What is Flyball?
Flyball is a team relay race for dogs. 2 teams of 4 dogs race against each other.
The race course consists of 4 jumps spaced 10 feet apart, with a start line 6 feet
in front of the first jump and a flyball box 15 feet from the last jump. The jumps
are set at 4 inches smaller than the smallest dog on the team, with the highest
possible jumps being 14 inches and the lowest 7 inches.
Starting lights similar to those used in dragracing begin the race - no dog may
cross the start line until the green light goes on! The first dog must race over
all four hurdles to the box and trigger the box with its paws. (Pictured to the
right, Sunshine hits the box) The box then releases a tennis ball, which the dog
must catch and bring back over all four jumps.
As the first dog returns, the second dog starts running. Ideally, the dogs pass
nose-to-nose at the start line. The dog is faulted if it passes too early and must
run again at the end.
The race continues until all four dogs have finished. If a dog or handler makes
an error (such as dropping a ball, going around a jump, or passing too early), that
dog must rerun. The first team that finishes running all dogs wins. However, both
winning and losing teams gain points towards their titles, depending on how fast
they finish the race!