By Rebecca Skilton
The weekend Berwick Show Flyball competition will incorporate everything a dog could love.
From running and chasing to pleasing their owners, the adrenaline-inducing canine sport has it all.
Yet as Berwick Flyball member Monique Smith explains it’s an event for every breed of dog, no matter their shape, size or history.
“I got my dogs from a rescue group called Staffords in Need,” Monique said.
“I found out (about the rescue group) through a friend who knows the lady who runs it.
“When I picked up (one of my dogs) I couldn’t let her go.”
Currently in her third year with the Berwick Flyball team, Monique and her two rescue dogs, Ana and Buddy, will be a part of the 150 entrants competing at the 2017 Berwick Show.
Ana is a six-year-old Staffordshire bull terrier cross and will be competing in the division one races while Buddy is a two-and-a-half-year-old American Staffy cross who will appear in division four.
Although neither was personally bred for a life of racing, in the world of Flyball, it doesn’t matter.
“You’ll actually find a lot of the dogs are rescued. Any breed can do (Flyball), and any size can do it,” Monique said.
“I’m all about second chances, there’s nothing wrong with rescue dogs, they just weren’t wanted by previous owners.
“Ana was surrendered by her owner,” Monique said.
“Buddy was different. His mum was picked up in Tasmania and bought over (to Victoria).
“(The vets) went to de-sex her and they found out she was carrying pups. I followed her story and found out when the puppies were born. We got Buddy at eight weeks old.”
While Monique admits that she wasn’t looking for a dog to race when she first adopted Ana, she was eventually enticed to join the sport by a friend who was already a Flyball competitor.
“In the beginning I got to run my friend’s dog,” Monique said.
“(Then) when I decided I wanted to give it a go, it took Ana about six months to train.
“I had to teach her what a ball was to begin with (but) once the dogs know what they’re doing it’s easy, they love it.”
Described as the ultimate drag race for dogs, Flyball sees two teams of four dogs compete against each other in relay style fashion with each dog jumping four hurdles to retrieve a ball from a box.
Once they have triggered the box and snatched the ball, the dog must then return back over the hurdles and across the finish line before his next team member is released.
“It’s an adrenaline sport,” Monique said.
“We love when the crowd gets up and involved. When we have a competition at an agriculture show we draw in the crowds and get them to be as loud as they can.”
While Flyball is believed to have originated in North America in the 1970s, the earliest known event in Australia was in 1982 and it has since quickly risen in popularity.
“It’s very addictive. We travel interstate and compete, there are teams all over Australia.
“We all travel to the nationals and you’re competing against teams you don’t normally compete against.
“It’s a big deal, it’s a great sport to get into and learn more about dogs.”
Monique encourages all dog owners to consider the sport regardless of their dog’s breed or history and to contact their local club.
“When you give (dogs) the chance and a bit of love, they’ll give it back. There are no labels in Flyball, they’re just dogs,” Monique explained.
“They do it because they enjoy it.”
The 2017 Berwick Show will take place on 25 and 26 February at Akoonah Park, Berwick.
