Boise’s Fascinating New Team Sport for Dogs: Flyball

Flyball is an agility course for dogs and they're going to wonder where it's been all their lives. 

We've seen Secret Life of Pets, so we know that dogs get a little bored at home and they would love to accompany us just about anywhere.  Well, this might be just the thing that gives them exercise, adventure, and the spotlight too.

Flyball is a sport for dogs that's starting to catch on, and it might be the perfect way to keep your dog active through the winter and meet fellow dog lovers too.  Flyball has come to the Treasure Valley, and it's open to all dog breeds.

So how does it work?  BoiseFlyDogs.com says, "Flyball involves two lanes of hurdles, a spring-loaded box with a tennis ball ready for trigger by your dog, and within each lane, two dogs are off-leash at the same time, one is retrieving and the other is returning."

I'm immediately wondering if Benny-the-Schnauzer will be able to ride the learning curve, and it sounds like Boise Fly Dogs has a plan for pups who need a little help getting into the swing of things.  They tell us that pooches need to have good recall and basic obedience skills before taking lessons in flyball.

Once the dogs are up to speed, they're divided into two teams consisting of four dogs each and they line up to race in a 51-foot dash. The course includes four hurdles based on the size of the smallest dog on the team and one spring-loaded box for each team.  Once the light turns green, the first dog sprints down its lane and jumps over the hurdles until he or she gets to the spring-loaded box and grabs a ball.  It's a relay race, and that dog has to pass it to the next dog on the team.

The first team to have all four dogs cross the finish line without errors wins the heat and the teams compete to a best of three out of five races.

Trainers can help with chase and retrieve instincts if your dog is lacking.  Evaluations are free, and there will be a fee for lessons if you and your pup decide to get going with competitions.  Benny and I are going to start with a few videos first.

It's $80 for four once-a-week classes.  Team practices happen every Friday from 5:30 - 6:30 p.m. at 2933 N. Locust Grove Road in Kuna.