Preparing for Albury Border Challenge Cup

Gary brought his lights to training yesterday, so we were able to clock times for some of the dogs who will be traveling to Albury later this month.

We won't be revealing any secrets on this blog (got to stay competitive!) but the non-competitive- almost-blind Ebbi recorded a personal best of just over 6 seconds in her fun practice session team with Zac (who will be racing) and Boomer (who is still learning).

Highlights of the day:

• Dharma racing (perfectly) for her real mother who is back from holiday

• Max barking

• Beginner Minky showing a lovely willingness to learn 'around the pole'

• Max barking

• Peanut recording a blinding (but secret) speed

• Max barking

• Tansy and Rocket performing beautifully after several weeks away

• Max barking

• Kiera and Burra putting their years of flyball experience to good effect

• Max barking

• Humphrey steadily improving his full runs, and practicing excellent turns on the box

• Max barking

• Dusty showing great promise for the future

• Max barking

• Fletch doing lovely turns on the practice box

• Max barking

• Boomer trying his mum's patience by taking short cuts rather than doing full runs like we know he can

• Max barking

• Max refusing to believe that practice was over, and doing another full run just for the sheer joy of it.

We missed beginner Susie and hope to see her again soon.  Don't forget training on Wednesday night at 7pm unless it's pouring rain.

Sunday Training.

What a great training afternoon, with so many beginners keenly doing Overs and Arounds in a lane right beside the more experienced dogs practising their racing skills.

Freddie and Dougal have been away for a few weeks but haven't forgotten their Overs......

Boomer has recovered from the incident on Wednesday when he knocked over the jump......

Susie (at her second training session!) is doing full recalls, and already going Around on the box....

Minky (at her first training session) is keen learn Overs and VERY motivated by chicken......

and Fletch is doing lovely Arounds on the box - all four feet and no silly stick......

Meanwhile, Kiera and Burra and Max and Jenna and Dharma were racing, racing, racing their hearts out, getting in form for the Albury Border Challenge Cup in a month's time.

Training, training

Last night was another dark and dreary night in Canberra, with just a small group braving the weather to attend flyball training.  But that's not all bad, it provides more time for attention to detail.  Boomer, who's been doing lovely full runs for a beginner, got too enthusiastic and knocked over a jump, making him somewhat less keen to do his 'Overs' the next time.

Check out Boomer's style before the incident.

As well as encouraging Boomer to return to wholehearted Overs, we decided that everyone should practice full runs over a downed jump - and Jasper, Foxie Lady, Dharma, Max and even Humphrey all 'took it in their stride', no matter which jump we pushed over.  Good practice for when it happens in a competition.

Then we decided to try to something new to encourage Max and Humphrey to get all four feet up on the box.  Both of them can do this without the ball involved, but as soon as the ball is introduced these big dogs start 'slamming'.  We've been struggling with placing a pole in front of the box during the full run, but anyone who's tried this knows how difficult it is with a big dog running at speed.  Here's a video to show our new technique is working.

Now all we have to do is figure out how to remove the white post altogether!

Winter Training

It may be cold, it may be dark here in Canberra's winter but at the Canberra X-Factor Flyball Team we continue to train on Wednesday nights at 7pm and on Sunday afternoons at 1pm, unless it is raining steadily or we are away at a competition.
Since we began mixed training sessions (with beginner dogs joining more advanced dogs) we've welcomed some delightful, excited and talented newcomers.....the gentle Humphrey, the quick and bouncy Boomer, the slightly more reticent but very sweet Fletch. The mixed training sessions seem to be working really well......beginner dogs are being 'distraction proofed' from their first lesson and are also immediately welcomed into the social atmosphere of playtime after every training session.

Recent Comp Results:
Million Paws Walk hosted by X-Factor
Canberra X-Perienced 2nd Place Division 2 (Pac, Dharma, Jasper, Kiera, Jenna (and Humphrey bravely doing recalls) Best Time 20.646 secs
Canberra X-Citables 2nd Place Division 2 (Russ, Russell, Burra, Foxie Lady, Zac & Max) Best Time 27.5 secs

Thanks to Kathleen for the video footage 'This is Flyball' at Million Paws Walk

Thanks to Rebecca for these great photos

Canberra Royal Show hosted by X-Factor
Canberra X-Ceptionals 3rd Place Division 2 Best Time 19.988 secs
Canberra X-Press 2nds Place Division 3 Best Time 22.225 secs
Canberra X-Treme 3rd Place Division 4 Best Time 23.516 secs

Remember, if you'd like to join Canberra X-Factor, come along to one of our training sessions prepared with a soft collar, harness if you have one, your dog's favourite toy and some tasty treats (roast chicken always works well).  We'll assess your dog, try some basic exercises, and explain how you can join ACT Companion Dog Club and the Australian Flyball Association.

on the box.

Flyballin in the Sun, Tuggeranong

A great comp on Sunday 30 November, in a lovely location by the lake. X-Factor X-Ceptionals (Pac, Dharma, Jasper, Zac) took home 1st place in Division 2, while X-Factor X-Citables (Jenna, Kelly, Russ, Peanut, Foxy Lady, Max) were excited to be awarded 5th place in Division 3.

Highlights of the day:
• Peanut doing her first full run in a comp (FD)
• Peanut gaining her first title in a comp
• Peanut gaining her second title in a comp (FDX)
• Peanut getting her first yellow card in a comp
• Max avoiding getting carded
• Russ actually getting points for a whole day of perfect racing!
• Max's handler learning why you shouldn't dangle the tuggy through the start gates
• Great racing by Pac, Dharma, Jasper and Zac

Photos to come soon.

Don't forget no training this weekend because we have the Flyball Frolic on Saturday on the West Lawns of Old Parliament House

Dogs Day Out in Canberra

Canberra X-Factor joined with the Belconnen Bullets, Tuggeranong Torpedos and K9 Krusaders from Queenbeyan to stage a Flyball demonstration as part of the ACT Government's Dog Day Out at Lake Ginnindera today.
Dogs Day Out is an annual affair that includes structured demonstrations, competitions, and just sheer fun for dogs and their two legged companions.
Our Flyball demonstration included some beginner dogs, a range of experienced dogs, and a team of senior citizens, with 3 dogs over the age of 11 years. The demo ranged from fiercely competitive racing to some moments of absolute hilarity with beginners losing the plot to stagefright or sheer exuberance, and older dogs going on strike due to the warm afternoon sun.
It was a great day, thanks the ACT Government, and to the co-operation of every Canberra team for joining in.

Two Exciting Comps

Two very different comps in two very different locations

SUNSET CLAWS FLYBALL at Belconnen on Saturday 25 October
A beautiful Canberra day at Belconnen's friendly club, running on the dusty, sparse grass we've come to think of as normal in this drought stricken city.
X-Factor X-ceptionals lived up to their name and took 2nd place after an almost faultless comp.
X-Factor X-traterrestrials also unfortunately lived up to their name (space cadets) and were placed, errm, last, due to er, um, some 'unfortunate incidents' including a red card, a black card, and the fact that there were only 5 dogs in the team. Showing the true spirit of Flyball, the remaining three dogs Russ, Kellie and Foxie Lady continued to race (non-competitively) so that their competitors at least had the satisfaction of running against someone! Russ in particular was a trooper, the last one standing at the end of a long and interesting day.

DAPTO FLYBALL AT DOGS DAY OUT, Albion Park Showgrounds on Sunday 19 October
A stinking hot day in a beautiful location running on lush, green grounds the likes of which we're not used to in Canberra. X-Factor X-Press were second in Division 2 with a best time of 20.417. Congratulations to Jenna, who was in this team and who received an encouragement award.
X-Factor X-treme were 3rd in Division 4 with a best time of 26.749 seconds, no thanks to a little black girl (who will remain nameless) who comprehensively shut down and just refused to run.
We were a bit 'short staffed' at Dapto, with several handlers running two dogs each and no 'extras', and so are without photos for this comp.