Curious about Flyball

It's good to know I'm not alone in this noisy barking sheltie world!

I actually do think it's possible to have them be quiet during obedience, and let them bark while running agility and flyball.

I think it's a matter of making sure you never reinforce any barking when training obedience and requiring absolute silence. This has been particularly difficult for me since Juliet just won't. shut. up. BUT while she'll mouth off at me during agility (we haven't tried fly ball - I'm sure she'll bark non-stop judging by what she does now when I take a ball out), she is soooo much more quiet when we do obedience training. She might try to let one or two barks out when we set up to start, but I make her redo (setting up in heel position) and she stops barking the whole time after. Mind you this girl punctuates every trick she knows with a bark in the beginning, sometimes in the middle and often at the end! It is entirely my fault because I continued to reward her for behaviours done even when she barked. Now I'm a little more cautious (especially during obedience training) and make her redo it and only reward when she does a behaviour quietly. This has helped tremendously. She seems to be able to discriminate when she can/cannot bark.

Obedience is far more sedate too. Probably not as exciting and probably doesn't warrant as much noise in her books.

 

All barking is allowed at Flyball, join the dark side Mr Justus

Signed
Scathan Coimhead aka Sca

 

How exciting! Please keep us updated on how it goes!

 

I am betting he loves it unless he has zero ball drive. Of course then it takes some time to get the pattern down but he is a smart pup. Oh and all the people on Lunatic Fringe are nice folks Though be ready for them to ask you to help in August even if he is not running

Also I think the two Shelties with husband/wife are on the Fringe so Justus will fit in perfect.

 

Tell Howard that Sca sent you from the Box Rockers Just ping them I am sure there is other opportunities and they are nice folks.

Be warned Spitfire dislikes puppies I think it is from when he was the littlest of 12 and they all beat him up. He loves dogs and Shelties more so but has almost zero interest in pups. When Denice came by I figured having Destin his size and all..... nope. However he thought Dixie was alright and Cran OK. Destin and Jocu were filthy puppies though

 

Flyball is for the morally bankrupt