"Flyball is a dog sport in which teams of dogs race against each other from a start/finish line, over a line of hurdles, to a box that releases a tennis ball to be caught when the dog presses the spring loaded pad, then back to their handlers while carrying the ball.

Flyball is run in teams of four dogs, as a relay. The course consists of four hurdles placed 10 feet apart from each other, with the starting line six feet from the first hurdle, and the flyball box 15 feet after the last one, making for a 51-foot length. The hurdle height is determined by the shoulder height of the smallest dog in the team. Under current North American Flyball Association (NAFA) rules this should be 4 inches below the withers height of the smallest dog, to a height of no less than 7 inches and no greater than 14 inches. Each dog must return its ball all the way across the start line before the next dog crosses. Ideal running is nose-to-nose at the start line. The first team to have all four dogs cross the finish line error free wins the heat. Penalties are applied to teams if the ball is dropped or if the next relay dog is released early.

Invented in California in the 1970s, flyball took off during the 1980s and the first flyball organization, the North American Flyball Association (NAFA) was created to design uniform competition rules and to promote the sport. In recent years a second for-profit organization, United Flyball League International (U-FLI) has emerged.

Flyball provides an entertaining and active way to interact with one's dog and other dog lovers in an environment that is fun and allows the dogs exercise and enjoyment. It is especially a great way to burn off the energy of dogs with a high drive to work, such as Border Collies and Terriers.

A great part of flyball's popularity stems from the fact that it is one of the competition activities available to mixed-breed dogs, allowing rescued mutts to shine along side their purebred canine friends. Though herding dogs currently dominate the courses, many champion teams have mutts on them. Awards are given, for example, Onyx, Flyball Master Champion.

Also, flyball is not limited to the size of the breed, as smaller dogs such as Parson Russell Terriers and Whippets often compete with great success in mixed-breed teams (teams consisting of dogs of various sizes and breeds). Smaller dogs are often prized as the hurdle height is based on the height of the smallest dog in the team.

Flyball is one of the non-hunting dog sports in which dogs and people work as a team. Many casual pet owners use their flyball time more as a way to relax and socialize with other dog owners than as a competition, and many champion flyball dogs are essentially pet dogs with a hobby, rather than dedicated sporting or working dogs."

References

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Wikipedia contributors. Flyball [Internet]. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia; 2008 Jan 17, 20:35 UTC [cited 2008 Jan 18]. Available from: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Flyball&oldid=185054217.