[AU-070] Flyball: Mastering the Pattern

This first-of-its-kind flyball course is designed to guide you on your flyball journey from start to finish. Access to the instructor lasts for 6 months and Shelly Switick is dedicated to helping you through any hurdles you encounter as you start and complete your dog’s flyball training. She has trained a large variety of breeds for flyball and has 1.5 decades of experience to guide you through the training process.

All lessons are available at once, making the course ideal for people who are stuck in their flyball training as well as those who want to learn the full flyball pattern, starting with the basics. Shelly covers it all: starting with the ball on a slant/hit-it board, seamlessly transitioning to the box, becoming knowledgeable on when and where to add in jumps, racing, and passing. Learn to see the perfect placements for props, striders, and your and your dog’s feet. Train your eye to make quick decisions in the moment to adjust your dog’s performance. After completing all of the exercises, you and your dog will be primed to make your flyball debut confidently and safely.

There are 20 exercises; 15 of which can be done on your own, and 5 that require additional helper dogs for racing and passing drills. Each exercise comes with written instructions and an informational video with different setups for team and homeschool demonstrations. Total time to watch all the videos is just under 1.5 hours.

Note: Although not required, you will get the most out of this course working with a flyball team or other flyball participants at practices so that you have the opportunity to race and add distractions that simulate a tournament setting.

Additional Course Details

• Faculty:
  • Shelly Switick
• Dates:
  • Course starts on July 9, 2024.
  • Registration opens on Saturday, June 1 @ 11 am Eastern
  • Registration closes for Working Spots July 22, 2024. Auditing remains open.
  • Course material access never expires.
• Level:
  • This course is perfect for pups aged 8-10 months and older.
• Course Structure:
  • 20 games. Maximum 30 video submissions for working participants over 6 months.
  • All games posted at the start of the class for the student to work through at their own pace. Each game has:
    • Demo video
    • Written description
    • Downloadable PDFs
• Equipment needed (working participants only):
  • Slant Board (also known as a hit-it board)
  • Flyball box
  • 4 jumps that are 24-30″ wide and 6-7″ high
  • Optional: 18″ x 24″ target mat, black preferred (shelf liner is perfect)
  • Dog’s preferred ball (squishy, light pressure, tennis ball, etc.)
  • Tugs, treats, clicker
• Space required (working participants only):
  • The beginning of the course requires a minimum of 15 feet for boxwork. As the course progresses and exercises include jumps, you will require a minimum of 50 feet. The ending of the course with full run patterns will require a minimum of 80-90 feet for the 51 feet course and runback.

Course Information

Estimated Time: 6 months

Difficulty: Intermediate

Categories: Flyball, Registration Open

Course Instructor

Shelly Switick Instructor