUMP #2 + JUMP #1 + FINISH + TARGET
Same idea as last time. If you are progressing slowly enough, and your dog is focused, he should have no trouble adding the 3rd jump. When he is doing well repeatedly go on.
JUMP #4 + JUMP #3 + JUMP #2 + JUMP #1 + FINISH + TARGET
Just like before. When he is doing well repeatedly go on. Make sure you are rewarding him well past the finish line. You want him to continue running fast well beyond the finish.
1/4 TURN + J#4 + J#3 + J#2 + J#l + FINISH + TARGET
Have the helper turn the dog slightly (about 90 degrees), so that he has to turn and run to the 4th jump.
1/2 TURN + J#4 + J#3 + J#2 + J#l + F + T
Have the helper turn the dog all the way around (1 800) so that the dog must turn around and run to the 4th jump.
ANGLE OFF TO THE SIDE+4+3+2+1 +F+T
Have the helper hold the dog a little off to one side of the mat, so that the dog has to aim for that 4th jump instead of cutting the corner and running straight toward the finish line. This is necessary in case the dog ever drops or fumbles the ball during play. The dog must go back to that 4th jump, no matter how far out of line he had to chase a rolling ball. Leave the dog with the helper and walk around the far side of the jump. Touch the upright. Look at the dog. Pat the 8" board. Say, "jump, jump, jump," or whatever you usually say when he is jumping the series of jumps. Take a few steps toward the finish line so that you are about between the 4th and 3rd jumps (off to the far side of the racing lane). Get him excited and take off running toward the finish line. The helper lets go when you start running. The dog will beat you to the finish line, so throw the target well past the finish line, so it will be there for him. That is, IF he jumped as requested... Do angles off to the right and left, and move progressively further out, until your dog will run back to the 4th jump from 1 0 to 1 5 feet out of his lane.
NOTE: BY NOW, THE DOG MUST HAVE LEARNED THE BOX TO CONTINUE BOX (Pedal + Catch + Turn & Run) + 4+3+2+1 +F+T Stand within 14 feet of the box. Have the helper encourage the dog to hit the box. Let go of the dog and turn and run beside the jumps toward the finish line. The dog should run to the box, hit it, catch it, turn and run back over the jumps. He will likely beat you to the finish area, so be ready to throw his target well past the finish.
JUMP #4 + BOX +4+3+2+1+F+T
Start between jumps 4 and 3. Let dog run to box over jump #4 and run back over all jumps to the finish. The following three steps are very important. Do not skip ahead because you know by now that your dog will do this. Back up one jump at a time, and do each one until your dog is doing it well.
JUMP #3 +4+B+4+3+2+1+F+T
Back up to between jumps 3 and 2. Same as before.
JUMP #2+3+4+8+4+3+2+1+F+T
Back up to between jumps 2 and 1 and do it again.
JUMP #1+2+3+4+8+4+3+2+1+F+T
Back up to the starting line to release the dog over all four jumps. Very good. You're not done yet.
Your dog has learned the main flyball sequence, but he is not the only dog on the team. Now you have to start backing up, 3 to 5 feet at a time, and keep practicing until the dog will run at the jumps from 25 feet back from the starting line.
Most mid-sized dogs can reach top speed in about 1.5 seconds, or about 15 feet. This means we want to let them go at least this far from the starting line to achieve maximum speed during the individual dog's run.
SHAPING THE FLYBALL BOX PEDAL PUSH
Begin by familiarizing your dog with the box (uncocked, unloaded). Praise your dog for going near it.
When working the box, the first rule is ALWAYS keep at least two balls on you at all times.
Encourage your dog to make physical contact with the box. Use a ball as a lure, and when he accidentally touches the box, reward him with praise, and his ball. (Praise is "Good Hit it.")
When the dog shows no qualms about touching the box, proceed to reward only touches on the pedal area of the box. Reward with praise and toss him the ball. Ignore all other attempts. NEVER put a ball in the cup at this stage, or you will have a dog that is bent on prying the ball out of the hole with his nose instead of using his paw to trigger the pedal, as he should.
When the dog will come up and hit the pedal area most of the time, begin only rewarding direct hits which would be strong enough to trigger the box.
When the dog has the idea to walk up and slap the pedal with his foot, you can start cocking the box, which will make a thumping noise when he hits the pedal. DO NOT LOAD the box at this time, just cock it. Get him used to the sound. Toss his ball and praise for the reward. Start working with two people, if you haven't already The handler needs to walk the dog up to the box, and the helper is loading and/or tossing balls to reward the dog. When the dog catches the ball tossed by the helper, call his name, and turn and run with him.
When he comes to ignore (or positively associate) the sound of the box, begin loading it also. Lure him up to the box, as always, with the other ball. When he trips the pedal, be ready to toss his ball to him (he may not see the one being projected out of the box). Always "load" with an extra ball in each hand, in case he misses it. The ball is his positive reinforcement. You want to make sure he gets it every time. When he catches the ball, call his name, and turn and run away (get the jumps out of the way--we're just working on the box, here).
Next, as he approaches the box, hide your ball behind the box, so that the only one in view is the one in the cup. If he misses it, encourage him to get it, but be prepared to throw your back-up ball. When he gets the ball, call his name, turn and run.
When he has the idea of hitting the box and catching the ball from the cup, concentrate on the turn from the box. The instant he has the ball, he should be hearing his name, and should turn and run to (with) you. If his turns are really slow, you can try giving a correction, but we definitely do not recommend any negative associations with the flyball box. So, if you want to send the dog after a ball placed on the floor in another part of the building, shout his name, jerk the leash, turn and run (to teach him to "get it and GO"), I would prefer that you did that.
Another thing you can do to produce quick turns at the box is to bounce a ball off the face of the box as your dog approaches. The dog will jump after the ball, landing on the pedal, but about that time, the ball will have already bounced and be on its way back toward the finish line. The dog will have to shove off the box the instant he hits it (like a swimmer's turn) to leap after the ball (YOUR TIMING AND ANGLE OF TRAJECTORY WITH THE BALL BOUNCE HAS TO BE REALLY GOOD). The dog is actually turning and catching the ball at the same time.
OTHER BOX RULES AND HINTS:
Don't let the dog have a ball from the box unless he has been sent by you. If he breaks away and tries to help himself to a ball, don't let him have it. This is the same rule for everyone. If you are loading and someone else's dog sneaks down and tries to get the ball, COVER THE CUP with your hand, or otherwise disarm the box, so that the dog will not be rewarded for disobedience.
When you are loading, never give the dog more than one ball per turn. Some dogs are greedy and would stand there all day trying to get multiple balls from the box. Also, when at a tournament or a practice, never reload the box until the departing dog is well on his way back. If you load it too soon, the dog may learn to try to turn around to get a second ball, because he can hear you load one into the cup. Don't tempt him.
If you have a dog that has mastered the jumps, but is not getting the box, send him down to a person bouncing a ball right in front of the box. Just as the dog gets to the ball, the person bounces it so that it will be about 13" off the ground immediately in front of the pedal at the time the dog tries to catch it. Chances are the dog will leap for the ball, catch it while landing on the pedal, and of course, turn and run ('cause you will be calling him). The idea here is to get the dog to use the box face as a landing pad/turning point.
Never send your dog down to an un-manned box. If the dog learns that the box will slide out from under him when he hits it, he will be afraid to hit it with any amount of force. If you are loading for someone, always step into the box and stand on it, to stabilize it.
If your dog has a wide turn off the box, work him on a flexi, or use the turning board. The turning board is just a hunk of plywood that is placed beside the box on the side your dog turns to. Most dogs turn the same way each time they trigger the box. Determine whether your dog is a right-hand turner or a left-hand turner. Have the loader set out the turning board so that your dog can not go wide. A dog that goes wide has the danger of being tempted to go around the fourth jump.
If your dog is "vacationing" at the box (taking too long to turn, or "munching" the ball good once before turning), work on a flexi with correction. Teach him that when you shout his name, he must whip around like a bat out of heck and come racing to you with that ball.
The box should not always be practiced with the jumps. Box work needs to be practiced separately from the jumping. Your dog is never so well trained that he could not benefit from a restrained send away (no jumps, just 50 feet of mat and the box). Run with him to build excitement, or just send him down and call him back, but try to get him running flat out as fast as he can for the box, and zipping right back to you.
PASSING
Traffic flow pattern:
When in practice or at a tournament, the handlers "load up" from the right, and call the dogs back to the left. The dogs need to learn this pattern so that they will not create traffic hazards, plowing into other dogs and tripping up handlers. Get the departing dogs used to being lined up off the mat on the right side (as you look down to the box end). When it is their turn to run, step onto the mat and position yourself at your starting mark. Place your dog's front feet even with the mark. When you release your dog, you can run up closer to the start, if you like, to shout encouragement to the dog. Stay to the left of the mat and face toward your lane so that you are aware of the other traffic. Keep your body out of the way of the next handier, or he will not see his timing point to know when to release his dog. You can bend over into the lane or hold your target hand out into the middle so that your dog sees this as he returns back through the jump uprights. Make sure you do not interfere with or distract the dog that has to follow yours. Run back and off toward the left side of your racing lane so that the departing dog will have the center of the mat to himself. Collect your dog in the run-back area and move clear of the other returning dogs to avoid being bowled over. Keep this in mind as you start teaching your dog the following steps.
Standing still:
Get the dog used to passing by holding him somewhere between the 15 and 20-foot lines. Let a seasoned dog run the course and return. Do not release your dog, but watch his reaction. If he tries to get after the other dog, correct him, and keep him focused down toward the flyball box. Take turns being the dog coming back with another dog being held still around the 15 to 20 foot lines.
Moving on leash:
Using two dogs (both on leash), have one come over the 1st jump and finish line while the other goes toward the finish line and first jump. They should pass well back from the finish line. Make several more passes, each time having the dogs meet closer and closer to the first jump. You could even have them both jumping the jump simultaneously from different directions, just to let them know they can. If either dog goes for the other dog, its owner must give it an immediate leash correction, accompanied with the "LEAVE IT!" command.
Safety Passing:
You are trying for what we would call a really bad pass (lots of room between the departing and returning dog). Your goal is to let go of your dog at the 20-foot line about the time the returning dog is almost past you. Run with him for a step or two, leaving your hand in the collar, just in case he wants to snap at the other dog. Do the same thing as you gradually start letting him go as the returning dog is at 15', 12', 9', 6' and 3'.
Precision Passing:
To pass with any kind of precision, you must have less than 3 feet between your dog's nose and the finishing dog's nose. When you and your dog get this good, you will be working with pass evaluators, who will give you feedback on the closeness of your pass. To have your dog's nose at the starting line at the precise instant the returning dog's nose crosses the finish line, means that you will have to let go of your dog when the returning dog is still way out in the middle of the course. Of course, we have trained the dogs to be reliable, and they should not slow down at the finish line if they have been trained correctly, so you have nothing to worry about. Pass a dog that is similar in speed to your own dog. Stand at the 20' mark. Anticipate the returning dog's middle pounce (when his feet land between the 3rd and 2nd jumps on the way back). Release your dog at the same instant the returning dog's feet hit the mat. The returning dog has about 20 more feet to come. He is already at top speed, but he is expending slightly more effort, because he has to clear the jumps. Your dog has to go "from zero to 30 in 1.5 seconds." However, even though he is starting from a standstill, he is on the flat, so he can build up speed quickly.
Both dogs should reach the line at approximately the same time. If you are early (OOPS!) you will be flagged and have to re-run your dog at the end. If you are late, the time it takes your dog to reach the starting line after the other dog's nose finishes will be added to your dog's racing time. So you could have a really fast dog, but a lousy pass could add time to his run. If I could equate time to distance, a fast dog can cover at least twenty feet per second. If your pass is late by one foot, that equates to two tenths of a second (.2). If your pass is 5 feet late (Heaven forbid!), you have added an entire second to your dog's total time.
Since the dogs are placed on various teams according to their individual times under real racing conditions (including passes), it is in everyone's best inter" to perfect their passes. A perfect pass is one in which an evaluator need only use the fingers of one hand to show the handier how close he is coming to a "nose to now pass (about 6" or less). A good pass is defined as one which is within one foot of being on the nose. Anything more than a foot off should be worked on, as it is SLOW.
Using the Pass Evaluator:
The pass evaluator will hold up his hands to show each handler a visual estimation of the distance by which his pass is bad. If you have crossed before the returning dog finishes, you will be shown an "x" which indicates a flag, or an early pass. A good evaluator will tell you by how much your pass was bad, so that you can make adjustments. If you are consistently late by two feet at a certain line, you should move up one or two feet, but let go of the dog at the same point in time during the other dog's return (the middle bounce). If you are in a tournament and you get a flag and the evaluator is telling you that it was about 1 foot too early, then step back one foot from where you were, but let go of the dog at the same point in time as always.
Irregular passing situations:
Sometimes you are forced to change positions on a team, or pass a different dog because of a substitution. If you have done your homework and practiced passing this dog, it should not be a problem. You may have one or two slow passes before you get your confidence up after the initial change. If the dog you are forced to pass has an inconsistent style, or tends to slow down after a few races, it becomes trickier. There is not much you can do when the returning dog slows down and makes you have a flagged pass. The best you can do is move up closer to the line and release your dog later (like on the bounce between the 2nd and 1st jumps). This will mean that your dog may not have time to be at top speed when he crosses the line, but it is better than getting a flagged pass each time.
Gut instinct passing:
Gut instinct passing is what a lot of us relied upon years ago, before flyball became so competitive. You could just kind of stand there at, oh, about that far from the starting line and let go of your dog when you felt it was right. This is not a reliable way of passing. How can you make your pass tighter or slower if you don't know where and when the heck you are releasing the dog in the first place. There are some people who are actually very good at this instinctive kind of passing. They could pass anything from a cheetah to a sloth on the first try, getting it down to within a palm's width. These persons are the exception, rather than the rule. It is very important to get your passes down straight. Only in the situation of irregular passing (as mentioned above), or some other unforeseen circumstance should anyone even remotely think they could rely on gut instinct.
Pass evaluating:
As a member of the team, all people must learn to pass evaluate. Your teammates are depending on your skill in estimating the correctness of their passes. Don't try to be nice. Try to be honest. When the returning dog comes over the finish line with any part of his body let your mind take a mental photograph of what you see. How far back from that line was the departing dog? Make a determination, turn toward the handler so he can see clearly and hold up your hands or fingers to show a measurement of daylight between the two dogs' noses (or whatever). If you thought the pass was absolutely perfect; nose to nose; no daylight; a real gasper; almost a flag; "whew!" then show this by putting your two hands together (no daylight) or your thumb and first finger together, so that the handler knows. Try not to give signals like "thumbs-up" to mean a good pass. How good is good?" The handler wants to know if he has inches or millimeters to spare. The same goes for when a pass is early. We will all know when a pass is early at a tournament, as we will receive a flag. What the handler needs to know is BY HOW MUCH? Try to let the handler know if the pass was way bad or just by a nose, so that the person will know by how much to adjust the next pass.
PROOFING AGAINST DISTRACTIONS
Once your dog has learned the basics of flyball competition, he must be prepared for things that may happen to him in a real tournament. He must be able to run with another dog passing both ahead of him and after him. He must be able to change lanes and not become confused and cross over to the other side. He must be able to run while another team is running in the other lane. And he is going to have to do all of this amidst the deafening noise of dozens of dogs barking. In addition, we want to prepare and proof against unforeseen accidental situations that may occur during racing at a tournament.
LOOSE BALLS
There are not supposed to be any loose balls lying around at a tournament, but sometimes one gets kicked out into the racing area, or another dog drops his ball during his run. To proof against this, practice with one or more loose balls lying about during practice. Of course, you will have to make a correction if the dog goes for the planted ball.
KNOCKED DOWN JUMPS
Occasionally a dog will knock down jumps, or break boards on jumps. There is not always time during racing for someone to run out and correct the situation. So, it is best if the dog is just taught to jump over jumps which are lying on their sides. The dog will not be penalized for jumping such a jump in a tournament, provided he does not run around it.
STRAY DOGS (Interference)
Every now and then, the opposing team has a new dog that is not lane sure, and he runs over to your lane, or chases your dog. You can set the dog up to prepare for this situation by turning loose a confused dog at practice. Praise your dog for still jumping the jumps and bringing his ball, even though another dog was trying to block his path or boggle him up.
FLAGS
Some line judges get carried away with their flag waving, and it may pose a distraction to your dog, if he is bothered by that sort of thing. You can get him used to flag wavers by having someone sit there in practice and wave flags.
RUN-BACK AREA
You could encounter just about anything in the run-back area. People are there waving Frisbees for their dogs, throwing balls around, wrestling with their dogs, feeding them treats, and all sorts of things. If your dog is easily distracted by these things, or by the presence of the other team's returning dogs barreling down the runway just a few feet from your lane, work on the Leave it! command, and set your dog up with imitation situations such as this so that you can correct him.
For more information about the sport of Flyball, please order Lonnie’s Book, which has detailed instructions for training, building equipment, running a team, hosting tournaments, competing, and much more.
