Flyball Box Problems

[mgardner89]

Okay so I have a long haired Chihuahua. We train in both agility and flyball. He really shines at the agility. Has no problems with the seesaw ect. But flyball is a different story...

While he is super at fetching, Great with run backs and does an excellent box turns he can’t cope with the ball being in the box.

As soon as we put the ball into the box the noise freaks him out. Or worse still he gets hit in the face with the ball and I have to spend the next 30 mins trying to get him to put a paw on the box.

Can anyone provide some suggestions? I am getting really frustrated at training and some fresh ideas would be great. And no I am not quitting. I like the team too much!

[Sayreovi]

I would set the box without the ball and get him confident about setting the box off without something flying at his face

Get him to progress slowly, with the box set just ask him to put a paw or two on it, just enough to set it off and reward massively!! Work him slowly up to doing his turns (without the ball) on a set box so he gets used to the noise when he is on the box.

How is he with catching a ball usually?

Personally I would be treating them as two different exercises and not combining them until he can do both easily and confidently. Good luck.

[TigerJack]

Don't lump it all together. Years ago I tried teaching flyball to my tiny 3.5kg silky terrier. She can do all the bits but her problem was that shew as so light that the old curl box didn't trigger when her front feet hit it, only when her back ones came up to push off with. That meant she got hit in the arse or the back of the head with the ball. Scared her so she wouldn't go back up there. It was early days for flyball for me and I didn't know how to fix it so she never did race.

I think now that she had several problems. First, she was no good at catching so the ball moving was always going to be scary. I would now backchain a retrieve with the ball with any dog so that they are actively seeking the ball on their way onto the box. They they won't be surprised by it flying out at them. Secondly, I would not put the ball in at all until I had finished backchaining the retrieve (away from the box) and taught her to catch properly, also away from the box. Then I would get her turning on the box without it being set. When she's doing that on automatic pilot then I would start to set the box without a ball so she can get used to the noise. At home I would have the box somewhere where I could set it and trigger it while she was nearby and treat her with food everytime the noise occurred too. (She startles easily.) Last thing, after she was able to catch etc, then I would try the turn with the ball in the box. If it was still too much for her you could try just sitting the ball on the ledge of the box and not triggering it so she has to go for the ball without it getting tossed at her.

Take it slow and break it right down into all the separate bits and proof them before putting it all together.

[Guest Clover]

Also what type of ball are you using? you may be better using one of the small soft squishy balls so the dog does not get hurt by a small heavier tennis ball.

[~*Shell*~]

Have you tried putting a sticky velcro dot next to the ball hole and attaching the ball to the velcro rather than putting it in the hole? That way it won't fly at his face when he hits the box but he'll be able to trigger it and have a ball there. Is he afraid of the sound of the box triggering? Or just it triggering when the ball is there?

[Bull Arab]

The guys at Spring Loaded Flyball (in the US) make an excellent range of how to, and how to fix, flyball videos. Check out their website http://www.flyballtrainingvideos.com/ I can recommend Building Better Box turns, Dogs Eye View and Puppy Foundations they are awesome training tools but very cheesy american accents these guys are great trainers but average actors!!!

[StarLapyz]

Have you tried putting a sticky velcro dot next to the ball hole and attaching the ball to the velcro rather than putting it in the hole? That way it won't fly at his face when he hits the box but he'll be able to trigger it and have a ball there. Is he afraid of the sound of the box triggering? Or just it triggering when the ball is there?

This!!!!

[Bull Arab]

Have you tried putting a sticky velcro dot next to the ball hole and attaching the ball to the velcro rather than putting it in the hole? That way it won't fly at his face when he hits the box but he'll be able to trigger it and have a ball there. Is he afraid of the sound of the box triggering? Or just it triggering when the ball is there?

This!!!!

I agree the velcro method works well. What type of box are you using? Some of the newer ones have a 'shelf' above the trigger plate and just below the shooters that you can ballance the ball on. Can also work if you put the velcro lower down on the box and gradually work it up to the height of the shooter.

Also try playing catch, where you ask hte dog to catch a ball tossed to him from a few cm away. Helps them to get used to the action of the ball when the box triggers and to catch a moving ball directly rather than pick one up from the ground.

Edited November 20, 2011 by Bull Arab