Before moving on to this lesson be sure that the dog is ready. Is your dog excited when they see the motivator? This is a good indication that they are ready to start this lesson. In this lesson you will play different games designed to increase the dog’s drive to you.
Games
The following games are meant to be played in succession but it’s not that critical. The Sure Shot Flyball Blog has other games and exercises that you can play with your puppy that you may want to check out. I have found that it is also a good idea to have other dogs present during some of these exercises since I have found that some Border collies with strong herding instincts, mine included, have problems working when other dogs are present. I worked my dog mostly alone and ended up with other issues that I am still trying to work out. I have found a good game to the help this and I have included it here (see game 7).
1. To increase drive and coordination, play chase games with your dog. Run away from them and then change directions and run the other way. Let them catch you and then play with them with your hands or motivator. Let them win by giving them the motivator for a few seconds.
2. Restrained recalls: Have someone hold your dog and then start running away from them calling their name. The person holding your dog should release them when you are about 20 feet away. When they catch you, play with them with the motivator. If they miss the motivator turn and run that other way until they catch you. Get excited and make a big deal of it. Let them win by giving them the motivator for a few seconds.
3. In order to prepare your dog for passing you always want to keep your motivator in your left hand. Your dog should catch you early on your left side when beginning to play this game. If the dog comes around on the right they were probably released too late or you are too far away from them when they were released. When they catch you, play with them with the motivator and then use it to return them to the holder for another run. Once your dog always catches you from the left side, have the handler start releasing them when you are further away from them.
4. Ball work: Now that your dog loves their motivator it’s time for them to start loving a ball as well. Put your motivator away. Repeat game 1 of this lesson using a ball in place of the motivator. Roll the ball away from you and have them go after it. When they are bringing the ball back to you, run away and make sure they continue to hold it. When they catch you, play tug with the ball in their mouth. If your dog doesn’t like balls you will have to build love of the ball. Look back at Lesson 1 and in place of the motivator in that lesson use the ball. Do not move on to the next game until your dog is driving back to you with the ball. The dog is solid when you cannot pull the ball out of their mouth.
For young puppies it’s a good idea to work motivator and ball games during puppyhood.
5. You are now ready for ball to motivator transition. You should now have a dog that loves their motivator and ball. Continue to play as in the previous game. Now, however, when the dog catches you, instead of tugging with the ball in the dog’s mouth, use your motivator as a reward. When running away from them don’t show them the motivator too soon. Hide it under your arm until they catch you. You should not move on to the next game until your dog is consistently bringing the ball back to you and taking the motivator as a reward.
6. This is a continuation of game 5 but now you want to increase the distance of the ball. Start by holding your dog like you would if you were starting them during a race and then throw the ball away from you and have your dog go after it. Wait a second or two until the ball stops rolling before sending them. When they are bringing the ball back to you, run away and when they catch you play with them with the motivator. Make a big deal of it. Get excited. This is one of the most important games to play with your dog because this game will build drive back to you with a ball.
7. This is a good game that is very similar to game 6 above but you play it using a second dog and handler. The first handler throws a ball out and as the first dog is returning with the ball the second handler throws a ball for the second dog. This is a great game for dogs that are a little too focused on other dogs.
Determine Natural Turn
Before starting this next step the handler should determine the natural turn of the dog. Over several sessions, throw a ball and send the dog and take note of which way the dog turns. I have found that it is good to be in an open area so that the dog has nothing on either side of them to hinder or force their turn one way or the other.
Chute Training
There are many different thoughts on using a training chute. Some trainers start with a box with a jump or other prop in front of the box. I prefer the chute because I have found with larger dogs it is easier to get them used to having their back feet on something. The idea of this is to get the whole dog on chute. If your dog cannot get all of their feet on the chute then the chute is too small or the dog is a very large breed and this may not be possible. If it’s the former try getting a larger chute.
You can find plans to build your own adjustable chute on the i-flyball.com website.
If you were unable to determine the natural turn of the dog in the previous step you may have to start chute training with the ball placed in the center of the chute. Make sure there are no obstacles on either side or in front of the chute. Over several sessions take note of which way the dog turns. After you are confident of the natural turn of the dog, place the ball on the correct side of the chute and/or box for all subsequent lessons.
When first starting chute training, the chute should be set to its lowest level if you are using an adjustable chute. Have the dog retrieve the ball from the chute with the ball in the proper position. Have the ball far enough on the chute so that all four of the dog’s paws are on the chute. A small chute jump or flyball jump should be placed in front of the chute to insure the dog is jumping on to it. Get excited when the dog retrieves the ball and use your motivator as a reward. This is also a good way to work on the ball to motivator transition. However, if it looks like the dog is dropping the ball too soon, put your motivator away and use the ball as a tug as in the previous games. Do this for a few sessions and then go back to the motivator as a reward.
If the dog is making too wide of a turn or coming off the side of the chute, you will need to put a barrier on the side to get a tighter turn and to stop the dog from bailing off the side.
Note: Use self adhesive Velcro for the ball positions on the chute. For a chute supply list and photos see links on the Flyball Training Manual page.
Additional Information
As a side note, never call your dog to you and do something to them that you know they don’t like. The best way to approach this is to physically go and get your dog. Don’t say anything to them just go get them. Any time that you call them to you, you always want it to be a positive experience for them.
Training Manual Information
This is a series of articles that I will post about Flyball training. I would ask that you please try to keep your comments to the specific topic of the each article, for there will be many others. You can see a high level outline of the topic to be covered in future post by viewing the Training Manual. Keeping the comments specific to each article will help future readers.
Please keep in mind that there are numerous methods in use but these are the ones that I use and they are some that work for me. If you have others that you would like to share, please post your comments.
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5 comments ↓
I think the motivator should be the most important thing in training flyball so that the dog will and can be trained to do almost anything for the reward of playing with the motivator.
I get my dogs completely “obsessed” with their motivator, and when they are, I can start asking them to go fetch the ball. The ball is not the reward, nor do I want them to love the ball as much or more than the motivator. For the dog, getting the ball is a means to an end i.e. the game with the motivator.
A lot of dogs that have loved the ball too much will go get the ball and lose speed coming back. “got my reward, so why should I hurry to come back??” I’ve seen others get the ball and go runabout with it losing has sometimes been an excellent recall. Some people use food which isn’t a bad idea if the dog has no prey drive just food drive, but I personally don’t like the idea of a food build up in a dogs stomach while racing and if treats are dry food it leads to bigger thirst.
You mention startng the chute at the lowest setting . . . do you increses the angle to increase the speed of the turn? What do you use in the holes to anchor the ramp to the back?
Thanks
The chute should be set at the lowest angle just so the dog gets use to jumping on it and having all feet on the chute. We use self adhesive Velcro for the ball positions. With early training which this is, we have the ball positions set at the highest position. Aaron Robins uses a similar technique using a piece of plywood but doesn’t use a ball. He uses tape and trains targeting. I like to use a ball at first and in the later lessons I just have the dog do on and off work off the chute without the ball, but I’m getting ahead of myself.
I have a six year old mix that started flyball last year. Before he started he already loved the tennis ball and the frisbee, but he has almost no desire to tug. When I grab the ball or Frisbee while its in his mouth he just lets go so that I will throw it again. Is it imperative that he will tug with me?
Also, he likes the Frisbee more than the ball, which in theory could be good, but whenever he sees the Frisbee he thinks it is time to play with that and stop doing flyball. He usually goes over a couple jumps, then stops and looks back for me to throw the Frisbee. At this point the Frisbee is too distracting to be a recall motivator.
Can you think of anything I can do either at the park or at flyball practice to help him learn that the only way he gets the Frisbee is after a clean run? Right now I will only throw the Frisbee at the park after he brings the tennis ball, but he has very little interest in the ball when he knows that I have the Frisbee. If I don’t have the Frisbee with me he will chase the ball all day.
Thanks!
I would start using a Frisbee as your return motivator. Baby steps is really the answer. If your dog is crazy about the Frisbee in the park, play some different place. Hide the Frisbee under your shirt, throw the ball a few times, and on the last return use the Frisbee as the reward. If your dog doesn’t want to play with the ball after that quit playing and wait awhile. On the next play session, do the same thing and keep doing this repeatedly until your dog will get the ball and return to the Frisbee.
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