"Dog agility is a sport in which a handler is given a set amount of time in which to direct a dog off-leash through an obstacle course. Originally loosely modeled on equestrian stadium jumpers competitions, the sport has evolved its own additional obstacles, scoring systems and performance ideals. Agility made its debut as an entertainment for spectators at the Crufts Dog Show in 1979; it has since become the most rapidly growing dog sport in England, Western Europe and North America. Spectators continue today to get caught up watching the dog and handler's enthusiasm in their athletic race against the clock."
From The "official" FAQ on agility from rec.pets.dogs.activites. This can also be found at Dogpatch as the Introduction to Agility.
Flyball \'fli-'bol\ n a ball hit into the air : while still in the air : to pursue or attack in flight : a form of dog relay racing.
Flyball is a team sport for dogs that was invented in California in 1978. Flyball races match two teams of four dogs each, racing side-by-side, over a 51 foot long course. Races are divided into heats. The winner of 3 of 5 heats wins the race. Each dog must run in relay fashion down over the hurdles, trigger a flyball box, releasing and retrieving the ball and return over the hurdles. The next dog is released to run the course but can't cross the start/finish linne until the previous dog has returned over all 4 hurdles and reached the start/finish line. The first team to have all 4 dogs finish the course without error wins the heat.
Hurdle heights depend on the height of the shortest dog (height dog) on the team. Dogs jump at four inches (4") less than the shortest shoulder height. The minimum hurdle is eight inches (8") while the maximum is sixteen inches (16").
Dogs earn points towards Flyball titles. The total time for each heat determines how many points are earned. Runs under 32 seconds earn each dog 1 point, under 32 seconds earn 5 points and for the fastest dogs, under 24 seconds earn 25 points.
Our Flyball News
2002
2002 marked the year
Max and
Emily made their way back to flyball with the Dogwood
Pacesetters! Since we've started training again...Max's time has improved and he's been timed at 4.8 seconds (used to be 5+) Still needs more box work but he's loving it!
Emily has also improved and is doing well running anchor. She is now timed at 4.2 seconds (she used to average around 4.6) . No swimmers turns but whatever! Max ends 2002 at #33 Whippet with 2,207 points as of 12/31/2002.
Emily ends 2002 at #24 Belgian Malinois with 3,461 points as of 12/31/2002. At the end of 2002, we decided to take a year off of flyball and concentrate on agility.
2003-present
Still no Flyball news...definitely
way too obsessed with agility.
July 21-22,2001 when
Emily and
Sandy
passed their Herding Test to earn Em's
CKCHT title.
2002
---It was a crisp sunny great day, and best of all
Em got to have her birthday present early. She got to work the round pen 3 times and couldn't have been happier! She seemed to return to herding with a maturity and a new sort of confidence that was such a joy to watch and an amazing feeling to work with. Seems that a year of agility has complemented her herding the same way that her herding complemented her agility...Looks like that's not the last time we're going back to
Downriver Farm!
---Bash gets his very first title (HIC), Dec. 8,
2002 at beautiful
Downriver Farm.
Lure coursing is a performance event developed in the early 70's by Lyle Gillette and other California sighthound fanciers who hunted jackrabbits in the open field.
Open field coursing risked harm to the sighthounds caused by barbed wire fencing. They invented lure coursing as a safer, more controlled sport for sighthounds that would recreate the physical requirements of open field coursing, allowing them to continue testing the functional abilities of their sighthounds. The hounds chase plastic bags on a course laid out to simulate escaping game.
---2002
Funny Bunny
Highlight: Max got to try running straights and learned about the starting box. That was fun!
---In 2004,
got to make it out to practice a couple of times. Max, Bash, and Em got to try their
mad skillz with
that funny bunny.
---Sandy didn't get to accept any
judging assignments in 2004 (yet again...too obsessed with
agility) but judged for LMWA in October 2005, and
October 2006.
---Sandy
is a
CKC Lure Coursing Judge for Afghans, Basenji, Borzoi, Greyhounds, Whippets,
Saluki, and Ibizian Hounds.
Max and Jackson are
both retired from lure coursing.
Copyright 2004-2005 Feelgood Dog Sports logo and website design by
Crissy Llora
Flyball is a team sport for dogs that was invented in California in 1978. Flyball races match two teams of four dogs each, racing side-by-side, over a 51 foot long course. Races are divided into heats. The winner of 3 of 5 heats wins the race. Each dog must run in relay fashion down over the hurdles, trigger a flyball box, releasing and retrieving the ball and return over the hurdles. The next dog is released to run the course but can't cross the start/finish linne until the previous dog has returned over all 4 hurdles and reached the start/finish line. The first team to have all 4 dogs finish the course without error wins the heat. 
