Flyball, the Fastest Sport on Four Feet
No, it’s not a car race, or even a track and field event. It’s flyball, one of the fastest, most chaotic sporting events in the dog world.
Think of flyball as a doggy relay race. Teams of four dogs compete against each other for the fastest run time. Every dog on the team must run down the lane, jumping four hurdles, hit the flyball box at the end of the lane, catch the tennis ball that is released from the box, and return to his handler; jumping all four hurdles on the way back. Once a dog has returned, the next dog on the team is released. The first team to complete their run, without error, wins the round.
Flyball’s roots date back to 1970’s California. An offshoot of scent hurdling, flyball became a national interest in the dog world after an appearance on the Johnny Carson Show. By the early 1980’s, the North American Flyball Association (NAFA) was formed to organize and regulate the sport. Today there are hundreds of teams competing in the United States, with new teams forming all the time.
NAFA awards points and titles to dogs competing in flyball events. One point is awarded to each dog competing on a team with a time of less than 32 seconds. Five points for a time of less than 28 seconds and 25 points for less than 24 seconds. As a dog accumulates points, they earn titles ranging from Flyball dog, with a total of 20 points, up to Hobbes for dogs with a total of 100,000 points. Along the way, certificates, pins and plaques are awarded with each title. Currently, the fastest team in America is Spring Loaded out of Michigan with a time of 15.43 seconds.
Each team may consist of four dogs that are all the same breed, or a multi-breed team consisting of four different breeds. Unlike many dog-related activities, flyball is not limited to purebred dogs. Mixed breeds are welcome, even popular, in flyball. Two of the most popular breeds in the sport are the Border Collie and the Parson Jack Russell Terrier. The popularity of these two breeds has lead to the creation of the ultimate racing dog – the Border Jack. Small, fast and intelligent, the Border Jack is very popular among competitive flyball people.
Although the dogs most often seen in flyball competitions are sporting dogs, such as retrievers, and herding dogs, such as collies, any breed has the potential to compete in the sport. All a dog needs is a solid recall and a sense of fun. Because the hurdles are set 4″ below the shoulder height of the shortest dog on the team, most teams will try to add a “height dog” to the line up to keep the hurdles as low as possible for the rest of the team. The minimum height a hurdle can be set at is 8″ and the maximum is 16″, so dogs of varying heights can be the key to a winning team.
But a flyball team is more than just dogs. There are four handlers – one for each dog, and a box loader manning the flyball box. Timing is everything in this sport; the handlers have to release the first dog so his feet hit the start line just as the light changes from yellow to green. Box loaders must load the balls as soon as the dog has turned back towards the finish line because, before they know it, the next dog will be racing down the lane.
A person interested in competing in flyball should have a competitive spirit and, like their dog, a sense of fun. Even the most well trained dog will occasionally wreak havoc during a run. It also helps to have some ear plugs because, until you’ve been in a line-up with the team dogs, you have no idea what the word “chaos” means. The dogs are all so excited about competing that they’re barking at the top of their lungs, most of them are lunging into their harnesses hoping to get a head start on the competition, and with four people and four dogs all gathered in one location you’re bound to have your feet stepped on.
How do you get your dog involved in flyball? Contact your area dog training facility to see if they offer classes or visit the NAFA website to find a team near you. And remember, you can teach an old dog new tricks; so don’t hesitate to sign up your adult dog for a flyball class. Any activity that allows you to spend time bonding with your dog is worth checking out. And who knows? You may have a Hobbes dog on your hands before you know it!
