Flyball Height Restriction?

[mixeduppup]

Good point. I did actually ask her that but she didn't hear me so I just let it go as she knows her stuff and I was interested in learning more. I should have clarified. She must have just meant for the team she was getting together. Sadly the team is no longer going ahead though which i'm really bummed about

Never let a vet fob you off like that... and Im sure you wouldn't.

The workplace is very different, it's all about active listening and asking. I like to double check everything. That should flow into my daily life as well where I'm much less of an active listener. Thanks again. :)

Never forget what a small world dogs sports is... everyone pretty much knows everyone, particularly in a region. Social media just makes people known more widely (for better or worse :D)

I hope this thread doesn't put her ina bad light, that was not my intention at all.

[Mudlark]

Bummer to hear that the team is not going ahead, It's also a pity that you are not in the Canberra area, MUP - our club needs more flyballers and your dog would be very welcome :) We have had everything from JRT to a Wolfhound in our team before.

My dog, Obi, is just starting out and has been to two training sessions. My previous dog, Nicolae, did flyball with me for many years and loved every second. It's an awesome sport and flyball people are generally fun, relaxed and enthusiastic. I hope you get the chance to try it at some point in the future :)

[Dogsfevr]

Depends if she was setting up a club as per the opening post or getting a team together as per one of the later ones.

Sounds like she was looking for a height dog for a team and was misunderstood.

But surely she would have asked whether the JRT was even a suitable option .

I mean flyball takes a lot of training & dedication so even if you wanted the lower height you still need a functioning team & in an ideal world reliable dogs with the drive to foster .

Sounds like alot of confusion between the 2 parties

[mixeduppup]

She asked me if the JRT liked to chase balls and I said no not really and then she suggested I see if I can train her to. I said my kelpie like balls and was ball obsessed and that's when she said the kelpie was too big. I just misunderstood and assumed she meant for all flyball in general :)

Edited May 8, 2013 by mixeduppup

[Guest Clover]

Bummer to hear that the team is not going ahead, It's also a pity that you are not in the Canberra area, MUP - our club needs more flyballers and your dog would be very welcome :) We have had everything from JRT to a Wolfhound in our team before.

My dog, Obi, is just starting out and has been to two training sessions. My previous dog, Nicolae, did flyball with me for many years and loved every second. It's an awesome sport and flyball people are generally fun, relaxed and enthusiastic. I hope you get the chance to try it at some point in the future :)

oh wow I remember Nicolae from years ago when we would travel up to Canberra for nationals and the royal.

[TigerJack]

Yep, most common flyball dogs are kelpies and border collies. Tigerjack used to have a Ridgie cross (I think) and he was a great dog, certainly much bigger than a kelpie LOL

Only just seen this! That was my Jack. He was a ridgeback cross Malinois who was at the time the tallest dog running in Australia. Dudley the Briard with Norwest would be the biggest now I think.

I was very lucky when I started that nobody said to me that big dogs couldn't do flyball as we just went ahead and trained him. Adapted a few things for his size (like giant sized turning board first up) but got his turn perfected then transferred it onto the normal curl box, he just adapted to the smaller size fine as he had developed the muscle memory for it, lots of repeats. In those days everyone used a curl box which I think had a smaller landing area than the current flat fronted boxes. He had a great turn and it was only after I started competing that people kept telling me big dogs couldn't do turns. I would say nothing, just go into the ring and show them his great style of turn. He was one of the softest at hitting the box dogs in our club according to the boxloaders. He rarely ran at full height as we always had littler height dogs in those days. I will say he ran with a much better jumping style if I put him over height. Its not always worth going as low as possible.

Hope you can go ahead and sort out your club / team. Loads of advice available and I've got a nice curl box for sale going cheap!!

[TigerJack]

Yep, most common flyball dogs are kelpies and border collies. Tigerjack used to have a Ridgie cross (I think) and he was a great dog, certainly much bigger than a kelpie LOL

Only just seen this! That was my Jack. He was a ridgeback cross Malinois who was at the time the tallest dog running in Australia. Dudley the Briard with Norwest would be the biggest now I think.

I was very lucky when I started that nobody said to me that big dogs couldn't do flyball as we just went ahead and trained him. Adapted a few things for his size (like giant sized turning board first up) but got his turn perfected then transferred it onto the normal curl box, he just adapted to the smaller size fine as he had developed the muscle memory for it, lots of repeats. In those days everyone used a curl box which I think had a smaller landing area than the current flat fronted boxes. He had a great turn and it was only after I started competing that people kept telling me big dogs couldn't do turns. I would say nothing, just go into the ring and show them his great style of turn. He was one of the softest at hitting the box dogs in our club according to the boxloaders. He rarely ran at full height as we always had littler height dogs in those days. I will say he ran with a much better jumping style if I put him over height. Its not always worth going as low as possible.

Hope you can go ahead and sort out your club / team. Loads of advice available and I've got a nice curl box for sale going cheap!!

PS, for perspective, Jack weighed in at 32 kilos so he was twice the weight of the Kelpie I currently run. Still not the heaviest dog out there doing flyball, he was quite a skinny boy, just very tall. I think Dudley is up in the 50 kilo range.

[mixeduppup]

I wonder if a 2 hour trip to Canberra maybe even every fortnight would be worth it?

[kelpiecuddles]

I drive nearly two hours once a month to go to an evening meeting. I want to be part of the club and I kind of figure that if I want to have all the extra space and other perks that come with living regionally I just have to deal with the reality that sometimes I have to drive a bit further to get to things.

[TigerJack]

I wonder if a 2 hour trip to Canberra maybe even every fortnight would be worth it?

For your dogs - I think every 2nd week is fine. I currently have two young kelpies in training for Flyball so i take a different one each week. Better a good lesson once a fortnight with a decent amount of attention than just a few minutes going each week.

As to travel time, its 1.5 hours for me to go from work, to home, grab dog and then get to training. I also do another 1.5 hour run once a week to go to agility training. My dogs don't seem to mind all the time in the car.

[mixeduppup]

Could someone send me the details of the Canberra flyball club please?

[TigerJack]

Could someone send me the details of the Canberra flyball club please?

Flyball website here My link

Four Canberra (or close to) clubs. CDC, Belconnen, Tuggeranong and K9 Krusaders (who are Queanbeyan based.)

ACT Companion Dog Club

(Canberra X-Factor Flyball Team) Phone: (02) 6295 7764 (from 10am-1pm)

PO Box 4048

Kingston ACT 2604

Website address: Website

http://xfactorflyball.blogspot.com/

Belconnen Dog Obedience Club Phone: (02) 6241 7999

Flemington Road

Mitchell ACT 2911

Tuggeranong Dog Training Club Amanda Bateup

Mobile: 0402 574 809

Email: [email protected]

Website address: Website

K-9 Krusaders Verdelle

Mobile: 0412 701 753

Email: [email protected]

[mixeduppup]

Awesome, thank you! Belconnen would probably be closest

[Mudlark]

Belconnen has a good flyball group :) The advantage of joining an established group is that they will have all the necessary equipment, which can be expensive. You can slot right in to an established training program.

I am at the ACT Companion Dog Club where training for beginner dogs (that's the class we are on) is at 3pm on Sundays and competition team training is at 4pm. To be honest, we can only muster one team at the moment, but flyball is building back up at our club. We are aiming to have a 100% Labrador team for a comp someday, LOL. Many years ago we had a black Lab team for one comp - we called ourselves Black Lightening and it was a big hoot. Not the fastest team on the block but the most colour co-ordinated!

Clover - I am sure I would know you, then! How lovely that you remember my Nicolae :)

[Guest Clover]

Clover - I am sure I would know you, then! How lovely that you remember my Nicolae :)

I certainly do remember him :). I would have been running my big red girl Clover back then with the Ballarat Eureka teams.

Photo 1 - 2013-05-09 by clover_elvis, on Flickr

My BRD . 30 kilos of Rottie x and loved her flyball.

Edited May 9, 2013 by Clover

[Mudlark]

Ah yes, I remember your red girl! :) And your very excellent uniforms :)

[Paulp]

Yep, most common flyball dogs are kelpies and border collies. Tigerjack used to have a Ridgie cross (I think) and he was a great dog, certainly much bigger than a kelpie LOL

Only just seen this! That was my Jack. He was a ridgeback cross Malinois who was at the time the tallest dog running in Australia. Dudley the Briard with Norwest would be the biggest now I think.

Ebon ran against Dudley in the singles comp at the Nationals a couple of years ago (and beat him :) ) and I remember the spruikers commenting on the combined size of the two dogs running.

Probably the biggest dog in Vic would be Bundy with the wieners, he is a couple of kgs heavier than Ebon so I would think he is around 35kgs

[Guest Clover]

Ah yes, I remember your red girl! :) And your very excellent uniforms :)

Those were the days :).

Photo 2 - 2013-05-10 by clover_elvis, on Flickr

Bundy 30 odd kilos of Mastiff x.

[Paulp]

We are aiming to have a 100% Labrador team for a comp someday, LOL. Many years ago we had a black Lab team for one comp - we called ourselves Black Lightening and it was a big hoot. Not the fastest team on the block but the most colour co-ordinated!

Would have liked to have seen that. We have several promising labs in our beginners group and with the labs we already have I am hoping one day to get an all lab team in.