Malamutes and Flyball

by Adele MacGillivray

There sure aren't very many Mals out there playing this game, and there really should be more. However, no Malamute should go to their first flyball class without knowing something about the game, so some previous home training is essential. The drive to retrieve is minimal or non-existent in a Mal; Neeko NEVER picked up a ball until after she was taught a formal retrieve for a food reward. It takes so long to teach a retrieve to a Malamute that you would be totally wasting your time and money if your dog does not already know a retrieve before attending classes. The 1995 September/October and November/December issues of the newsletter included Mal Education articles by Ruth Kellogg which outlined the training steps required to teach a command retrieve by a Malamute. You can work with a dumbbell first and switch to a tennis ball later, or work all the way with a tennis ball. Your dog should know the commands "take" and "hold" BEFORE going to class.Patience and perseverance will be very much required on your part, but these lessons can be done during TV commercials and should be kept brief and FUN! LOTS OF TREATS!!!

During the months spent training the retrieve and hold, you can be building your jumps. These don't have to be elaborate; anything that remains standing with the distance across about two feet and an eight inch height. Place your jumps in a straight line ten feet apart and run your dog on leash back and forth over the jumps, commanding "over, over, over, over". Four or five passes per lesson is plenty; don't bore your dog, and remember to praise with food and enthusiasm. Start slowly; speed can come later. Once you have this mastered and the dog already knows the retrieve, sit your dog at one end, go to the other end and place a tennis ball on the ground. Call your dog and, when he comes over the last jump, command "take, hold", then run with your dog back down the line of jumps, "over, over, etc."

Now is the time to enrol your dog in a flyball class. If your dog has trouble with all the noise and confusion, ask if you can stay while the real team is practising and play ball or do obedience commands while the dogs are running. The object is to focus the dog's attention on your commands no matter what the other dogs or people are doing. Keep your dog on leash andunder control atall times during these play sessions, and in no way let him interfere with the team's practice. This might give your dog a bad experience and also cause the team to kick you out of their training sessions. Stay calm and happy and enthusiastic, slowly but steadily moving your dog closer to other dogs during your lesson time. Always remember to have fun with your dog. Corrections or reprimands have no place in flyball. If your dog seems to have a mental lapse or makes a mistake, show him what you want, help him through and be his teammate. Remember, you are playing this game TOGETHER! ENJOY!

By the way, next time your Mal spots a squirrel, watch him burn rubber and fly after his quarry, ending partway up the tree a hair's breadth from the squirrels tail. This is NOT the speed at which your dog will play flyball. For one thing, it only takes a couple of trips to the box for the dog to realize that there will always be a ball waiting no matter how fast he gets there. So what's the rush? Why not slow down and enjoy the sights while on the way to the box? As soon as the box is triggered and the ball is caught, the light goes on "food!!!" and the speed picks up on the return trip. However, while the elusive squirrel might escape, any Mal is secure in the knowledge that his treat will be there with you. After all, you are not going anywhere, either. Any Mal I have seen playing any game is putting out only about a third of its possible speed. But rest assured that, while more driven breeds appear possessed and sternly determined, the Mal will run with tail up, a smile on his face and a twinkle in his eye. HE'S HAVING A GREAT TIME!

One last point, the Malamute is a heavy boned dog and requires considerable time to mature. While the home training can be done at any age, please wait until your dog is at least 1 1/2 years old before entering him/her in flyball classes. While the jumps are low (maximum 16 inches), it is hitting the box that will cause the most stress on growing bones. Now get those Mals out there and play ball! If you have any questions regarding flyball, please feel free to drop me a line or call, no matter what part of the country you are in. I certainly don't know all the answers, but I know the people that have the answers and how to get in touch with them.

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