Posted: Wed Oct 12, 2011 5:51 pm Post subject: Video from Flyball Competition in Ayr
Hi everyone
I put together this video from our 2nd flyball compeition in Ayr this weekend. We are the team in blue (although i'm in a scotland rugby shirt as I don't have a team strip yet)
There are a few mistakes - as you will see - but we are a team of either inexperienced dogs and handlers or flyball veteran-dogs who are not as fast as they once were but still love the sport!
So the video is just a bit of fun - and in my opinion, a nice way to preserve the memory
That's really good, I wish I had a video of us in action. I don't think you really see how your own dog is running because you are watching the lights, the judge, running back etc. I'd like to see a side on close up of the ball pick up and also of the cross over. I didn't have the sound on to listen to your video but I bet the noise in that hall was horrendous, we train in a sports hall and the barking just echoes, it is deafening.
We were comparing box shapes on Sunday and found that the dogs turned much more easily on the curved boxes (are these boomerang boxes?) rather than the flat fronted ones.
I need to get Coco running over bigger hurdles but in the current team we have a border terrier so we run at his height. I had her measured and she came out at 13" jumps but was very borderline so could easily be full height if measured again. She wasn't keen on the measuring stand though and I'm dreading taking her for KC agility measuring at Accrington in a couple of weeks.
It was weird the first time I saw Tiber doing flyball on the video (my OH video'ed us - it was him to did that one too) - was good to see what the's doing at the other end because, as you correctly say, you dno't see how they are running because there is a hundred and one other things to be thinking of!
I added some music so you cant hear the almighty noise! it was so loud. fortuneatley one of the ladies on our team brought ear defenders whcih helped a bit but not completley!
We've never used the flat box -just the curved ones and i hadn't realised there were other versions until i saw that some of the teams had different ones. its interesting to see and hear how other teams train their dogs too
That's fantastic..I bet you have a great time.Im really envious,there's nothing like that down here in France Perhaps it's something I could start up? I'm now thinking that it would be a good idea to build an assault course in my garden for Kenko when he's grown up
It is fast, fun and very noisy. I really didn't think Coco would take to it but she is a natural, she just picked it up in her first session. There are other dogs who you think would be perfect and they hate it. A lot of the dogs don't like the noise or don't like the box but those that do like it absolutely love it.
However, if you start competing there is a lot of travelling and early starts involved to get to competitions.
That looks fantastic. I didn't realise that the dogs had to cross so close to each other on the start line - amazed that there is not more mugging of the dog returning with the ball!
oh yeah - the art of crossing can win you or loose you the race! you have to judge how fast the dog running before you is going so you know when to realise your dog so that they cross the line - ideally nose to nose. But if you are too early you get penalised and you have to run your dog again at the end (which of course could add anything between about 4-7s depending on your dog).
you have to build up the dogs confidence when doing crossing. Tiber's a lovely natured dog but he is big and in training I sometimes hold back on letting him go so as to not scare any less confident dog (its not fair on them if they are a bit nervous to have a big lab heading towards him with 'ball' on the brain!) but in competition, you tighten it up - you generally ahve someone on the team who is not running a dog standing on the line and they indicate how 'wide' you were so you can judge when and where to realise your dog from.
Re mugging of dogs - its bound to happen but the dogs tend to be so focused on the fact that theres a ball up at the other end with their name on it and if they bring it back they get a reward of some sort (whether it be fuss, a toy thrown, the ball thrown, a treat etc). One time at training one of the Spaniels pulled his owner over (an older man) and headed up over the jumps as Tiber was on his return... and ran into Tiber.... fortuneately no dogs (or humans!) were hurt - i don't think Tiber even felt it! But jack (the spaniel) was stopped in his tracks - poor thing!
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Perhaps it's something I could start up? I'm now thinking that it would be a good idea to build an assault course in my garden for Kenko when he's grown up 
