If you’ve got a dog that likes to fetch and is crazy about balls, you might consider training him in flyball, a popular dog sport where teams of dogs race against each other while jumping over hurdles and catching a ball. But don’t let the simplicity of the sport fool you. Mastering flyball is no easy feat, especially since it involves a piece of equipment that’s not as simple as it looks – the flyball box. For many new flyball dogs, the flyball box is downright confusing and even scary. Still, with proper training and patience, most dogs learn how to use the apparatus, which has come a long way since the early days of the sport.
History of the Flyball Box
In modern flyball, two teams of four dogs race each other, relay-style, in side-by-side lanes down a 51-foot course, jumping four evenly-spaced hurdles that lead to a spring-loaded flyball box. After stepping on the box, which shoots out a tennis ball, each dog must catch the ball, turn, and race back down the course. But when flyball was introduced in the early 1970s, the sport looked a little different. In the beginning, there was no flyball box. Instead, dogs would complete a series of hurdles, then leap to catch a ball that was thrown high into the air by a person.
Not surprisingly, the high leaping and particularly the landings caused many injuries to dogs, including torn ligaments and spinal damage. Flyball competitors realized the danger of this sport and the need for a ball-launching apparatus. Soon, a man named Herbert Wagner designed a box that would throw a tennis ball when triggered. This new invention gave Flyball its name.
The first flyball boxes, however, still sent the balls soaring upward. A dog would run up to the box, stop, and step on a horizontal pedal to release the ball into the air. The arm propelling the balls appeared on the outside of the early boxes, which were crudely made with wood and bungee cords and lasting no more than a few months. To allow for better speed and accuracy, the arm was later adjusted so that the ball would project toward the dog. But injuries, especially to the teeth, gums, head, neck, and shoulders of dogs, still occurred.
Eventually, the flyball box evolved into today’s upright, wedge-shaped box, which encourages a dog to run off the apparatus rather than slam into it, making it safer, more durable, and better for speed. Other improved features of the flyball box include an unexposed arm, several ball holes to accommodate small and large dogs as well as left and right turners, and a vertical, padded pedal that comprises much of the front of the box, for an easy target. Although today’s flyball boxes come in a variety of styles and designs, one thing has remained consistent through the years – all flyball boxes must be mechanically activated.
Striving for the Perfect Turn at the Box
So why all the fuss over a box? While a dog’s speed up and down the race course matters plenty, a perfect turn at the flyball box can make all the difference in the overall time of the race – which is the main reason flyball boxes are now designed with vertical, rather than the earlier horizontal, pedals. Besides triggering the ball, the vertical pedal serves as a turning surface that allows dogs to perform a fast “swimmer’s” turn and puts them at a better angle for catching the ball. Even so, learning how to step on the box, catch the ball, turn 180 degrees, and step off the box – all in a swift, horizontal motion – takes much practice and training by dogs and their handlers.
Ironically, for new flyball dogs, learning how to use the box often begins without using the box at all. In fact, many trainers start by simply teaching dogs how to pounce. Flyball trainer Bob Long suggests teaching a dog to first step, and later pounce, on a square of carpet that's leaned up against a sponge and throwing him the ball as a reward. Other training methods include wall touching or using a cardboard box or other safe prop to condition a dog to pounce. Even when introducing the flyball box, trainers will begin by having a dog touch the pedal of an unloaded box and slowly work up to pouncing.
Handling Fear and Other Issues Related to the Flyball Box
These early training methods can also help alleviate a dog’s fear of the box. A slow familiarization with the flyball box is better than forcing a dog to use the apparatus before he’s ready. Further, some dogs don’t like the sound of a flyball box when triggered. The simple act of stepping on the pedal can scare them off. For those dogs, training might involve getting them used to the noise by repetitively cocking the trigger (without loading the box) while the dogs circle the box at a safe distance, until they no longer flinch at the noise.
Besides suffering fear of the box, dogs can sustain injuries if not properly trained. Although today’s flyball boxes are designed for safety, a dog that hits the box straight on with his front feet, for example, might put stress on his shoulders. Using props can help guide a dog, but plenty of box work is necessary for a dog to become proficient with his footing. On the other hand, overworking a dog can lead to problems, too. If training becomes tedious and no longer fun, a dog will grow tired and disinterested, which is why taking breaks and not over practicing are critical for learning the box, no matter how long it takes.
As difficult and scary as the flyball box may seem, most dogs catch on soon enough and learn to handle the apparatus with fearlessness and finesse. And it’s a good thing, because learning how to use the box effectively is an essential step in flyball training and one that can cut seconds off the time clock – and keep a dog healthy, safe, and as excited as ever to race!
Sources:
North American Flyball Assocation. www.nafa.org.
Olson, Lonnie. Flyball Racing: The Dog Sport for Everyone. New York: Howell Book House, 1997.
Parkin, Jacqueline. Flyball Training…Start to Finish. Loveland, CO: Alpine Blue Ribbon Books, 1996.
Randall, Michael. “On Your Mark.” www.flyballdogs.com (accessed November 22, 2011).
Susie Yakowicz - Susie Yakowicz is a Minnesota freelance writer whose work has appeared in dozens of publications for children and adults.
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