Fly ball? Agility?

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Millie lurcher has the most amazing reactions I’ve ever seen in a dog - she has a Kong large tennis ball (now trashed!) and she catches it instantly when I throw it for her every time :)

I don’t know what she is made up of - she looks like a brindle whippet but stockier, but as she was found as a stray on the streets I will never know

Anyhow I thought it might be fun to try and find something to occupy her, but I’m not really sure what? I’ve never done anything with my dogs other than walk them and love them :) so any thoughts about trying maybe agility or fly ball with her? Her recall is - ummm - pretty non-existent once she sees/hears something, but she is loads better than I got her & stays around me on a walk a lot more. I was told she could be toy aggressive when I got her but she doesn’t show any of that now :)
 
i would have thought that flyball may be too much strain on her long legs (im sure if i am wrong someone will correct me), but agility sounds like a good idea, some clubs hire indoor schools so dogs are in a safe enclosed space..or some use fields which are safe as well...agility involves lots of running from the handler so hope you are fit!!!!!!!!.
 
I would say Flyball but I would.....Fizz is doing her first open season and Dobby will start on his first birthday. There are lots of sighthounds who do it but I would suggest finding a club who are patient with zoomies until it’s less exciting :lol: I much prefer it as your in a team so I feel less pressure when competing.

I tried agility with Fizz and I’ll do a bit with Dobby no doubt but I can’t afford both and to be honest she prefers Flyball so that’s what we do.
 
Ive seen dogs that have dreadful recall and behaviour do Flyball, it doesn't matter, they just run in a straight line and back, it doesn't need the "attention to the trainer" that agility does.

I tried it with my small, sport type, ball obsessed lab and while he shot up and down the trainer lane and retrieved/dropped the ball he also jumped out into the next lane and got the ball from that lane too, with snooty training lady muttering about how larger dogs are just sometimes too powerful. It was fun, but I think it'd have got boring all the time, at least agility courses vary?

PS, hope that doesn't sound too disrespectful to those that do Flyball
 
If she's prey driven (lurcher) she might enjoy lure coursing. Bonus of that is you get to stand in one place... ;-)
 
Honey08 said:
Ive seen dogs that have dreadful recall and behaviour do Flyball, it doesn't matter, they just run in a straight line and back, it doesn't need the "attention to the trainer" that agility does.

I tried it with my small, sport type, ball obsessed lab and while he shot up and down the trainer lane and retrieved/dropped the ball he also jumped out into the next lane and got the ball from that lane too, with snooty training lady muttering about how larger dogs are just sometimes too powerful. It was fun, but I think it'd have got boring all the time, at least agility courses vary?

PS, hope that doesn't sound too disrespectful to those that do Flyball
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That’s exactly what Fizz did for a year (with added zoomies) although I’m lucky our club has seemingly infinite patience and is willing to work to the dogs strength and motivations.

She still does the odd collie chase or barking change over now :lol:
 
I did a basic agility course with Dylan where we established the basics, learning how to motivate and direct the dog before sending him over obstacles. I have found it very helpful in teaching sighthounds to concentrate on the handler as they have to watch your body language a lot. I am too old to run around in competition and I could not train and compete with all three anyway but I have trained them all to tackle agility obstacles of competition size over the last two years by hiring the equipment and doing it at our own pace. Because they are all pretty ball mad I use a toy to motivate them rather than treats so you can still use the prey drive to your advantage in agility without the danger of the dog becoming totally obsessive about balls. (Dylan became obsessed with balls at one point, my fault entirely and I had to use it sparingly after that). It has also helped build the confidence of my latest bitch who was very nervous when she came to me. After two years of never asking for more than she can face on any day she is ready to tackle her last bugbear, the seesaw. I find it has helped me bond with all the dogs and they are much more responsive now. Perhaps if you go and watch the training for both flyball and agility it will help you decide which would suit you and Millie best?
 
I watched a fly ball event for the first time live last year and I couldn’t stand it...it’s so loud! Owners and dogs and other team members all hyped up and screaming their heads off, not great when you are noise sensitive! It was brilliant fun to watch the dogs do their thing, and I really enjoyed the ones that went a bit errant, I’d quite like it if only it had a mute button!

So it would be ability all the way if it was me, just for my sanity!
 
BBP said:
I watched a fly ball event for the first time live last year and I couldn’t stand it...it’s so loud! Owners and dogs and other team members all hyped up and screaming their heads off, not great when you are noise sensitive! It was brilliant fun to watch the dogs do their thing, and I really enjoyed the ones that went a bit errant, I’d quite like it if only it had a mute button!

So it would be ability all the way if it was me, just for my sanity!
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Yep, this is why when daughters little flyball dog came to live with me we changed to agility. He enjoys both equally. Lev, this post has reminded me that I never looked up agility groups for you, there seem to be a few in glos, I'll try and narrow it down a bit.
 
Sorry to the flyball enthusiasts but it bores me stupid 🙈 I would love to have a go at agility with the mental, but astoundingly athletic, cockapoo but find I just dont have the time. She has to make do with leaping fences at the stables instead 😂
 
We've only tried flyball once- and that was a disaster. Obie is not keen on people he doesn't know so getting him to approach a strange man even for a tennis ball was a no go :( We do agility and he loves it. There's no flyball groups in my area so I'd have a 40 mile trip on a Sunday morning... bit too much like hard work :) Be warned- agility is pretty addictive!
 
For flyball you need good recall. We train without nets always have done as when those nets are taken away you end up training from the beginning again.
 
Use to do both with my Greyhound ( now retired), its very addictive.

The group i used to train with used netting then took it away one jump at a time, which worked great for all breeds of dogs :)
 
Whatever you do- enjoy :D I dabble with both but train weekly for agility with my somewhat slow burning on the learning front spaniel. He 'learnt' flyball in a few sessions and is a reserve for the team as I can't commit to the shows, whilst we're still 12months in a way off being competitive even at lowest level agility- but it does depend on your dog, mine is very errr, driven, but with limited direction!
 
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