• Our club is organizing lessons for teaching people & dogs new to flyball. What topics would you suggest we cover over an 8 week beginner class? Some of our people have experience in other dog sports (agility, disc dog), but not all.

• Our club is organizing lessons for teaching people & dogs new to flyball. What topics would you suggest we cover over an 8 week beginner class? Some of our people have experience in other dog sports (agility, disc dog), but not all.

• My dog likes to tug, but really likes the ball better. He'll tug at home, but when we get to flyball practice, all he wants is the ball. Sometimes he'll even zoom around the practice area with the ball and not come back to me. Even when he's being better, I know he could run much faster on the way back – he often stops to chew on the ball. I definitely can't get him to drop the ball for a tug. Do you have any suggestions?

• Any training tips on passing? We've received several questions about dogs who growl or even lunge when passing, who stop or spin if the other dog growls, and young dogs who do wonderful in full runs, but are having trouble getting comfortable passing. How do you introduce a dog to passing and what do you do to problem solve issues that develop with passing?

• I have a Cairn terrier in training, who does like the thrill of a chase. During a recent seminar, he was slow going to the box and I was asked if we do agility. Yes! He is extremely fast. The instructor said that he is used to my running with him and suggested to increase his speed to the box to have someone run along with him. This worked but now the problem is getting him off the "crutch" (the runner) and still have that thrill of the chase, the race. If no runner, he stops and looks around with an expression, "Well, where's my partner?" Any suggestions on how to motivate, how to eliminate the runner, and still maintain the excitement for my Cairn?

• Any suggestions on how to eliminate stutter-stepping when running up to the first jump? My border/jack loses a lot of her take-off speed at that first jump – she runs start, so it's not a confidence issue running into another dog. Thanks for any suggestions!

• I have a 7 mo. old Whippet that I have trained as far as the jumps and the box turn. She has an excellent box turn but I am hesitant about adding in the ball. I have added it in to her turn only a few times and she is not consistent with her swimmers turn when the ball is there. Now I am afraid I will ruin her turn and I am stuck right now. Any suggestions?

• We have two dogs on the team who continually injure their mouths on the box. Each dog has a nice turn with all four feet on the box. We have tried different placement of the prop, but haven't had much luck in reducing the impact as they hit the box.

• We are looking for ways to liven up our training practices. What things do you do in your practices to improve the dogs and handlers?

• We have 2 dogs on our team that both do perfect box turns at practice, but the minute they get into the racing ring, the excitement seems to take over and their box turns are terrible. Are there some exercises we can do with them at practice to teach them how to maintain control once in the racing ring?

• I'm having a hard time getting my passes to be consistent. It seems like one pass will be huge and the next one I early pass. Is there a good way to get consistent passes?

• I signed up for a beginning flyball class with my dog, but it doesn't start for a few weeks. Is there anything I can do with my dog at home to give her a head start for class?

• My dog doesn't seem to be running as fast as he did last fall. I think he's out of shape from the winter even though we tried to do lots of exercise. Do you have any suggestions to get him into better shape for flyball competition?

Our club is organizing lessons for teaching people & dogs new to flyball. What topics would you suggest we cover over an 8 week beginner class? Some of our people have experience in other dog sports (agility, disc dog), but not all.

Lee: You should start out with jumping exercises, working into restrained recalls over all four jumps. This should progress into learning the box turn. If your students don't have access to a box at home they can lean a piece of plywood against a wall at the proper angle so that they can practice box turns at home. Once the dog knows how to turn, you should incorporate catching the ball out of the box. The next progression would be to doing short runs where the dog goes over one jump to the box, catches the ball, and returns over the same jump to the handler. This can be expanded into full runs by adding one jump to the exercise as the dog completes each step successfully. Of course, the progression of the dog will be very dependant on how much work your students do at home in between each lesson.

Pam: All sorts of things can happen and fast when you get several new dogs together. So for safety reasons, it's best to have two instructors. It will take two to teach and manage the highly active class, usually filled with dogs and owners who "feel the need for speed".

First class: We start with a quick overview of "What is flyball?" We give a live demonstration of a couple of dogs doing a full run. Then we get right into action, letting the hair fly by teaching the fun of recalls.

Each week we train over jumps using baby gates to minimize mistakes. We will need to know which way left or right each dog turns and teach the box turn. Over the weeks we include setting up a television so we can show tournament racing. We'll cover the history of the sport and equipment they will need. We usually have several overweight dogs come to class and so we spend time talking about the importance of diets, weight management and getting in shape. It may be necessary to divide the class as some dogs can excel more quickly than others.

Aaron: We run our classes like our practices. We take only 4-6 dogs per hour and teach each dog individually twice in that hour. Each dog works for 5-10 mins and then they have a break. This is so we don't work them to death and reward slow, tired behavior. We start by using food and teaching them to push a target board. We also start doing recalls to a tug toy. We show our students how to teach a proper ball retrieve. Usually after eight weeks the dogs can recall over four jumps and catch the ball out of the box while doing a four paw turn.

Our club is organizing lessons for teaching people & dogs new to flyball. What topics would you suggest we cover over an 8 week beginner class? Some of our people have experience in other dog sports (agility, disc dog), but not all.

Lee: You should start out with jumping exercises, working into restrained recalls over all four jumps. This should progress into learning the box turn. If your students don't have access to a box at home they can lean a piece of plywood against a wall at the proper angle so that they can practice box turns at home. Once the dog knows how to turn, you should incorporate catching the ball out of the box. The next progression would be to doing short runs where the dog goes over one jump to the box, catches the ball, and returns over the same jump to the handler. This can be expanded into full runs by adding one jump to the exercise as the dog completes each step successfully. Of course, the progression of the dog will be very dependant on how much work your students do at home in between each lesson.

Pam: All sorts of things can happen and fast when you get several new dogs together. So for safety reasons, it's best to have two instructors. It will take two to teach and manage the highly active class, usually filled with dogs and owners who "feel the need for speed".

First class: We start with a quick overview of "What is flyball?" We give a live demonstration of a couple of dogs doing a full run. Then we get right into action, letting the hair fly by teaching the fun of recalls.

Each week we train over jumps using baby gates to minimize mistakes. We will need to know which way left or right each dog turns and teach the box turn. Over the weeks we include setting up a television so we can show tournament racing. We'll cover the history of the sport and equipment they will need. We usually have several overweight dogs come to class and so we spend time talking about the importance of diets, weight management and getting in shape. It may be necessary to divide the class as some dogs can excel more quickly than others.

Aaron: We run our classes like our practices. We take only 4-6 dogs per hour and teach each dog individually twice in that hour. Each dog works for 5-10 mins and then they have a break. This is so we don't work them to death and reward slow, tired behavior. We start by using food and teaching them to push a target board. We also start doing recalls to a tug toy. We show our students how to teach a proper ball retrieve. Usually after eight weeks the dogs can recall over four jumps and catch the ball out of the box while doing a four paw turn.

My dog likes to tug, but really likes the ball better. He'll tug at home, but when we get to flyball practice, all he wants is the ball. Sometimes he'll even zoom around the practice area with the ball and not come back to me. Even when he's being better, I know he could run much faster on the way back – he often stops to chew on the ball. I definitely can't get him to drop the ball for a tug. Do you have any suggestions?

Pam: I can't think of anything better than a ball on a tug!!! It's a win-win situation for both you and your dog. He gets what he wants and you can too. Give this a try. Take a tennis ball and attach a short durable fabric ribbon about 4 inches in length and 1/2 to 3/4 inch in width. Play ball at home and act as if the ball is just a normal everyday tennis ball. You can throw it, bounce it, roll it or tug with it. Lightly tug holding the ribbon as it is not strong enough for a full blown game of tug of war yet. I have two identical balls so I can teach the exchange, one ball for the other while still having a great time. At some point you can add another plain tennis ball on the ground that will not be played with, only your ribbon balls are the fun ones. Add more ribbon 4 inches at a time until you get the length you want. I replace the ribbon with a thin cord or rope going back to only 4 inches in length and gradually increasing to desired length. Never act as if there is anything different about the revised balls except that they are best balls ever. After all it is still the same great game you share, isn't it? Begin doing recalls as suggested below by Lee. In the end, you can enjoy your new ball on a tug that is strong enough to endure flyball action.

Aaron: I would start by removing all balls from the house and stop all ball retrieves outside for exercise. The ball needs to become an object that your dog only picks up for a better reward. The ball should not be used as a reward for tricks, obedience exercises or successful agility runs. Begin by putting your dog on a leash and putting a dead ball on the ground. Get your dog playing tug even though there is a ball in sight. If he can do this then you proceed to the next few steps:

a) Hold onto the leash and roll the ball away from you. Back away from the ball slowly while pulling your dog with you. When your dogs' attention redirects off the ball to you, mark that action with a "yes" or "click" and then run away and reward your dog with the tug toy.

b) Put the ball on ground. When your dog looks at you, cue him to "get the ball" and then "yes" or "click", run away and offer the tug toy. If he doesn't spit the ball and grab onto the tug toy, then stop moving. Hold the tug toy up in the air over your head and tighten up your leash so your dog has to stand there without moving or putting his mouth to the floor and wait for him to drop ball. When that happens run and offer tug again. Keep doing this until he catches on that having a ball in his mouth is boring, but the fun begins when the ball is spit.

c) Start throwing the ball and repeat b)

d) Try b) and c) with no leash

e) Put the ball in the box and make sure your dog looks at you before sending him to the box. Step b) still applies here.

Lee: You can try racing your dog off of the box so that the tug is much closer as he completes the run.  You might even want to do a number of restrained recalls with no loose balls in the area to make sure your dog focuses on you and the tug in a practice setting.  We see many cases where the dog will tug at home but acts differently at the practice building.  You just need to reinforce the proper behavior in the different setting.

Any training tips on passing? We've received several questions about dogs who growl or even lunge when passing, who stop or spin if the other dog growls, and young dogs who do wonderful in full runs, but are having trouble getting comfortable passing. How do you introduce a dog to passing and what do you do to problem solve issues that develop with passing?

Pam: Things in passing, things to look for and tell tail signs. Teaching a pass is something that should not be rushed. This is where a lot of new dogs get pushed too soon, causing all sorts of problems. New dogs should generally only get passed by one dog. This means the new dog is in start position or goes last. Start by choosing a dog-friendly dog to partner up with for training – a dog who will mind his own business and not make eye contact with the rookie on the team. Using “Mark, Set, Go” commands will help with passing too. Each dog is taught to do a full run by following these commands, “mark, set, go.” This helps the new dog know exactly when it is time to leave the handler and go about his job. Knowing this will greatly help his confidence when it is his time to run.

When training your new racer to pass, watch for: veering, slowing down, hesitating to go, spinning, and cutting jumps. Watch the dog's entire body language from head to tail. The head too high, ears up/forward, and high tail carriage can all be tell tail signs that the pass is too close for comfort.

Aaron: I find the best way to start passing is to have the inexperienced dog first begin with a recall from the box over all the jumps heading into a dog standing in the middle of the lane. Once he is comfortable with that, then you can begin to release the experienced dog once the new dog has run by. Then slowly over many weeks start releasing earlier and earlier. Once you can pass successfully then ask the new dog to do a full run and begin the steps again. The exercise can work visa versa as well, but make sure the new dog is staring down the lane before releasing. For dogs who spin, having a runner beside them take off just before they are released can help get through this. For dogs who snap or lunge at passing dogs try making a huge pass and have someone with a 1" board stand in the middle of the lane and use the stick to help push the dog away from the other dog while saying "get out". This will create a huge veer and the dog may run around the jumps so put up barriers to ensure the dog veers back into the lane and completes the course successfully. Once he understands "get out" start closing the gap in the pass and eventually just have someone stand where the pass is occurring and give the cue.

Lee: We like to do opposing recalls as an introduction to passing.  You will need two helpers, one at each end of the jumps.  The helpers should be about 20 ft away from the first jump they are facing.  Handler #1 does a recall starting at the jump closest to their dog.  As the first dog reaches the last jump, handler #2 starts their recall in the opposite direction.  Helper #2 releases their dog when dog #1 reaches their left shoulder. 

In the beginning it is very important that helper #2 doesn't release their dog until the first dog is passing them.  This prevents the chance of a collision.  If dog #2 looks like they want to chase dog #1, the helper has to focus them on their handler before letting go.  As the dogs and helpers become more comfortable with this game, helper #2 can release earlier to simulate a tighter pass.  You can switch each dog’s position so that they both become comfortable with being passed into and passing into another dog.  The most important thing is to progress slowly for the safety of the dogs.

I have a Cairn terrier in training, who does like the thrill of a chase. During a recent seminar, he was slow going to the box and I was asked if we do agility. Yes! He is extremely fast. The instructor said that he is used to my running with him and suggested to increase his speed to the box to have someone run along with him. This worked but now the problem is getting him off the "crutch" (the runner) and still have that thrill of the chase, the race. If no runner, he stops and looks around with an expression, "Well, where's my partner?" Any suggestions on how to motivate, how to eliminate the runner, and still maintain the excitement for my Cairn?

Aaron: Shape, Shape, Shape! Reinforce offered box turns up close. Don’t "cue" or "signal" or "rev" your dog, just wait for him to try anything at the box on his own and reinforce. Once he is at the point in which he will offer the behavior every time the box is loaded, start moving back until he can do the entire course without you saying a word.

Lee: One exercise you can use is to put two lanes close together (about five feet between them) with a set of baby gates running the entire length between the two lanes. Start out by having the two dogs race full runs head to head with the runner still racing your dog towards the box. Over time you will be able to remove the runner and your dog will transition his "thrill of the chase" over to the other dog. The first few times that the runner is removed, you will probably need to have the other dog about five feet ahead of your dog at the start.

If your dog has any difficulty transitioning once the runner is removed, try having the runner run for the first heat and then remove them for the next one or two heats.

!!! It is very important to use dividers between the lanes when they are so close together to make sure that neither dog can cross over !!!

Pam: The thrill of the chase/race is exactly what we want!  So keep your runner or replace the runner with racing another dog.  You can use one or the other. Why you can even use both.  You might be the best source of motivation so maybe have someone else release your terrier and race him to the box.  Don't run beside him jump for jump but have a good head start on him.  After all, flyball is a race and sounds like you have a nice little racer in the makings. 

Any suggestions on how to eliminate stutter-stepping when running up to the first jump? My border/jack loses a lot of her take-off speed at that first jump – she runs start, so it’s not a confidence issue running into another dog. Thanks for any suggestions!

Aaron: Sometimes this develops from hitting the first jump on take off causing the dog to lose its confidence. Sometimes it’s just a matter of adjusting your release mark a foot or two on the mat. Or check and see where your dog is taking off from heading into the first jump. Lay a 2 inch board down about 3-4 feet from that point. This will help him prepare better when heading into first jump because he will have to step over that board and then take off into first jump. This should cut down on the stuttering. You could also try doing reverse recalls. Have someone hold your dog where he starts from and you run toward the box and have him run to your tug toy instead of the box. Take the box completely out of the equation.

Lee: The slat method has worked for us on many occasions. Once you have completed the reverse recalls, you can then have someone race your dog towards the box during a full run. The idea is to simply change your dog's focus as they are entering into the jumps.

Pam: Sometimes a dog is released from too far back and there is too much speed going into the first jump, causing the dog to have scared himself.  I do know that by the time you see stuttering, the dog is mentally fixed on negotiating the jump and not running over the jump.  Recalls to the box will help put the focus back on you and the motivator. 

I have a 7 mo. old Whippet that I have trained as far as the jumps and the box turn. She has an excellent box turn but I am hesitant about adding in the ball. I have added it in to her turn only a few times and she is not consistent with her swimmers turn when the ball is there. Now I am afraid I will ruin her turn and I am stuck right now. Any suggestions?

Aaron: Untrigger the box and let the ball sit in the hole, not on the ledge. Teach the proper turn without the ball firing at her. This way you are breaking the exercise down even more and cutting some of the confusion about what you are rewarding for, i.e. four feet, the catch, the push, head placement, speed. It can be too much for a new dog to comprehend when learning too play. An untriggered box is the best way. Remember, she is learning and it's not going to look the same with a ball as it does without a ball in the beginning. But, as long as timing of the reward is good and you're raising your criteria at a level your dog can handle, then your whippet should do great!

Lee: You shouldn't be overly concerned that the turn isn't as precise when you first add the ball. Remember, you are developing muscle memory and it will take some time for your dog to develop all of the skills needed to complete the entire box turn.

Don't make the mistake of totally removing the ball at this point in your training. Many times people will complete so many repetitions of the turn without the ball, that the dog doesn't learn that the ball is an important part of the game. Be patient and make sure to keep using any props that your dog is used to so that the basics of the turn stay in place as she develops her muscle memory while catching the ball.

Pam: At this stage of the game, getting a ball from the box should be number one. Some folks stay too long in the "hit it" stage of training. Nothing to be afraid of – it's really just child's play. Start by playing briefly with the ball and dog. Now that you have him in ball/play mode, move up close to the box. Set the ball as previously suggested and leave the box un-cocked. Make a fun fuss over the dog getting the ball from the box.

Lower your expectations regarding the style of turn and motivate the dog to get the ball quickly, back to you and have fun. Work up close with equipment as already suggested. You might even let your whippet watch from the sidelines a more experienced dog doing up close box work. Good luck.

We have two dogs on the team who continually injure their mouths on the box. Each dog has a nice turn with all four feet on the box. We have tried different placement of the prop, but haven't had much luck in reducing the impact as they hit the box.

Aaron: Generally dogs who smash their face into the box do it for the same reason – they run hard into the box leading with their face and then hit the pedal too low with their front feet, which causes either a double push with the front feet or makes the front legs buckle. It's never a pretty sight and is mostly seen with ball-obsessed dogs or dogs that haven't been taught a proper push. So, how can we fix this problem? If it is ball obsession, fix that problem first away from the flyball box. Generally, depending on the intensity of the obsession, I will start using the dog's meal and teach him that a "click" or "yes" ends the ball exercise. When working the box, use an 8-9 inch board in front of the box, no more than 6 inches away from the box. This will keep his front legs high on the pedal, leave less room for error of low hits, and allow more room for his hind legs to follow for a swimmer’s turn. I would then teach a proper push by shaping the exercise so the dog is thinking instead of following a lure. Then, I reintroduce it all together at a close distance and reward only the turns I like. As I take my dog farther away from the box, before sending him I would add a 2 inch board half-way between the last jump and the box to prevent any sliding into the box. You are trying to break a strong habit, and it takes a long time to break a habit and create a new one. Unfortunately, the old habit will resurface every now and then. This is the exact moment my dog would lose his reward and be pulled from the race until I can get another warm-up in to reinforce the proper turn. It’s a lot of work.

Pam: One thing that comes to mind regarding boxes and mouth injuries is to look at what type of material is on the face of the box and on the plungers. Perhaps using a material that will help with the impact (like something spongy) will help solve the problem. Another thing is to look at how far the ball sits in the hole. If the ball is too far in the hole, then the dog may be making contact with the box instead of catching the ball coming out. These are good reasons to video this type of dog to nail down the problem and get it resolved.

Lee: Any time you make a change to the training props for your dog, you should start close to the box so that your dog can make adjustments at a lower speed. As your dog becomes more comfortable with the change, you can increase the starting distance from the box until your dog is completing the entire course. This practice will also help you in determining if the change has the desired effect on your dog's box turn before you attempt a full run.

We are looking for ways to liven up our training practices. What things do you do in your practices to improve the dogs and handlers?

Pam: Got friends? Invite another team to one of your practices. This could give you the added punch your practice really needs. Then, in return, go to one of their practices. Making friends is always a good thing and who knows? Maybe you'll pick up a thing or two from your new friends.

Lee: Practices can become very boring for both the dogs and handlers if you always do the same thing. Concentrate on one aspect of your dog's performance that you would like to improve instead of just always doing complete runs. Liven up your practices by having "runners" race your dog towards and/or off of the box. One of our favorite games is to have a "runner" standing on the left (run back) side of the box and have them run toward the start finish line as the dog is still approaching the box. This game tends to help dogs that "stick" on the box during a turn as they will try to turn faster so that they can catch the person who is running away. Each dog is different, so you will have to experiment to determine if a teammate can be the runner, or if the owner/handler being the runner makes the dog more comfortable.

Aaron: We often race one dog against another dog. We stagger the releases so that sometimes one gets a head start and the other has to play catch up. We also limit the number of runs to five per practice. This way our dog does not get rewarded for running slowly because he is tired and therefore will not learn that he will earn the same reward for giving a half-hearted performance.

We have 2 dogs on our team that both do perfect box turns at practice, but the minute they get into the racing ring, the excitement seems to take over and their box turns are terrible. Are there some exercises we can do with them at practice to teach them how to maintain control once in the racing ring?

Lee: We all know how frustrating it is to train a "perfect" box turn in practice and then watch it fall apart at a tournament. One trick that will help this transition is to race your dog head-to-head against another dog of comparable speed during practice. Your box turn props should remain in place during this exercise so that your dog maintains the turn that you have so patiently perfected. You should expect your dog to "bobble" the ball the first few times, but don't panic as this is a very normal reaction. With practice your dog will become more comfortable racing another dog while maintaining its turn, which should eliminate the bobbling at the box.

One of the most common mistakes that people make is removing the training props once they have trained a box turn. Unless actually running a heat in a race, we always have the training props in place for our dogs (this means all practices and every warm-up at a tournament). This helps maintain the dog's muscle memory of a correct box turn.

Aaron: Change the dog's focus. I suspect when they get into a tournament they are racing the competing dog down to the box and losing their style because they are not paying attention to what’s really important – getting back to you. In practice, set up two lanes and race your dog against another dog. Typically you would rev your dog up before releasing him. Instead, be silent and have someone else hold him while you are down by the box. As your dog approaches the box, start running in the opposite direction and call him well before he hits the box. You could even start a "ready, set" count just before you take off (like you would on regular recalls over the jumps) and then call his name just after you pass him. Once he turns off the box, the other teammates can go crazy and motivate him back. This will get your dog focusing more on you than the other lane and place more emphasis on the return.

Pam: With each new tournament you can always count on excitement in the air. Each tournament offers something new or different. Some of these differences are noticed much more by our dogs and are even harder to prepare for. One big example is the racing surface your dog will run on. Ever thought about it? Each tournament has a slightly different racing surface when it comes to mats – old or new, grass or even dirt. There can be a big difference from one surface to the next. Even the surface you train on differs from those at tournaments. These different surfaces can directly affect your dog's performance and, most definitely, their box turns. This could be a big reason for boxes going bad at a tournament. You can't change the mats at a tournament, but you can help your racers by giving them their props during each warm-up to help them negotiate the current surface. Also, check to see if your dogs are sliding into the box, as you may want to wrap them to help.

I'm having a hard time getting my passes to be consistent. It seems like one pass will be huge and the next one I early pass. Is there a good way to get consistent passes?

Pam: PUSH IT. Have a solid release.  Consistency is one of the keys to passing well.  A solid push off will help your passing, no doubt.   A good way is to have the dog’s back legs/feet pressed up against your body. Some trial and error will be necessary to find the right spot for needed forward thrust.  Like a human sprinter uses the starting blocks to push out ahead to reach maximum speed in just a few strides, a good solid push off will indeed get your racer to the line in a hurry.

Lee: One way to help with passing is to video the box turn of the dog that you will be passing.  Once you have a couple of turns on video, filmed from the same angle that you will see when passing, you can use a clicker to practice the timing of your release.  While watching the video, just "click" at the point where you would have released your dog.  An experienced handler can also watch and make sure that your timing of the release is consistent.  Once you are consistent with your release point, any adjustments for your pass should be made by changing your distance from the start/finish line. 

Aaron: Have an experienced person stand with you.  You focus on the return of the dog in front of you, and when you feel a tap on your shoulder, that’s when you should have let go.  Watch a few times and then add your dog into the equation.  For timing it’s always easier to have a consistent "ready,"  "set,"  "go."  So when I see the dog in front of me go through the last jump on his way to the box, I say "ready"; when the dog hits the box is "set"; and then "go" when I see my window.  This also helps your dog learn his window as well.  Our lineups are so consistent that if we hold our dogs back they actually jolt forward at the time they were supposed to be let go.   Keep in mind every time you change lineups on your dogs it takes them some time to adjust too.  So at the beginning of the tournament the dog can be apprehensive and then speed up, running into the pass by the end of the day as he gets to know the body language of the dog in front of him.

I signed up for a beginning flyball class with my dog, but it doesn't start for a few weeks. Is there anything I can do with my dog at home to give her a head start for class?

Lee: An easy exercise that you can do at home is practice retrieving. When we first start we like to use a hallway so that our dog has less room to roam. For this exercise, sit on the floor while holding your dog and roll a tennis (or similar) ball a few feet away from you. As the ball is rolling away, and your dog is focusing on it, release your dog to retrieve the ball. Wait to call your dog until it has actually picked up the ball and give your dog lots of praise or a treat when your dog brings the ball back to you.

Pam: Know which way your dog turns. Many dogs are right paw'd or left paw'd just like people are right handed or left handed. To determine if your dog is right paw'd or not is easy and we can start by using Lee's Ball Rolling exercise. You can use a ball or like toy. Take note of which way your dog turns to come back to you down the hall. Keep count of the number of times he turns to the right to come back to you and the times he turns left. Knowing which direction your dog turns will be helpful as most flyball boxes these days have multi holes. You want your dog to turn its natural direction.

Aaron: Keep in mind that depending on where the toy lands or the side of your body your dog is on can also influence which way your dog turns, e.g. corner of a wall, or more to the left side of hallway than the right. Make sure your dog is centered between your legs and call your dog before he gets to the toy, which will keep the focus on getting back to you and also encourage the dog to turn the way that's most comfortable.

My dog doesn't seem to be running as fast as he did last fall. I think he's out of shape from the winter even though we tried to do lots of exercise. Do you have any suggestions to get him into better shape for flyball competition?

Aaron: I go on lots of group walks with all my dogs at once in the winter, especially when the snow is deep. It's like running in sand. They can't build up enough speed to cause any bodily harm if they run into one another and they are always jumping, trying to get through the snow. I will also take the dogs to an indoor horse arena and play Chuck It or Frisbee in the packed dirt.

Lee: Indoor treadmills are great for conditioning during the winter months. Be careful to start out very slowly so that your dog becomes comfortable walking before progressing to faster speed. You can also check the web for clinics in your area that offer underwater treadmills or dog pools for conditioning during the winter months.

Pam: Just lose it. It just could be that your dog put on a little extra weight over the winter months. Slimming down and toning up should be a breeze now that the weather is better. Dogs love nothing more than going for a walk. You could pick up the pace and go for a jog. Use common sense and slowly work your way up to a comfortable distance for both you and your dog.