We want you and your dog to succeed in fun sports. We accept all dogs of all speeds and breeds, abilities and disabilities. That goes for the humans too! We find that most dogs require good recall off leash, some ball drive, and a friendly disposition around other dogs to be successful in our program. For most students and handlers, it takes at least 6-12 months to gain the confidence, skill and drive to play flyball. Some take shorter and some take longer. But, we never give up if you don’t!
Flyball is a team sport requiring great DOG obedience and HUMAN kindness and is not always the best answer for all dogs or all humans.
ARE YOU READY?
- DOG HEALTH, OBEDIENCE, AND BEHAVIOR
- Do not come if your dog is sick or injured
- Dog’s Rabies Vaccination required
- Minimum 10 month old+ so that their joints are ready and we recommend vet clearance
- Basic Skills required: come, sit, leave it, stay or wait AND friendly dog that is ok around other dogs on and off leash.
- No growling, teeth bearing, or aggressive lunging at other dogs or humans.
- HUMAN
- HEALTH – Do not come if you are sick or injured.
- POSITIVITY – Be willing to listen and learn. Treat your dog with respect. Treat all instructors with respect.
- MISSION/VALUES – Agreement to our mission and values.
- WAIVER: We require that all humans entering our space sign a liability waiver. Any activity comes with risk, and with dogs – teeth!
- BEHAVIOR: We do not tolerate disrespect of any culture, belief system, colors, genders, sexual preferences, political view, nor do we tolerate racism of dog breeds, sub breeds, mixed breeds, or whether the dog was bought, bred, rescued or magically conjured or apparated. Any social media or live observation demonstrating this yucky behavior will be dismissed from the club, and all events, without refund at the sole discretion of any FlyDog member in good standing. Your behavior directly impacts our club members’ chi and our reputation in the community.
FIRST DAY:
Please be sure your dog is ready for flyball training. The Try It class is the perfect way to be certain. If you aren’t sure, drop us a note.
- We are a For Fun Club! We do performances and we even go to competitions. However, if you are seeking a competitive club, this is not the right place.
- You and your dog are a Team! The room is made up of many handler/dog teams. As a club we are all helping each other/each team.
- Bring all the Stuff Every Week! Treats/Toys, Poop bags, Flat Leash, Harness
- 6 Feet Dog Rule: Dogs do not need to “meet” each other.
- Recall is #1! You are responsible for controlling your dog. If your dog is running around YOU need to recall your dog. Please do not chase your dog – this will be an indication that your team still needs basic obedience training.
- Your dog should show up ready to learn. High energy dogs should blow off energy before arrival. This is not a doggie playdate.
- Crates are recommended at lessons, but not required. We like crating so that you can participate without your dog, helping others.
- No retractable leashes, prong colors, training collars, or e-collars in the flyball room.
- All aggressive behavior will result in the end of practice for the handler/dog team.
YOUR DOG IS NOT READY IF:
- “I want my dog to race, be fast. I want to compete.” = We love having fast dogs in our club, but if that is your focus we aren’t the best fit for you. We are a for-fun club.
- “My dog requires a soft muzzle, electrified, or metal collar” = No, your pooch is not ready for the dynamics of flyball with Seattle FlyDogs.
- “I’d like to work on reducing my dog’s reactions” = If you do not have control of your dog’s behavior, then it is not ready for flyball. Successful flyball dogs must be in handler control at all times, on and off leash. This is a high energy sport and most dogs will be influenced by that energy.
- We support you wanting to train your dog something fun and there are many 1:1 dog sports where your dog does not need to be off leash with other dogs: Agility, Rally, Barnhunt, Nosework, Fast CAT, Dock, Disc.
Download the Student Curriculum PDF.
