Tag: Flyball

If you don’t use it, you lose it. That’s the case with today’s Dog Care 101’s featured Dog Sport, Lure Coursing. This fast-paced, high-energy event was created to keep dogs on their toes and off the couch. This sport shows off the sheer speed and athleticism dogs are born with and BestBullySticks.com wants to share it with you. Read on to learn more about Lure Coursing!

What is Lure Coursing?
This Dog Sport consists of sighthounds chasing or coursing an artificial lure around an open field. If you’re unsure what qualifies as a sighthound, think Whippets, Greyhounds, or Rhodesian Ridgebcks (full list later in post). This purpose of this sport is to preserve the abilites and skills of sighthounds.

History
The inception of Lure Coursing is in ancient times. Sighthounds have been hunting live prey as far back as ancient Egypt.  People have used sighthounds for hunting throughout history to catch game because they hunt by sight, not smell, thus their name. Not only do they have sharp eyes but sighthounds are known for their sleek forms and extremely fast legs. However, the athleticism shown by these amazing dogs wasn’t always good for the dogs. Many fanciers of these hounds risked their dog’s safety because of barbed wire fencing and running in harsh elements. A better way was needed. Read more

It’s a bird! It’s a plane! What is that flying through the air!? Why, it’s a dog with a disc in its mouth! BestBullySticks.com continues in the great realm of Dog Sports this week with a look into Disc Dog!

What is Disc Dog?
A game of high intensity fetch with a flying disc. You throw. They catch. That’s the basic concept.  However, the details of this dog sport do get a bit more complicated. This sport is all about teamwork and training. But more on that later!

Why aren’t we saying “Frisbee?” The word “Frisbee” is actually a trademarked word for a specific brand of flying discs. In this Dog Sport the term “disc” is preferred.

History
The rise of Disc Dog goes hand-in-hand with the rise of flying discs in the early 1970s. However this sport was popularized after a very smart and gutsy college student jumped the fence at a nationally televised baseball game. Alex Stein, then 19, hopped over the outfield fence at a Los Angeles Dodger and Cincinnati Reds game in 1974. He and his dog, Ashley Whippet, immediately dazzled the crowd with their high intensity, fast-moving routine. Some of Ashley’s stunts included 9 foot leaps into the air!  After performing for eight minutes, Stein & Ashley were finally escorted off the field. But it was too late. His exploitation of the national audience paid off and Disc Dog was a new national phenomenon. Stein & Ashley preformed at many high profile venues and events after their publicity stunt including the White House and the Super Bowl.

Ashley Whippet is still a legend in the Disc Dog sport today. He is the standard by which all other competitive Disc Dog’s are measured. Today, at least four continents organize Disc Dog competitions to enjoy this great way to bond with their dogs!

Play
There are two basic types of play. Each is a one dog/one person competition. Read more

Did you miss any of BestBullySticks.com BARK-tastic blogs this week?  If you did miss any of the Flyballing/Dog Rescuing/Pancake Making/American Dog fun catch up before Monday with all of this week's great BBS Blogs!

So snuggle up to your favorite pooch (or pooches) and read the BBS Healthy Dog Blog! Happy Weekend Reading! Click the links below to find out more about:

Dog Sports: Flyball • It Takes A Village Canine Rescue • Pancake Recipes For Fido • Breed Spotlight on the Chinook

Also in your free time this weekend, check out our fun Pinterest Page! We've got TONS of great dog videos, adorable dog photos, funny dog photos, DIY dog project and more!

It’s time again to delve into the great world of Dog Sports with BestBullySticks.com! We won’t go too heavy on the sports commentary here, but we will let you in on one of the most exciting canine competitions out there: Flyball!

What it is Flyball?
Fast paced, “Edge of your seat,” nail-biting excitement. If you’ve never heard of Flyball, you’re in for a great time. This sport might be a new favorite!

More specifically, Flyball is a two-team dog sport where teams compete in a hurdle jumping & ball fetching relay race. A dog must run and jump quickly over a series of low hurdles in a line, step on a spring-loaded pedestal releasing a tennis ball, catch the ball, then return back over the hurdles to the starting line with the ball in tow. We’ll talk more about the specifics later, so let’s talk about how this crazy dog sport got started!

History
Flyball was started in Southern California in the late 1960s, early 1970s, and since then the sport hasn’t really divulged from its origins. The architects of the sport combined scent-based hurdle racing with a retrieval of a tennis ball, which was carried back to the starting line. The actual box apparatus that releases tennis balls wasn’t added until later.

The first Flyball tournaments were held in the U.S. in 1983, but since this sport has spread to the UK, Germany, Australia, Canada and South Africa. These European countries have especially jumped on Flyball and hold an International European Flyball Championship each year.  

Field & Play
Now let’s talk about specifics!

Is Your Dog Right for Flyball?
The all-important question. The “players” of this dog sport tend to be Border Collies, but one of the beauties of this sport is that any dog can play. Mixed breeds are common because there are the most commonly owned dog. Labs and Australian Shepherds are also great at this sport. Whippets and Miniature Poodles have even been known to compete in Flyball. As long as your dog has lots of energy to burn, is willing to be trained and you are happy to teach, Flyball is an extremely rewarding and fun way to bond with your dog! Read more