Interesting night of flyball practice

[SheepOfBlue]

So last week I skipped due to my crash and this week I still can not kneel so was planning on just going to socialize Mr Spitfire. The coach asked if I wanted to try having someone else run Sca since if they both get going it might be necessary in the future. So we went.

Well I am sitting there doing little since going back to work really did me in. Ooops backup, I take Sca out to the little dogs room with Spitfire next and Spitfire goes while I am out. Everyone cleaned it which was kind of them as bending to do that would be rough. So class gets ready and Jennifer comes over to get Spitfire. I think sure go ahead try as he is a chicken around new people and a guy dog. He did VERY well. All the obedience he did almost as well as with me. Then she got him to do the box some. He was less sure about coming back to her but did so and kind of stopped at the end. So I hobbled over and had him come back to me over all four so we could end on a good run. Also when just loose he will go over and through all the jumps just because

Next up was Sca. Well Sca likes everyone including Jennifer but she makes him mind when boxing for that team I figured he would run for almost anyone but he did awesome. I really did not give any pointers on where and how to hold his harness (it matters some) until he had run some. After a bunch of good runs (expect he was sassing Slick the BC) he kind of failed a bit at the end. I think it was my fault. He watches me closer than it appears and I had gotten up between runs and hobbled over to the restroom. On the way back I stopped and was talking to one of our team members whose husband also races bikes. I think me moving, standing and talking was more than Sca could take and he had to come visit.

Overall Sca was his usual awesome and Spitfire amazes me. He is progressing MUCH faster than Sca did or I figured he would. Now I just need to get the idea of picking up a stationary ball into him.

 

[mellie]

I bet it's neat o see your" Boyz "run for someone else...How do you teach them to pick up a stationary ball from the box ?

 

[SheepOfBlue]

With Sca I would but him in his harness and tie him to a chair. Then walk out a few feet and put a treat down. Come back release him and off course he would go get it and come back for another. Then I started putting a ball on top of it. It took a bit but he got it then was gold. Of course was always motivated if I threw it so balls were fun already.

I will try similar with Spitfire. The hard thing is when they are pups you need to limit the repetitions or they lose focus. You want to stop on a good run with lots of treats and pets if possible. So while the urge is there to do 10 more once they start it is best not to.

 

[mellie]

With Sca I would but him in his harness and tie him to a chair. Then walk out a few feet and put a treat down. Come back release him and off course he would go get it and come back for another. Then I started putting a ball on top of it. It took a bit but he got it then was gold. Of course was always motivated if I threw it so balls were fun already.

I will try similar with Spitfire. The hard thing is when they are pups you need to limit the repetitions or they lose focus. You want to stop on a good run with lots of treats and pets if possible. So while the urge is there to do 10 more once they start it is best not to.

Cool...would looooooooooooooooove to do flyball, but work schedule doesn't permit. I have seen videos on picking the ball off the box but never how to get them to have desire to pu a still ball...Sally loves fetch and throwing a jump in there would be no problem, but she would be distracted beyond belief with all the other dogs runnning around . Guess that's the challenge of it. Enjoy the progress videos a lot.

 

[corbinam]

That's cool! I like that I have Jonathan to run the dogs because I can watch and see how they actually do. It's a different perspective.

Glad to hear that Spitfire is progressing so well.

 

[Emmasmom]

Your team is doing so well. Sorry you had the accident and are moving slow, but it sounds as if your dogs are coming along great. I just love watching the Shelties soar over the jumps in flyball. I think Liam would be great at this as would Natalie.

 

[Caro]

That's fantastic they will both run for someone else. It makes a huge difference when you are running two dogs if someone can step in, esp if they have to run on the same team or the change-overs are tight (or you have another accident) and it's a good indication of how confident they both are. Mind you, you might find they start going off to comps without you!

 

[Bejilia]

Cool...would looooooooooooooooove to do flyball, but work schedule doesn't permit. I have seen videos on picking the ball off the box but never how to get them to have desire to pu a still ball...Sally loves fetch and throwing a jump in there would be no problem, but she would be distracted beyond belief with all the other dogs runnning around . Guess that's the challenge of it. Enjoy the progress videos a lot.

Don't worry! Many dogs get more confidence, when they understand and learn to love, what they do. And the day, the only thing they want is to run, they wouldn't let other dogs distruct them anymore.