Getting started

I would really like to give flyball a try, too, and this is what has worked for me (note: I've never done flyball before, just watched ). At first Enzo wouldn't catch tennis balls, either - he would mostly watch them sail over his head. I noticed that he started having success catching bigger, floppier toys (more toy to catch, so it's easier!). If I made the toy really exciting and threw it to him, he would catch it.

After that, I tried with smaller stuffed toys, like his sheep that are a little bit bigger than tennis balls. They were a lot harder for him to catch, but he had the drive to try and I made it a really big deal when he was successful! From there, I noticed that a lot of the time when I threw a tennis ball for him to chase, he would catch it mid-air when it bounced, so I started throwing them right to him, and he could catch them. Now he's pretty good at it.

Hope that helps (and makes sense!)

 

With Sca it was getting ball drive on the chase which was easy. Harder was the concept of going to get a stationary object. I used to tie him up (no one to hold him) then put food under the object to be retrieved, if he brought it he got more food. Being VERY food motivated he caught on fairly fast. At that point as he tried to get faster and faster on retrieval (stationary or thrown) he got better at 'cheating' by snatching on the run or catching.

Spitfire does not perform unless Spitfire deems it needed thus he still does not play flyball (he is also fearful and reactive in addition to full of attitude)

 

The way we trained Missy was we put the ball on the ledge of the box, she always did a very nice turn to get it. Then we started putting the ball in the hole, but put a little piece of foam by the trigger mechanism so it doesn't trigger as fast. This keeps the ball from popping out really fast, and helps dogs who might be fearful of the noise. I mean.. how would you feel going up to something knowing it's going to pop a ball in your face? Anyways, she caught on very quickly. She never bobbles. BUT- she isn't always successful if I throw the ball. I don't think she has great eye-mouth? coordination. She always manages to make the ball bounce off her mouth, in the opposite direction. It's actually kinda weird how she can get the ball from the box flawlessly every time, but can't catch a ball in the air when thrown every time.

Also, it might have to do with the type of ball you're using. Missy uses a soft tennis ball, so it's the same size as a regular tennis ball, it's just lower compression. A lot of Shelties use smaller foam balls because they're mouths are too small for a tennis ball. Or they just prefer the softer foam ball. In fact, I think Missy is the only Sheltie in our region that doesn't use the foam balls.

Low compression tennis balls-
http://www.pennracquet.com/qst60.html

foam balls-
http://amzn.com/B00MXNIEOQ

 

Sca is a tennis ball sized foam (at home tennis balls are great but not tournaments)

Spitfire is using a little foam. He can get a tennis ball at home but struggles and it is almost a competing with Sca thing to get it done

 

Not 100% sure of your rules but for NAFA it cannot squeek and the box has to throw it a certain distance. There may be further rules in the book but not that I know. We use little foam balls that are about the same size as the little tennis balls. They can grip them better if they have small mouths like Spitfire. Sca could use a full size tennis ball but uses foam. I think most of that is we started training on that based on the coaches opinion. He drops a lot if he has tennis balls but almost never with foam. And when he does it is usually my fault for reaching for the food bag to early