Injuries In Flyball

[2tollers]

Hi

My dog has just joined the club flyball team and should be entering his first comp in the near future.

He just loves doing it and I love to see him having a great time. He gets bored with obedience and flyball allows him to go silly after class.

Someone has just told me that nearly every flyball dog who competes ends up with injuries and I'd be mad to allow my dog to risk himself.

Does anyone have any ideas on this. I don't want to risk injuring him.

Thanks

Sharon

[whatevah]

Josh got an injury in his turning leg because he wasn';t taught a swimmers turn. Moses I taught him a swimmers turn and he has not had any injuries. Both dogs are fine now and have their FDCh titles.

You have to teach a swimmers turn. I also don't go every week, I like to give the dogs a rest. They actually run faster when they haven't done it for awhile.

[poodlefan]

Flyball is notorious for cruciate ligament damage. One of my old vets reckoned flyball had paid for his BMW.

No dog sport is without risk Tollers. Conversely dogs have been known to seriously injure themselves blatting round a paddock. The key strategy to adopt is one of risk management.

You should have your dog lean and as fit as you can get him for flyball. Learn about appropriate warming up and cooling down routines, including stretching. Failure to do this is key cause of injurires.

Treat your dog like an athlete. Ensure he is not forced to over train or over compete and the he has lighter training or a spell after big comps. Learn to watch him and get him regularly chiropacted or physio'd if necessary. If you have not had a knowledgeable vet check your dog over in terms of his suitabiliyt for flyball, then I would do that as a matter of priority - vets can spot structural issues that you may need to manage.

And most importantly, do NOT do flyball with too young a dog - it is far too much stress on growing bones.

In the States, I am told there are flyball competitors who have their dogs PTS aged about 4 because they are unsound.

The key is start slow, keep fit and don't overdo it.

Edited September 15, 2005 by poodlefan

[2tollers]

Thanks for all of that poodlfan. Todd is 3 1/2 and is lean but could be fitter I guess.

Does learning the swim turn help avoid injuries?

[poodlefan]

I am not a flyballer Tollers but from my observation it would have to. If dogs don't do a swimming turn they hit the box with their front ends with considerable force.

The swimming turn will still place stress on a dog's body and but less than a sharp stop and turn would - that's why warming up should be a priority.

Ooh - forgot to add. I reckon offlead exercise should from the majority of any sports dogs's fitness regime - uneven ground is also good to work muscles and improve balance.

Edited September 15, 2005 by poodlefan

[2tollers]

Toilet Duck Do you read minds? I send my last post, came back and ther was yours.

How was Adelaide?

[2tollers]

I'll talk to some of the people at the club about learning the swimming turn and about the right warming up exercises.

[poodlefan]

If you can find someone who had been a flyballer for a while and has dog's aged over six still fit and competing, they'd be the people to talk to.

[2tollers]

I love having him off lead when I can. The trouble is there aren't too many places to do it.

With the warmer weather coming the dogs get to go for a swim in our neighbours dam and probably in Sparty's dam too.

Thanks for your help.

[poodlefan]

Ah, swimming - no better form of exercise for dogs or people. Pity I swim like a Bamix.

[TigerJack]

2 tollers

quote "nearly every flyball dog who competes ends up with injuries and I'd be mad to allow my dog to risk himself"

sorry but that is bollocks. You must teach it correctly and a swimmers turn is a must, especially for a larger dog. The only ones that can get away without a swimmers turn are the real tinies, the silkies and shitzu sized ones. If you have just started and you are about to enter a comp then I'd question whether the club has shown you enough to be doing it safely.

quote "I'll talk to some of the people at the club about learning the swimming turn"

this worries me. They aren't a flyball club with safe training techniques if they aren't teaching you the swimmers turn from day one. If this is the case then you might well be headed for injury.

I agree with poodlefan that no dog sport is without risk but you can certainly train them to avoid the risky actions. I race a 39kg ridgeback x GSD and he has a great swimmers turn. Our boxloader says he puts less stress on her (she's braced against the back of the box) than the dogs half his size who dont have a good turn.

You are not permitted to do flyball until the dog is at least 12 months old (and for really big breeds I'd wait even longer.) If you are going to enter a comp then make sure you are a member of the AFA. Go to www.flyball.org.au and check that out.

Jo

Edited to add (some others have also said this) like any sport for any athlete - the warm up and the cool down are imperative. It is a sprint race. You wouldn't do it yourself cold and not expect to get injured so make sure you warm up your dog and learn how to do some good stretches with him.

Edited September 15, 2005 by TigerJack

[Sayreovi]

Definately teach swimmers turn.

Nova is shocking on his turns at the moment, he used to slam into the box hard but after him doing that a few times i started working slowly with him to do a proper turn. That may have actually caused his back problems in the first place.

Darcy is well hopeless at the moment haha, he loves the idea but he doesnt do it right yet and he puts very little weight on the box so the ball doesnt pop out :D

[Vickie]

Lots of good advice here.

Only thing I would like to add is that I think one of the biggest injury related problems in dog sports is that when dogs do hurt themselves, they are often not rested sufficiently & a slight injury that should have been allowed to recover becomes a chronic one...often just b/c the people can't bear to miss their fix.

I can't believe the number of times I see a dog in agility, lame one week, and out there again the next running. I always stick by the theory that if a dog is lame, it is hurt! and it generally won't heal enough in a week to be out there again, retearing that damaged muscle.

The more your dog wants to work, the less likely it is that you will see signs of the injury. Unlike us, they don't take it easy, so need us to help.

The other one is intermittent lameness. There is obviously a problem, but again, you get people who run them anyway...just b/c they weren't limping on the morning of competition/training. Sure enough they are limping after.

Sorry, off my soapbox now...it just really pi**es me off & I really think it distorts the statistics of sports related injuries.

[poodlefan]

Vickie:

I can't believe the number of times I see a dog in agility, lame one week, and out there again the next running. I always stick by the theory that if a dog is lame, it is hurt! and it generally won't heal enough in a week to be out there again, retearing that damaged muscle.

I see it too. I hate it.

If you treated sports horses the same way, the equestrian fraternity would tar and feather you. :D

[Em & Taco]

Hi there fellow flyballer!

We enrolled Buckley and have had 3 training nights so far.

I am not sure how your club works but we have spent everyweek learning a new part of how flyball comes together starting with the swimmers turn as it is really important part of the whole activity.

we practice this at home with our home made turner and clicker/food training.

As everyone has written, basically warming up and cooling off your dog will help as well as not over doing it and any sign of stress or injury back off a while. :D

[2tollers]

All the advice makes good sense once you hear it and think about it. Thanks everyone.

How do you all warm up and cool down? Would you just trot around for a bit as the warm up and then a brisk walk for the cool down?

[Guest cloverfdch]

*Deep breath*

If you can find someone who had been a flyballer for a while and has dog's aged over six still fit and competing, they'd be the people to talk to.

My Clover is going on 7 and is fit and still very much competing, and she is a large dog aswell (Rotti/ Heeler) but..... she cannot do a swimmers turn, we have been trying for years, she is not the right shape.

Jo i was very impressed with your Jack at the nationals and ran back to our team to tell them big dogs can do it .

this worries me. They aren't a flyball club with safe training techniques if they aren't teaching you the swimmers turn from day one. If this is the case then you might well be headed for injury.

That is our club, we rarely have injuries :D. I think i am one of the few instructors that pushes for correct turning, i taught my BC in one 10 minute lesson and he has not forgotton since.

Injurys happen in all sports not just Flyball.

Sharon good warm up exercises are long recalls on flat ground, stretching and massaging. And for cooling down (I have noticed at comps not many people do this), gentle walking around and giving the dog a good rub down.

[2tollers]

Hi Clover

I'll have to get you to show me how the turn is done.

[Sayreovi]

Only thing I would like to add is that I think one of the biggest injury related problems in dog sports is that when dogs do hurt themselves, they are often not rested sufficiently & a slight injury that should have been allowed to recover becomes a chronic one...often just b/c the people can't bear to miss their fix.

Just clearing up something just in case that was directed at me, due to Novas back problems.

Nova has been started back in flyball and a bit of agility no where near as much as before, just enough to keep him fit and "in the game"

He has been cleared by the vet and a specialist of any skeleton problems, he was given several months off to recover went back to the vet who gave him the all clear to resume agility and flyball lightly

[Vickie]

Nope, wasn't directed at you...didn't even know he had back problems...or did flyball for that matter.

It wasn't meant to be an attack or "directed" at anyone anyway, it was just meant to make people think...and realise than just b/c the limp has gone, doesn't mean the injury has.

And also to realise that what is often classed as a number of injuries in one dog, is often one injury reoccuring. The other thing that happens is that dogs start to compensate for an injury by moving differently & protecting muscles, much the same as we do (I have a twisted pelvis from a back injury). So it's not just about letting the original injury heal, but reteaching them to use related muscles that they may have stopped using.

Edited September 15, 2005 by Vickie