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.
CLASS REQUIREMENTS:
- 20% 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
- 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. Sometimes bad behavior manifests as a result of flyball training and even if you graduate from our program you may be asked to remove your dog due to high-risk observation.
- 80% 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 bought, bred, or rescued. Any social media or live observation demonstrating this behavior or attitude will be dismissed from the club without refund at the sole discretion of any FlyDog member in good standing. Your behavior directly impacts our club members and our reputation in the community.
FIRST DAY OF LESSONS:
Please be sure your dog is ready for flyball training. The Try It class is the perfect way to be certain.
- 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. Competitive clubs that focus on tournaments use different training styles.
- 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, Top-Latch Harness
- 6 Feet Dog Rule: Dogs do not need to “meet” each other during lessons.
- 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. This is not a doggie playdate.
- Crates are recommended so that you can participate without your dog, helping others. Crating is required in any flyball club.
- No retractable leashes, prong colors, training collars, or e-collars please while learning or playing.
- All aggressive behavior will result in the end of practice for the handler/dog team. No refunds are given.
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. For competitive racing, we recommend Unorthodogs in the North end and Ruff-n-Tuff and Puget Hounds in the South end.
- “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.
- 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 with other dogs.
Download the Student Curriculum PDF.
