First time flyball!

Hey all, I checked out a flyball class last week and I enjoyed the company of the people and I liked what I saw. Tonight I am trying it out with Sadie and if she enjoys it and I enjoy it, in May I shall be getting Louie into it. I will try and take pictures for you.

I'm so excited! It's a small class so isn't too manic, except for Oscar who wouldn't stop barking last week

I started Flyball with Isla just before Christmas and it's great fun! We've only managed a handful of classes due to the weather and my dodgy back/hip, but already she's picked up what she needs to do and being tennis ball mad she loves it.

I'm hoping Sadie will pick it up quick, she is very ball orientated but I may have to take the thrower so I can teach her to press the pedal and then go from there.

I can't take her every week, being as she isn't my dog so I may just suggest I pay double what everyone else pays when I do go...it's £1.50 a class so it's not going to break the bank if I do pay double. I may be able to take her twice a month so I'd have been paying £6 a month if I went every week with her anyway.

Can't wait. Should be very fun.

I loved going to Flyball with Max, sadly he wasn't interested, and spent most of the class asleep on the floor.... yes, even in a hall full of hyped-up barking dogs!!!

He would run up and down the lanes, and do the jumps, but refused to take the ball from anyone, and would frequently sit down in the middle of the lane if he felt bored....

Well she sucked!

Nah I'm only joking, she pressed the trigger a few times, then she realised it made a noise..so then I had to work on getting her close to it, so when one dog ran - I ran her alongside and she eventually got close to it with the other dog - gunna need a few more sessions me thinks first.

Small steps Im sure after a few more sessions her confidence will build up and she will be a natural.

Ripley was initially nervous of the box, she soon got past that. Sadly i cant do it with her anymore as she gets herself too worked up.

I started Flyball with Skye last July, although we couldn't go for 6 weeks from mid August - end September because of her coming in season and other commitments, she picked it up straight away, she did the whole thing even with another dog before and after her in her 1st session. We had our 1st starters comps in January and she was a real pro, the 1st comp her team won starters, the 2nd she did everything right, but the rest of her team had a few blips.

Isla was exactly the same. Our team use buckets in front of the box to try and make the dog hit the box in a U shape, instead of straight on to try and take some strain off the joints. Of course Isla freaked when the box made a noise and knocked the bucket over in the process. With a bit of gentle persuasion she soon realised neither box or bucket had it in for her and she's never looked back!

She's never going to be the fastest dog in the world, but once she learns that missing out jumps is not ideal I think she'll be pretty reliable.

My team have qualified for Crufts so I'll have someone to cheer on for real this year, rather than just screaming in general!

Yay for Isla.

I don't think I'll try it with Louie afterall - he's too dog orientated - he just wants to play, and he's never been toy orientated. Flyball will have to come later on, with Adie going in the Army and moving house - we chose a daft time to try it to be honest but now I've seen it, and participated, it's definately something I'll get one of my dogs into. Although I am looking into buying a Flyball box then maybe I can do it every now and again in the back garden, you know if I'm ill or anything and to get Sadie used to the box. *trots off to ebay*

Flyball boxes are not cheap