Flyball - What is it?

Flyball is the most unique and exciting dog sport us hounds ever invented, whatever the humans say. Fast, colourful and noisy, it is fun for the dogs, fun for the handlers and gives the beggars some jolly old exercise, and visually exciting for onlookers.

Flyball is a kind of relay racing for dogs. Two teams race each other to collect a tennis ball and the first team to get all dogs correctly home in the fastest time three times out of five is the winner.

How Is It Played?

A team is made up of four dogs and handlers, together with a team member who acts as a box loader.

The dogs and handlers wait at the top of a flyball lane, which comprises four low jumps set at equal distances apart, and leads to a flyball box at the bottom where the box loader waits.

The box loader loads a tennis ball into the box ready for the first dog.

When the race starts, the first dog crosses the start-finish line as the green light is lit and goes over the jumps to reach the box at the bottom.

He triggers the release mechanism with his paws and collects the tennis ball, turning as he does so to head back up the flyball lane to his handler.

As he reaches the start-finish line, the second dog is about to cross it, and ideally they pass nose to nose.

As the first dog returns to his handler with the ball, the second dog is well on his way down the flyball lane to get another ball.

When the second dog returns, the third dog goes, then the fourth.

If a dog misses a jumps or jumps, he will have to run again at the end.

If a dog returns without a tennis ball, he will have to run again at the end.

Milly:- Its out of focus a bit, but then it is an action shot! Here is Milly retrieving the ball from the "box" and turning around to rush down over the hurdles.