Breeds For Flyball

[Guest Clover]

Any breed can do Flyball with the right training. The only GSD i have seen comptete in Flyball was quite a few years back in Canberra, the dog looked like it was having fun.

Clover is pretty big too but a small big

Yep she is a little Weiner now & looks tiny standing next to Bear, Jammy and especially Menace.

Goodluck with your search .

[TigerJack]

Any dog breed, as long as they are fit and healthy, can do flyball. Jump heights being set by the hight of the shortest dog on the team. The AFA will also be ballotting members later this year to bring heights down to 7 inches and 14 max.

My club has a Dobermann in training and she has one of the nicest swimmer's turns I've seen anywhere.

I'm told the Irish wolfhound from Canberra has retired. I think Jamaica may outweigh my boy Jack but I think Jack is a little taller than Jamaica is. Jack is a Ridgback cross shepherd, probably Malinois Shepherd.

If you want a big breed, make sure you are taught the correct way to do a swimmer's turn or your dog may get hurt. Most of the fastest teams are using Border Collies and Kelpies. My second flyball dog is a Kelpie.

You can also do flyball with the tiny dogs but be aware that the really small ones may not have the body weight to trigger the box. this is my 3.5kg Silky Bella and she can't trigger the box but can manage the jumps. So if you want a small dog, maybe aim for something that will mature at least 5kg in weight.

[Sayreovi]

Whoa Jack is a big boy!!

[helen]

Brittanys can do both well too

[FGM]

You can also do flyball with the tiny dogs but be aware that the really small ones may not have the body weight to trigger the box. this is my 3.5kg Silky Bella and she can't trigger the box but can manage the jumps. So if you want a small dog, maybe aim for something that will mature at least 5kg in weight.

She is soooo cute,I recently got a shih tzu cross puppy and was thinking of trying flyball as an activity for her.Even though she is small she is a bundle of energy.Also thought I would do agility,I miss it from when I had my border collie.

[SSS]

I have witnesses a blind poodle participating in flyball so I guess it shows pretty much anyone can have a go

[Guest Clover]

MuffinCav is that the little black toy poodle? if so she is amazing...gorgeous little dog aswell .

[SSS]

Yep isnt she gorgeous

[poodlefan]

Yep, all dogs can do dog sports. How well they do them and how long they can do them for will vary.

For agility, a light framed dog that is relatively high on leg for it's height is obviously going to have a far easier time jumping than a heavy dog that has short legs. I can't speak for flyball other than to say you want a dog with a very good front end because that's where the stress will be - same as for agility.

Trainability of dogs varies - some breeds will make more obvious obedience prospects than others. However if you want a dog of about medium size to do all three sports WELL you will be down to a fairly narrow list of contenders.

Off the top of my head, I would look at

Border Collie

Kelpie

Koolie

Brittany (not field lines)

English Springer Spaniel (show or field lines)

Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever

I would be looking at kennels that produce dogs with a track record in dog sports and I would be looking very hard at conformation issues. I would not be buying a dog from any of these breeds unless I saw the parents hip and elbow scores. I'd be wanting a confident outgoing puppy that demonstrated an interest in tugging and retrieving.

In the slightly larger breeds I'd add the Belgian Shepherds, German Shorthaired Pointers and Vizslas to the list for consideration.

The best source of information about good breeders will come from the people who do the sports you are interested in. I'd probably try to decide which sport I wanted to focus on and buy the most suitable breed for that.

Your other option is to buy a dog from a breed that you just love and do whatever sports you can - that's what I did.

Working dogs take a lot of hard work to keep happy in the suburbs. Not all top dog sports dogs are a piece of cake to live with. You might want to think hard about how much exercise and mental stimulation you can provide for a dog every day and go from there.

Edited April 26, 2007 by poodlefan

[Kavik]

Just curious - why not field line Brittanies?

Out of my lot, the ones which are the best sports prospects are NOT the easiest to live with LOL!

[menacebear]

I cant speak for a pure GSD but Bear is a rottweiler x GSD and he runs in division 1 for the western weiners and LOVES his flyball. He runs an average of around 5.2 sec but can go under 5....if he feels like it. Jamicia is AMAZING, he is even taller than bear and yet runs consistantly at around 4.4-4.5 sec which is at least as fast as any working breed out there.

Of course if your looking for a medium sized, amazingly smart and pretty flyball, agility or herding dog then you can't go past my border collie foster belle She's 8 months old and a tri colour working border collie. Anyone at all looking for another sports dog let me know, she is awesome but the landlords are NOT keen

[pugsley]

Hey guys, im from Western Sydney. Your replys are great. Im not far from the dog training/show grounds on Ludenham Rd at Erskine Park / Kemps Creek. I assumed that when i start obedience training, that i will meet people who will be able to help me get involved in agility and flyball. Still a way off yet, gotta choose a breed of dog first. All a bit confusing.

Edited April 26, 2007 by pugsley

[Guest Clover]

Not all top dog sports dogs are a piece of cake to live with. You might want to think hard about how much exercise and mental stimulation you can provide for a dog every day and go from there.

I can vouch for that, my guys are over the top at flyball and at home most of the time..they don't settle until after dinner at night and the heater is put on for them to snuggle up in front of . 6KM bike rides with half an hour or so of swimming half way is nothing for them either.

I forgot to mention Vizslas, great all rounder dogs and beautiful as well .

[LilBailey]

You can also do flyball with the tiny dogs but be aware that the really small ones may not have the body weight to trigger the box. this is my 3.5kg Silky Bella and she can't trigger the box but can manage the jumps. So if you want a small dog, maybe aim for something that will mature at least 5kg in weight.

She is soooo cute,I recently got a shih tzu cross puppy and was thinking of trying flyball as an activity for her.Even though she is small she is a bundle of energy.Also thought I would do agility,I miss it from when I had my border collie.

If you can teach a good swimmers turn to a small dog then most can trigger the box b/c you teach them to "bounce" on to the box so that helps to trigger the box. Also the sensitivity of the box can make a diffrences too, out box needs a fear bit of impact on it to trigger it, this makes it hard for the smaller dogs and the bigger ones too as it means that it is slow to release the ball. (well.0001 kinda slow but when a dog is going at full pace it is a diffrence)

For agility, a light framed dog that is relatively high on leg for it's height is obviously going to have a far easier time jumping than a heavy dog that has short legs. I can't speak for flyball other than to say you want a dog with a very good front end because that's where the stress will be - same as for agility.

I would be looking at kennels that produce dogs with a track record in dog sports and I would be looking very hard at conformation issues. I would not be buying a dog from any of these breeds unless I saw the parents hip and elbow scores. I'd be wanting a confident outgoing puppy that demonstrated an interest in tugging and retrieving.

The best source of information about good breeders will come from the people who do the sports you are interested in. I'd probably try to decide which sport I wanted to focus on and buy the most suitable breed for that.

If a sporting dog is what you definatly need to look at these things. The other things that you need to look at if you are selecting a breed are your home life. As mentioned sporting dogs are not always great pets. Ask Clover she always says that her two borders suck as pets.

Have you got a short list yet? Can you tell us a little about yourself so we can suggest some more breeds to you.

[pugsley]

Well, i have a toddler, a teenager, and a shihtzu and a cat, oh and a boyfriend. i work part time, 3 days per week, other half is a shift worker (hardly ever home). But the dog will primarily be mine. I work in law enforcement and have previously worked with shepherds and love them. I have previously owned a shepherd who died 2 years ago. i want a dog who will go for a jog with me, or a good long walk and not tire out before me. the shih tzu dies before i get around the block. I can walk the dog about 3 times a week and train or do fly another couple of times. I dont work weekends. Im not sure what time and days the sports are on. Im asuming weekends. Well yeah, thats about it in a nutshell.

Any ideas????

Edited April 26, 2007 by pugsley

[TigerJack]

I have witnesses a blind poodle participating in flyball so I guess it shows pretty much anyone can have a go

If the blind poodle is the little black one from North Sydney, she learned flyball when still sighted and has since lost most of her vision. Apparently she now counts the steps between jumps and her handler soaks her balls in something smelly (chicken stock I think it was) so she can find them.

If you can teach a good swimmers turn to a small dog then most can trigger the box b/c you teach them to "bounce" on to the box so that helps to trigger the box.

Bella, my silky, has quite a good swimmers turn and she can get high onto the box but she is so light that her front feet hitting the box doesn'tt trigger it, it is when she turns and pushes off with her back feet that the ball flys out. She got spooked by the ball hitting her in the bum so she became scared of the box and would only go up to it, stop and tentatively touch it with one paw and then run away from it. I took her back to basics and worked our way up again (no ball) and had her going round properly with a stick in front of the box. Unfortunately our poles are these plastic electric fence posts on a spike and they have a couple of hooks for holding the fencing tape. Bella wears a tiny black dog harness. She went racing down, jumped high on the box, leapt out and the harness handle snagged on the pole hook and there she was swinging in the air unable to touch the ground. Flyball box bad!! Not going near that bad thing again!!! Bella doesn't do flyball anymore! Maybe one day I'll try again.

Jo

Edited April 26, 2007 by TigerJack

[Sayreovi]

Well, i have a toddler, a teenager, and a shihtzu and a cat, oh and a boyfriend. i work part time, 3 days per week, other half is a shift worker (hardly ever home). But the dog will primarily be mine. I work in law enforcement and have previously worked with shepherds and love them. I have previously owned a shepherd who died 2 years ago. i want a dog who will go for a jog with me, or a good long walk and not tire out before me. the shih tzu dies before i get around the block. I can walk the dog about 3 times a week and train or do fly another couple of times. I dont work weekends. Im not sure what time and days the sports are on. Im asuming weekends. Well yeah, thats about it in a nutshell.

Any ideas????

Unfortunately, with the working dogs i have met, they probably wouldnt do to well in your house at the present time. Maybe if you score a one with a decent off switch, but thats an off chance probably not worth taking. Flyball and Agility dogs require daily exercise to remain fit and trim, it also stops them destroying the house and yard.

Worth mentioning too, alot of flyball dogs have heaps of drive, mainly prey drive so a cat running might excite them enough to chase.

Have you considered a rescue dog? That way you can get an adult and know exactly how the dog is and regardless of breed see if it is suited to you. There are tonnes of working breeds that are currently in foster care at the moment, that could possibly suit you

Edited April 26, 2007 by tollersowned

[wherezaball]

The blind toy poodle is Whitney and she officially retired from flyball about 2 years ago. Maybe a little longer.... while she learnt flyball back in about the year 2000 with good vision. She ran for some time with no vision in one eye and very little in the other. We often thought she counted the jumps and towards the end of her career her Mum used to soak the balls in bacon so Whitney could find them if she fumbled.

The little black toy poodle sheryl is racing now is Whoopi who has been racing for about 3 years now I guess.

I have seen heaps of different breeds do flyball and the key regardless of breed is focus and motivation. if you have those key attributes in a dog than any breed can do it. If you dont have those attributes you need to teach it.

I love watching the non working breeds do flyball. i often say that training a dog such as Callaghan the Irish Wolfhound to do flyball is far a greater training achievement than training any working breed to do it.

While I love racing my BC who can run times as quick as 4.1 secs for the lower heights and 4.3 for the higher heights. Competing with my once out of control ratbag rescue Labrador was a far greater achievement. As I said she was a resuce when I got her and a complete nutcase. Took me 2 years but we started competing when everyone thought we wouldn't and she retired recently with HD.

My goal now is get a Labrador who can run under 5 seconds.... I still remember watching Penny the Lab from Croydon (think that was her name) thinking how does that Lab run that fast!!!! Whilst mine and other Labs can run fast they would rarely put themselves out that much. They are just happy to do it.... in their own time..

So yes any dog can do flyball. It just takes time, determination and sometimes a hell of a lot of patience on the trainers part.

I have witnesses a blind poodle participating in flyball so I guess it shows pretty much anyone can have a go

If the blind poodle is the little black one from North Sydney, she learned flyball when still sighted and has since lost most of her vision. Apparently she now counts the steps between jumps and her handler soaks her balls in something smelly (chicken stock I think it was) so she can find them.

If you can teach a good swimmers turn to a small dog then most can trigger the box b/c you teach them to "bounce" on to the box so that helps to trigger the box.

Bella, my silky, has quite a good swimmers turn and she can get high onto the box but she is so light that her front feet hitting the box doesn'tt trigger it, it is when she turns and pushes off with her back feet that the ball flys out. She got spooked by the ball hitting her in the bum so she became scared of the box and would only go up to it, stop and tentatively touch it with one paw and then run away from it. I took her back to basics and worked our way up again (no ball) and had her going round properly with a stick in front of the box. Unfortunately our poles are these plastic electric fence posts on a spike and they have a couple of hooks for holding the fencing tape. Bella wears a tiny black dog harness. She went racing down, jumped high on the box, leapt out and the harness handle snagged on the pole hook and there she was swinging in the air unable to touch the ground. Flyball box bad!! Not going near that bad thing again!!! Bella doesn't do flyball anymore! Maybe one day I'll try again.

Jo

[Scarlet]

I figure if you love GSD and they fit into your lifestyle then get one.

If you get a pup it will be a while before it could do flyball. I imagine a GSD would have to be around 18mths before it can jump, do extended running etc. (Someone here can give you a better timeframe than me!). You could also get an older dog if you didn't want to wait so long.

In the meantime you could do obedience and I know GSD excell at that. From there you could try anything and see what you and you dog prefer. There are lots of dog sports out there.

[Sayreovi]

My goal now is get a Labrador who can run under 5 seconds.... I still remember watching Penny the Lab from Croydon (think that was her name) thinking how does that Lab run that fast!!!! Whilst mine and other Labs can run fast they would rarely put themselves out that much. They are just happy to do it.... in their own time..

We have a Lab in our team that can run about 4.5 seconds