In Praise of the Well Trained Flyball Dog

February 22nd, 2008 — Dog Training, Dogs, Flyball

They are a sight to behold and a joy to handle. Some of them are not the fastest out there but they are amazing in their own right. They are the dogs that can run the flyball race themselves… they only have a handler out there because that’s the rules.They are the dogs that you can say “line up” to and they position themselves for a recall from the box. They will hold their spot till you get to the back of the lane and call them. As their handler it doesn’t matter when you release… if you are early they will adjust their own pass, if you are late they are jumping out of your hands when the outbound dog is at the “right” hurdle.

As you hold them in the back of the lane you feel their energy build. They press up against you trembling with excitement. They know the judge’s whistle when there is an early start and you can tell because they relax, only to wind up again as the lights start their countdown again.

At the back of the lane they do their little routine with you, a few tugs and a few spins, then they turn themselves around, position themselves and focus for the next race.

They see the crates go in the car and know that practice or a tournament is on the way. On the way to practice they lean into the turns before you’ve made them. They know they are tournament bound when you hit the freeway and they settle into a nice nap.

They train the new handlers and the green dogs. They just love the sport and are happiest when they are out flying over the jumps being part of the action.

Connie