Monday Mischief - Flying Away...

On Saturday, we had a go at some home-made Flyball!

Earl picked it up in an unbelievable instant! 

He knows how to 'Fetch' which is one of the main factors of this activity. He also knows (obviously, being a seasoned agility dog) knows how to jump over jumps)! AND he knows how to jump in front of me without me at his side. All very important factors, and basically what the whole sport is about!

Today will be all about setting up some have-a-go Flyball equipment and having a BLAST in your own back garden! And how to train what you need.

First of all, set up three or four jumps in your garden, depending on space. We chose three jumps, and set them up using simple buckets, and mops and brooms from around the house! (We do have 2 poles of wood which we made for jumps at home, which I am aiming to paint soon). Your dog will jump over these, one at a time; so make sure they are not too close together, or too far apart, either! The dog must learn to jump, hit ground, and set off to jump again straight after. This makes the process more speedy! Time is of the essence, in this sport!

HOW THE PROCESS SHOULD GO
Star 1 - Dog sits and waits to run
Star 2 (furthest away) - dog stops/hits pad to collect ball
The dog then runs back over the jumps, and drops the tennis ball back at the owner.

Now, get two toys if need be, one to encourage your dog back with (incentive for activity and enthusiasm) over the jumps, and one to place at the far end or place in the pad in which the dog's paw pressure activates release.

EARL'S TOP TIP!:

Woof, yap, barkz, hey y'awl! Earwy here. Hey, wanna know a woofin' tip for fwybawl? Youw dawgy has to know how to jwump over an objwect (preferabwy a jump) to succeed in dis spowt! Have fun!


There we go. Tip straight from the dog's mouth.

Now, set your dog up at the front of the jumps, and place one ball in which your dog is 'driven' by (doesn't necessarily have to be a ball, however balls are used in proper Flyball) at the end of the row, not too close, or far out from the last jump. Test jump your dog over the jumps, running beside him, then reward, of course, with your own choice of reward for the desired behaviour. See where your dog lands and put it only a few dog paces away from that spot.

Now, running alongside your dog to start with, say 'go', 'over' or whatever other command your send off command is personally for you and your own dog, and encourage your dog along the jumps. Just before he jumps the last jump, say 'fetch!' excitedly and encourage him/her to pick up the ball. ~ If this fails, go over quickly and get the dog to catch, and then run back along the jumps. ~ You may want to use the 'hold' command if needs be as you run back along the jumps. Tell him to 'leave' at the end, and throw the second ball for him. Have a great game with him/her! You succeeded! Time to celebrate! Yaaay!

Go over!! (Sending the dog off)

Get it, fetch! (Approaching the toy)

Come on! Go! (Dog returning with toy, over jumps)

Leave. Dog returned to you and dropped the ball.

Now praise your dog - he tried very hard, regardless of the success of the session! Not all dogs pick things up quickly, so keep at it! 

Praise is key in all interaction with your four-legged friend!

To become more similar to a proper Flyball participator, gradually DON'T run as far alongside your dog as he runs along the jumps.

Try teaching a 'go', 'go in front' or 'forward' (etc) command, which should help your dog run while you stand still, behind. To do this, throw a ball in front of your dog, and YOU stand in the same place. Then add the word for this command (I use 'go') in, and soon, you can say 'go', and your dog should start running, regardless of a toy thrown. Then, wait a few seconds as your dog runs off, before giving the toy a big 'umpth!' throw so it lands in front of your running dog. Soon, you should be able to say 'go' (etc) and your dog just runs! Again, make sure you build this up GRADUALLY, like most things…

Enjoy, and remember - this is a fun activity to try your paw at at home. Keep it fun and enjoyable!

The Monday Mischief blog hop is hosted by Snoopy's Dogblog, Alfie's Blog and My Brown Newfies. We're hopping along!