No fewer than eighty dogs and owners competed against each other in Zaandam today in a real flyball tournament. flyball is a team sport specially developed for dogs. The four-legged friends can lose all their energy here, and the owners could not always suppress their enthusiasm.
To play Flyball you need the following: four obstacles, a ball machine, a dog and an owner. The aim is for the four-legged friend to run through the obstacles to a ball machine as quickly as possible, operate the machine so that the ball appears, catch it and then run back to the boss via the obstacles. Two teams of four dogs (and owners) compete for the fastest time. The team that is the first to clear four dogs across the finish line takes the win.
“It is always exciting whether they catch the ball,” said a proud owner whose dog has just set a lightning-fast time. “Sometimes they can miss the ball with their muzzle and it bounces off, and then it’s done.”
Team spirit
The Zaanse tournament is full of Flyball talents because no dog bites the flying ball, so the atmosphere is good on the field. “It’s just really nice”, remarks one owner. According to her, the team spirit that prevails among themselves is the best thing about the sport.
“With the team you make it a pleasant day”, according to organizer Onno Witte. “And the dogs are excited too.”
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