Customer Reviews

Flyball Racing: The Dog Sport for Everyone

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I read this book as someone already familiar with the sport of Flyball. I found that it was a general overview of the sport as opposed to a training manual that would help you to teach a dog to play flyball. The training advice is somewhat vague and dated. Current training techniques are mentioned, but not explained for a novice to understand. This book utilizes the old method of pattern training and does not go into teaching or proofing the elements of the course. I found the book Flyball Training: Start to finish to be a much more thorough and concise guide of great use to the novice or experienced enthusiast.

This books gives directions for construction jumps,including a wonderfully simple "puppy jump", advice on solving problems (like getting a tight turn). She does sometimes seem to be relying on repetition to get your dog into the habit of what you want, but this would easily be used with clicker training to improve the time and reliability of these behaviors.
The most impressive part of this book though, was it's step by step detailing of how to teach your dog to run using BACK-CHAINING. She breaks the behavior into at least 12 different segments - starting with the last jump on the return and back-chains to the total run, including proofing the return to the 4th jump should your dog miss the ball and have to retrieve it before it's return run. (if you don't know what back-chaining is, check out Karen Pryor's clicker site - it's a GREAT learning tool)

Everything you always wanted to know about flyball including how to build most of the equipment at home.

For any one considering the great dog sport of Flyball, then this book is the perfect introduction.
Written in 1997 when Flyball was in it's relative infancy, Lonnie Olson has crafted a book that covers all aspects of the sport from the initial stages of training your dog, to participating in tournaments and exhibition events.
It's all here, Equipment Needed, Equipment Construction, Flyball Basics, Training Regimen, Teamwork, Getting Into Competition, Hosting A Tournament - just some of the chapters in a highly informative and very easy to read book that is well worth the purchase price. You just can't go wrong.Flyball Racing: The Dog Sport for Everyone

This book goes into detail from start to finish. They even have information on buliding your own box. Very helpful to the person just starting Flyball.

A very helpful book for those in the know, giving you new ideas and the knowledge to help you build your own equipment.