Finding Your Flyball Puppy

---

     Flyball has become a very popular sport for dogs. It combines precision, accuracy and speed. The dog has to complete a series of hurdles, step on the trigger in front of the flyball box, retrieve a tennis ball, carry it back over the hurdles and continue to the finish line. This is a relay sport. Flyball dogs need to get along well with the other dogs and the handlers. The right puppy is essential to the success of a flyball competition.

Herding breeds such as Australian Shepherds, Shetland sheep dogs and Border Collies are popular choices. The Jack Russell Terrier is very common among the shorter dogs.

Decide what is important as far as traits go that appeal to you in your partner. The dog must be focused, agile and very fast. It should be structurally sound as well. Short-nosed breeds do not do well due to the fact that they have a difficult time taking in air during a competition. Talk with other competitors to see which breeds are preferable.

Talk to breeder of the chosen possibilities. Be sure to tell them what your plans are and ask them to notify you if they have an appropriate puppy. The breeder should offer the health records of the dog. The dogs must be free of genetic diseases. Do not choose a dog that has genetic predisposition to hip dysplasia, knee problems or bloat. All of these will make the dog unable to compete.

It is always a good choice to inquire as to the parents place in competition. Dogs that have flyball parents will do better than those that do not.

When you examine your puppy choices, you will need to evaluate them thoroughly. They should be adventurous. They need to be accepting of new surroundings. The flyball competition sites are loud and strange to the dog. If the puppy is shy, it may restrict their abilities to compete in a successful flyball competition.

If you are serious about obtaining a flyball puppy, you should plan on paying $400-$1200. This may assure you that you are getting a super flyball competitor. The prices vary due to breed and the success and titles of the parents. Border Collies may be a bit lower in price than some of the more rare breeds. You should plan to pay as much as your budget will allow getting a quality dog that will train easily and show well when they appear in a competition.

Flyball is very stressful and challenging to your dog. If your dog is not well, it will be better to wait until the next competition. Do not take a sick puppy to a competition. Do not buy a sick puppy. Take your time deciding which one will be your perfect flyball companion. It is possible that it will take a good bit of time to find exactly the puppy you will want to take with you to compete.

When you make the decision to train a dog for flyball, you can save a bit of money by building the box yourself. The jumps are easy to build and the course is relatively easy to set up. Be ready for an exciting adventure.