Check Out This Weeks Featured Post! :

Flashy Friday Week 2!

Flashy Friday! Week 2 -  "Spin" Whew! A whole week between posts, sorry guys! Like I've mentioned before we're pr...

Friday, August 14, 2015

Flyball Friday!

First Club Practice!


Last night we got to meet the flyball club! I wasn't really sure what to expect for our first practice but I gotta say it was amazing meeting and helping out!

The club was really organized, after everyone helped to set up the flyball lanes, dogs were put into rotation using a whiteboard to list out names and orders. 

Based on levels of experience, beginner dogs got to run in lanes by themselves while the more veteran dogs ran in pairs. Super distractable beginners, got a mini fence put in-between the lanes to help block the view of the other dog and lower the level of distraction.

Dante's first run was next to another beginning dog, a cute little Jack Russell who couldn't get her eyes off of him. They needed a fence.  *Must be love..*

Photo Credit - What is Flyball?
Runaway

So to warm up we began at the box, Dante wasn't so sure at first about a stranger restraining him but he quickly warmed up when he realized it's the same game we play at home.

Beginning at the box, the box loader held Dante back while I ran down the race lane - his goal was to successfully run the lane and take all four jumps ending with his reward at the start line.

One thing I learned in agility is where you position your body changes what your dog may choose to do. I wasn't sure Dante would complete all four jumps so I was baby stepping him by only asking him to do two jumps, this put me off to the side of the lane and so he veered and was not taking the jumps. Finally the loader suggested I go all the way to the end (start line), make direct eye contact and call him to me.  It worked!! Dante took all four jumps!

After the warm up we began practicing our box turns and sequencing the jump to the box turn.

Us practicing ball retrieval at home with Dante, his reward for bringing it back is that we'll play tug!

Setting up for Success

Since it was our first practice in a new and very distracting setting, I wasn't asking for too much.
We started with just a couple box turns to remind him what he was supposed to be doing, then added in the ball retrieval. In case you don't remember, here is us practicing at home. At home we have been  doing one jump, and using a prop which goes right in front of the box to teach the dogs to jump on the box. We need to start weaning out the use of the prop.


We then started backing up and adding in more distance. By the end of practice we were almost to the point of adding in a second jump!

I was surprised at how well Dante did! He's normally my space cadet who struggles to stay focused on me, but he did awesome! I'm a proud mama, he listened thought about taking off to say hi to another dog only once (I snagged him in time to remind him not to), and we accomplished more than I thought we would.

Ziva on the other hand, for being my confident agility girl was playing shy at practice. She was displaying a lot of her nervous behaviors, tail tucking, head down, slinking around looking at everything. She warmed up though! Her runaways were perfect, probably because she's my OCD princess (crazy story here), she veered once when she dropped the ball, self corrected, and still went over the proper jump! Love that brain of hers!



Her box turns though were sloppy and slow, unlike at home where slow is our only problem, but as we keep going her confidence will build so i'm not too worried. The whole club was wonderful and welcoming, like a big happy family! I never felt this way at agility practice so it's a refreshing change, probably because agility is such a solo sport though.  



Our Homework!

Box turns while weaning out the prop! 

Continuing to practice Dante's dead ball retrievals.

Sending to the box from a further distance. Can't wait for next week! Sorry no pictures from practice last night.

I call this one, "CHOMP!!"

FitDog Friday

Grab button for Pet Parade Blog Hop

24 comments:

  1. I'm so glad you guys had a great time at practice. I hated being sick and missing your first team practice, but I knew the team would take care of you.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I hope you feel better soon! We missed seeing you. :-) But it was tons of fun!

      Delete
  2. Looks like so much fun and a good workout for dogs who are into balls!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Actually, hilarious as it may seem. Dogs that have no ball drive are easier to train! Ziva who has ball drive is slow because once she has the ball she slows down, unlike Dante who runs like hell because he gets his reward when he brings it back. LoL

      Delete
  3. That looks so cool! Sounds like they're both going to love Flyball!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm so glad we found a family sport! I don't think Dante would have liked how technical agility is.

      Delete
  4. Sounds like a great group to be associated with. Love those two last photos - such happy faces.

    ReplyDelete
  5. They are both so cute! That sounds like fun!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Sounds like a good first practice! Some people were interested in Mr. N as a height dog but it makes me a little nervous because he's so small.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tons of small dogs do flyball, Mr. N is pretty athletic I bet he'd do just fine! The jump height is set for the shortest dog, and even then they are way shorter than an agility jump. :-)

      Delete
  7. Love the pic of Z with her ball. Adorable.

    And the fly ball club sounds like loads of fun.

    Isn't it interesting to see how the pups changed in a new setting. I'm sure once Ziva gets more experience at the club, you'll see some amazing things from her.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think you're right. Give her a few more sessions and I think she'll be much more at ease. :-)

      Delete
  8. Looks like soo much fun! Loved the videos.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I love reading your posts. Love seeing progress and people having fun with dogs, dogs working. Sigh. I can't wait to get back into competitive obedience. I miss it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That'll be so much fun for you! I love working with the pups. :-)

      Delete

Barks & Howls are always welcome!!

Share Me