About Flyball

Flyball is a team sport for dogs that was invented in California in the late 70's. Legend has it that Herbert Wagner first showed it on the Johnny Carson Show to millions of Americans. Soon afterwards dog trainers and dog clubs were making and using Flyball Boxes.

Flyball is a relay race with 4 dogs on a team. The course consists of a starting line, 4 hurdles spaced 10 feet apart and a box. The first hurdle is 6 feet from the start line and the box is 15 feet from the last hurdle for a 51 foot overall length.

1. The dogs jump the hurdles and steps on a spring-loaded box that shoots out a tennis ball.

The jumps are 4” below the shoulder of the shortest dog running in the race. The minimum jump height is 8”. The maximum jump height is 16”.

Division 1 teams typically run 4 dogs through the course in under 18 seconds! The world flyball record is about 15.72 seconds. In other words, each dog on a Division 1 team covers the 102’ distance in less than 4.5 seconds!

As with all tournaments, your team will run against other teams of approximately the same speed. There are generally 6 or so divisions running in any given tournament, with about 5 teams per division.

Typically border collies are some of the fastest dogs in flyball, but there are some might speedy field labs that run in the California area with times close to 4.0 seconds!

Most teams run with a short dog, such as a Jack Russell terrier or corgi. It keeps the jumps low so the entire team can move faster. Furthermore, lower jump heights are safer because it reduces the overall impact of jumping over lots of hurdles.

Any breed of dog can join a flyball team provided they are in good health, can jump 8” safely, and are not plagued by respiratory issues.

If you wish to start your own team, a flyball box costs approximately $500. Jumps will run you about $100 for 4 jumps, but you can make those yourself. Flyball classes run from $60-$100 for a 6-week course (1 hour per week). Team dues vary widely, so you’ll need to check with your local teams.

The race entry fees per team (6 dogs) are generally just under $100/day (or less than $20 dog/day which is cheap!). You need to pay for your own transportation, lodging, food, t-shirts, jackets, etc.., Total fees per day of racing average from $100-$120 for hotel, race fees, and food. You can save money by camping during the good weather.

If your dog is physically sound (ie. can jump safely), likes dogs and people, loves balls, and has unlimited energy, you may enjoy racing with a local team. Most teams practice for an hour or two per week. The average team spends 6-10 weekends year out-of-town at races. Most competitions in this area are held in the Vancouver , BC area.

· Tukwila - Seattle ’s Best Canines - Ken and the team often teach out of the Seattle/King County Humane Society in Bellevue , WA . Please visit http://www.seattlehumane.com/workshop.htm to keep up to date on potential offerings.

If your dog meets all the qualifications above, but doesn’t mind stopping after 10 or so runs, you may wish to join a flyball demo team.

How is Flyball scored?

The dogs earn points towards flyball titles based on the teams time:

less than 32 secs: Each dog earns 1 point
less than 28 secs: Each dog earns 5 points
less than 24 secs: Each dog earns 25 points

Flyball Titles
FD	Flyball Dog	20 points
FDX	Flyball Dog Excellent	100 points
FDCh	Flyball Dog Champion	500 points
AFCh	Australian Flyball Champion	2,000 points
FM	Flyball Dog Master	5,000 points
FMX	Flyball Dog Master Excellent	10,000 points
FMCh	Flyball Dog Master Champion	15,000 points
ONYX	Onyx Plaque	20,000 points (named after its first recipient)
FGDCh	Flyball Dog Grand Champion	30,000 points