They are a sight to behold and a joy to handle. Some of them are not the fastest out there but they are amazing in their own right. They are the dogs that can run the flyball race themselves… they only have a handler out there because that’s the rules.They are the dogs that you can say “line up” to and they position themselves for a recall from the box. They will hold their spot till you get to the back of the lane and call them. As their handler it doesn’t matter when you release… if you are early they will adjust their own pass, if you are late they are jumping out of your hands when the outbound dog is at the “right” hurdle.
As you hold them in the back of the lane you feel their energy build. They press up against you trembling with excitement. They know the judge’s whistle when there is an early start and you can tell because they relax, only to wind up again as the lights start their countdown again.
At the back of the lane they do their little routine with you, a few tugs and a few spins, then they turn themselves around, position themselves and focus for the next race.
They see the crates go in the car and know that practice or a tournament is on the way. On the way to practice they lean into the turns before you’ve made them. They know they are tournament bound when you hit the freeway and they settle into a nice nap.
They train the new handlers and the green dogs. They just love the sport and are happiest when they are out flying over the jumps being part of the action.
Connie
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2 comments ↓
I have 1 who is a total dream and amazingly enough she is my 1st flyball dog, acd - Foster. My borderjack is great but he won’t hold that stay when he is on the lanes
My other 2 dogs are a toy poodle and a border collie. The poodle is a momma’s boy and runs to please only me and that treat. My border collie has a bunch of fears to overcome before she hits the lanes again.
FYI - Fears in dogs could be a great blog entry for comments.
Although not nearly as perfect as the dog described, my GSD mix is awesome! He ran in the anchor position for many, many years and learned to count. Standing on the sidelines, he’d bark and rave as the race began, then settle down and count. As soon as the second dog passed, he’d pull me into the lane and set himself up to go. If I was late for a pass, he’d yank free of me and go on his own.
Now, he still runs, but he’s had to become more flexible and run in other positions. He’s lost some of his calm and relaxed behavior and is slowly learning how to adjust to these changes. Without a doubt, he’ll learn how to run himself in these new positions and flourish there as well.
And, I second a discussion on dog fears - my other dog is going through a fear phase right now.
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