Faster than a speeding Flyball Forget Fetch.  Forget Frisbee.  Flyball has it all Fans call it the most exciting and unique dog sport ever invented. Dogs love it – and why not? It involves running, jumping, retrieving and loads of approval and interactive play with their owners. Flyball, or more properly, International Flyball Racing, is a competitive relay race for teams of four dogs and their owners.

Each dog runs a short course over four low hurdles (the height is determined by the shortest dog on the team), triggers a box that releases a tennis ball, catches it and runs back with the ball to the starting line. Once the first dog returns, the next one is off. The first team to return four dogs with four balls, without fault, is the winner.

The sport was invented in the late 1970s by Californian dog trainer Herbert Wagner, and it rapidly caught the imagination and enthusiasm of dog owners and trainers worldwide. The British Flyball Association (BFA), which promotes and organises flyball racing in the UK, was formed in 1993, and a World Flyball Association is being formed to foster international competitions.

British flyball teams can register with the BFA and compete in events all over the country. Each competition gains both the teams and the individual dogs points, which accumulate throughout the year. Top-scoring teams and dogs vie for titles and trophies.

For dogs still learning the basics, flyball is a fun and rowdy romp, occasionally involving the odd and (for the owners) frustrating detour. One American trainer reported that her dog retrieved the tennis ball, ran down to a nearby lake and had a swim before returning to finish the course!

The top teams, however, are seriously fast. The world record (held by a Canadian team) is 16.06 seconds, or just over four seconds per dog. The Hampshire-based Jets are the speediest British team. At 16.75 seconds, they are ranked ninth in the world.

The British Flyball Association sponsors two official classes of competition. The Open Class is for teams with any breed of dog, while the Multibreed Class consists of teams made up of at least four different breeds, one of which may be crossbred. All competing dogs must be at least 18 months old on the day of the competition.

In addition, the BFA offers Starter and Fun Classes for newer teams and less experienced dogs.

Clearly, your dog has to have a good foundation in training before embarking on this sport. The basics include coming when called, retrieving, maintaining a stay even with noise and distractions, and good social skills around other dogs. The BFA runs training days and introductory gatherings as well as competitions to help dogs learn the necessary skills.

Flyball is vigorous exercise and an excellent sport for dogs with excess energy, which might otherwise be channelled into destructive behaviour. Size is not a barrier either: one recent North American flyball champion was a Chihuahua.  The British Flyball Association emphasises both fun and safety; and their website contains a lot of safety and health information.

To learn more about International Flyball Racing, see the BFA website at www.flyball.org.uk