Photo op

Team at the Expo 03/07/10 --
a couple of us are missing but this is most of us.

Racing at the TC Pet Expo

The team had an exciting day Sunday at the Twin Cities Pet Expo at the Convention Center in downtown Minneapolis. We only ran one day at the flyball tournament there. It was a very difference venue – matting, loudspeakers, music, tons of dogs [most doing booths], and the racing lanes were much closer than at most local tournaments.

I didn’t see the statistics but we did win a few races. We did have several faulted runs with dogs having performance issues, including a couple of the dogs that do not typically drop the ball [before the finish line] did drop the ball in a few races.

It appears that we had the team with both the largest dog and the smallest dog competing: Smokey the Rottweiler X Lab mix is almost 80 pounds and Mina the Yorkshire Terrier is a tad over 4 pounds! We certainly demonstrated that most all dogs of various sizes, body types & breeds can do flyball!

I was worried about getting all my stuff out of the second basement of the Convention Center so I didn’t the statistics of how the team placed on Sunday.

Posted by Lynnda L

Learning Curve

Here's hoping the learning curve for team members to make contributions to the blog. And to get our links connected to the blog.

Here is part of our brochure.

What is flyball?

Flyball is a relay race matching two teams of four dogs each, racing side-by-side over a 51 foot long course. The course consists of a starting line, 4 hurdles spaced 10 feet apart and a box. The first hurdle is 6 feet from the start line and the box is 15 feet from the last hurdle for a 51 foot overall length. Each dog must run in relay fashion down the jumps and step on a spring loaded box that shoots out a tennis ball. The dog catches the tennis ball and then runs back over the 4 hurdles. Each dog must return its ball all the way across the start line before the next dog crosses. Ideal running is nose-to-nose at the start line. The first team to have all four dogs cross the finish line error free wins the heat. Penalties are applied to teams if the ball is dropped or if the next relay dog is released early.

Flyball provides an entertaining and active way to interact with one's dog and other dog lovers in an environment that is fun and allows the dogs exercise and enjoyment. It is especially a great way to burn off the energy of dogs with a high drive to work. Flyball is one of the non-hunting dog sports in which dogs and people work as a team. Many casual pet owners use their flyball time more as a way to relax and socialize with other dog owners than as a competition, and many flyball dogs are essentially pet dogs with a hobby, rather than dedicated sporting or working dogs.

Can any dog play flyball?

Yes! Flyball is not limited to the size or breed of dog.

A great part of flyball's popularity stems from the fact that competition is open to all dogs, allowing mixed breed dogs to shine alongside their purebred canine friends. Dogs earn titles and awards based on points earned by their team in racing.

Also, flyball is not limited to the size of the breed, as smaller dogs often compete with great success on teams consisting of dogs of various sizes and breeds. Smaller dogs are often prized as the hurdle height is based on the height of the smallest dog in the team.

posted by Lynnda L

We Begin

Welcome to the blog for the High Spirits Flyball Team of Twin Cities Obedience Club (TCOTC) in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Flyball is relay race where two teams of four dogs each race side-by-side over hurdles with each dog, in turn, going and getting their own ball out of a spring-loaded "box" over the jumps. Given this is a head-to-head racing, there is a lot of excitement, including barking, at a flyball tournament.

We primarily compete in NAFA, or North American Flyball Association, sanctioned tournaments in the Minneapolis/St.Paul area. The team has been the team of the Twin Cities Obedience Training Club since 1989 (or so). See www.Flyball.org for info on NAFA, including their rules for tournaments. See www.TCOTC.com for more information on the club, including location of the training center. The Twin Cities Obedience Training Club which was formed in 1945, making it one of the oldest dog clubs in the twin cities area.

Given the teamwork need to be successful at flyball, teams do well to train and practice together. We practice on Sunday evenings.

We are looking forward to running at the upcoming tournament at the Twin Cities Pet Expo on Sunday, March 7th. Stay tuned for more team info.