Beginners Flyball £112 (8 week course)
Tuesday's - 7pm -Branksome Centre, Recreation Road, Poole, BH12 2EA
Intermediate Flyball £56 (4 week course)
Tuesday's - 8pm - Branksome Centre, Recreation Road, Poole, BH12 2EA
Wednesday's - 7.30pm - Holt Village Hall, Harts Lane, Holt, BH21 7DJ
What is Flyball?
In the competition world, flyball is an intense relay sport which became official in 1984. It involves two teams each consisting of four handlers and dogs. Handlers send their dogs down a 51-foot course with a start/finish line at one end over 4 hurdles to collect a ball at the other end from a flyball box to bring it back over the 4 hurdles to the handler. Dogs in competitive flyball can reach speeds of up to 30mph resulting in them looking like they’re flying! Hence the name!
The fastest flyball world record is held by a team named 'Roadrunners Beep Beep' (very fitting) who, at Crufts 2023, completed the relay in 14.16 seconds! That's an average of each dog running 102 feet in 3.54 seconds!
The dog who holds the top spot here at Poochadise is a Cockapoo named Hendrix who holds the record at 5.21 seconds!
How does Fun Flyball work?
At Poochadise Canine Services, we will be learning the sport purely for fun, not to compete.
Each beginners course is 8 weeks long due to the skills learned to safely participate. Dogs also need to learn to catch and give up the ball! (Although, we do have some 'food runners' who run purely to the box for food (or their own toy) to then run back to their owners so please don't feel you can't give it a go if your dog isn't ball driven!)
After completing the 8 week beginners course, you are then eligible to come to intermediates sessions which are grouped into 4 week courses.
Private session options are also available.
Which dogs can take part in Fun Flyball?
Fun Flyball at Poochadise isn't as fast paced as what you see in competitions or on TV! The ball retrieval aspect of the run isn't as 'hard hitting' due to us running for fun rather than on the clock, although the end game is still the same and there will be healthy competition between the teams!
Our ball launch pads are not spring activated, but instead use velcro to attach the balls ready for retrieval so force is not required to activate the spring release mechanism. Even if your dog is not fast, they can still participate (9+ months).
What to expect?
The 8 sessions that make up the beginners course are broken down each week into fun learning lessons for you and your dog! Please do not expect to be doing full runs and racing in weeks 1-3! Sessions are broken down into training drills (as stated in the 'top tips' further down the page), health & safety aspects of flyball, jumping drills, socialisation & distractions and box work. From week 4, everything starts being pieced together! The 'runs' are equipped with rubber matting to ensure no slips.
From week 4, the 8 dogs and handlers will be split into two teams. In each team, there are two different positions that everyone will get to have a go at! The first is the 'Start Dog'. The job of this dog is, you guessed it, the first dog to run! Usually this is the most competitive and athletic dog to give their team a strong head start. We then have the 'second' and 'third' dogs which are the middle runners. The final piece of the puzzle is the 'Anchor Dog'. Again, this dog is one of the fastest on the team and swoops in for the win!
The intermediates course is 4 weeks long and you can just keep rolling every month if you catch the flyball bug!!!
What to bring to lessons?
Reward/tug toy, poo bags, lots of drinking water for you and your dog, a bowl, a normal lead (not slip or extendable), a harness and/or collar that doesn't affect your dogs movement, treats and plenty of enthusiasm!
Private/121 Sessions (Available on Tuesdays in Branksome at 8pm & Wednesdays in Holt at 8.45pm)
£37 for 45 minutes (1 dog)
£47 for 45 minutes (2+ dogs)
This is a great option for those who wish to trial a fun flyball session before committing to a full course, have a reactive/nervous dog who needs space, have an elderly dog/puppy/dog with special needs who requires a bit more time and understanding, have multiple family dogs who you want to do a private session with or maybe you want to throw an flyball doggy birthday party! These are just some examples-the list is endless!
Payment is required at the time of booking. Failure to pay may result in your booking being cancelled.
A 48 hour cancellation policy is in place for this option. If notice of less than 48 hours is given, there will be no option of a refund or 'roll over'.
