A Dalmatian Playing Flyball?

How did you get started training in flyball?
 
Actually we were referred to look into flyball from Magnolia's doggie daycare (Dog Day Afternoon) when she was just a pup.  They'd noticed that she had the unwavering amount of energy that is so common to the breed and told me that life would be much easier if she had a "job."  Shortly after that my mother and I went to the Beltway Bandits (our Flyball club) home tournament to check it out.  The amount of fun insanity was almost too much to bear, but I walked out unable to quit smiling.  I knew that this was just the thing for Magnolia to get into.

I typically see Border Collies or Jack Russells doing flyball. What made you decide to get Magnolia, the Dalmatian, involved?

As I mentioned before, Magnolia needed a "job."  She's not a dog that can just sit at home and be content to sleep at your feet all day, occasionally lift her head and get a pat, and then return to the rug.  A little black and white ball of energy, she needed to be able to get out, be active, and have a purpose in life.  Also, the challenge of training a Dalmatian in flyball was too much for me to pass up!  I'm not your typical dog owner; an easy dog is not for me!!  I revel in being able to say that I've gone the hard road and been successful.  Dalmatians are incredibly smart, and the difficulties that come in training them is exactly why they're so great at things.  They're constantly thinking, working things out for themselves; that requires you to constantly stay on top of their training.  If they see an "easier" way out of something they'll work the problem themselves and think they've triumphed, even if what they've done isn't in the "rules."  Dals can also be incredibly independent.  They're not working dogs like Border Collies and Jacks.  Rather, you have to keep things interesting to keep their attention.

How is Magnolia doing in her flyball pursuits?

Here's a little known trivia fact about Magnolia: she is the 101st Dalmatian to register with NAFA (the North American Flyball Association) to play flyball!!  And after 4 years in training and competition, I am proud to say that Magnolia has really blossomed in her flyball career!  Magnolia's had to overcome her share of obstacles to get where she is today.  First, she's a Unilateral hearing Dalmatian.  She and "echoey" places don't mix, and quite a few flyball venues are full of strange echos!  Being unilateral, it's difficult for her to tell where the sound is traveling from and harder for her to filter out the outside noise.  Second, she's epileptic.  It took some time to get her medication regulated to where she wasn't too spaced out from the anti-convulsants to focus on the game.  Now we're using a combination of Western medicines, a raw diet, acupuncture, and Chinese herbs to control her seizures with minimal side effects.  Also, it took quite awhile to train her to do her job, but now that she understands the game she is a rock star!  She's just recently made her personal best of 4.7 seconds for the run down and back, and we're just a hair away from achieving her Flyball Master Excellent title.  She's the only Dal racing on the entire East Coast of the U.S. and she's currently ranked 15th in North America.  After some rocky moments (she's been known to be completely distracted by the smell of hamburger during racing) she's really found her groove in the game, knows it's a race, and is one of the most solid dogs on our team now!  In 2008, Magnolia and the rest of her team won 3rd place in Multibreed Division 2 in Region 9!!  I really couldn't be more proud of that little spotted wonder dog!

Why did you choose flyball over other dog agility sports?

To be completely honest, the original reason that I chose flyball over traditional agility is because all that equipment scares the beejeezus out of me!  I can barely tell the difference between a tunnel and a teeter, let alone know what to do with an A-Frame!!  I'm a total klutz and I could see myself tripping over my own two feet trying to keep up with Magnolia on an agility course.  However, I would say that now I couldn't imagine doing another dog sport because I love the camaraderie that comes with flyball.  We're really a *team* on Beltway Bandits.  We all watch out for each other, help each other, and cheer each other on.  I've never laughed and cried so much with a group of people as I have with the friends I've made on Beltway Bandits.  It just feels awesome when you come off of the racing lanes having gotten a title or made a personal best and to have all your team mates reveling in it with you!  And when things aren't going so great (i.e., Magnolia's gone running after her boyfriend the hot Cattle Dog named Saucer) the team is there to remind you that dogs will be dogs and that they'll have completely forgotten about it so long as you don't dwell on it.  You can't get that from a sport where you're competing against everyone else on the field.  And in flyball even the people that you're competing against are supportive.  When a dog gets a big title, like an Onyx Award or a Flyball Dog Champion 70K, the whole arena erupts in applause!  There's just a great spirit that comes with the game.

What advice do you have for folks wanting to get started doing flyball?

The best advice for flyball beginners?  I have three jewels of advice.   First, RECALL, RECALL, RECALL!!  You have to have a reliable recall in the face of adversity to have a good flyball dog.  So work it hard, but make it fun!!!  A dog who thinks he'll get a fantastic prize is a dog that will come racing back to you no matter what he thinks is out there.  A good place to get information on how to train a perfect recall is Jean Donaldson's book "The Culture Clash: A Revolutionary New Way to Understanding the Relationship Between Humans and Domestic Dogs."  The whole book is fantastic, but the last chapter breaks down training behaviors into different levels with really specific detail.  Second, get out and work with your dog doing anything.  It helps so much when training for flyball if your dog thinks you're the center of the universe.  If your dog *wants* to work with you is much easier for them to adapt to a new training regime.  There are some parts of flyball that are very similar to other things your dog may be familiar with, but there are other parts that will seem foreign and maybe even scary.  If your dog trusts you, he will be more willing to try new things even if they seem strange and scary.   Finally, don't give up!!!  Sometimes it takes an eon and a village to get the job done.  Don't be afraid to recognize that your dog needs more proofing.  Tournaments and competition will come, I promise you!  But a solid flyball dog is something that takes time, effort, and endless amounts of energy (in the beginning you'll wonder why no one told you that training a flyball dog requires just about as much running as training for the Marine Corps Marathon).  Whatever you do, don't skimp on the training.  The more proofing you do, the easier your first tournament will be!!


Photos courtesy of Swift Bennett Photography