Flyball Harnesses

Flyball Flyball is a dog sport in which teams of dogs race against each other from a start/finish line, over a line of hurdles, to a box that releases a tennis ball to be caught when the dog presses the spring loaded pad, then back to their handlers while carrying the ball. Most dogs that compete wear a harness and benefit from a harness with a handle on the top for holding the dog. The Zima Multi-Sport harness is ideal for flyball and is available in a choice of fleece or water-repelling foam. The harness is offerend in a choice of 6 sizes and is colour coded by size. We also offer a custom fitting service if your dog does not fit into a standard size harness. Custom fit harnesses are offered in the choice of red, blue, grey, black, blue or green.

Please call 0330 088 3647 for information and how to measure your dog for a custom fit harnesses.

Some flyball competitors also like our fleece walking harnesses for flyball due to the choice of colours offered.

Flyball is run in teams of four dogs, as a relay. The course consists of four hurdles placed 10 feet (3 m) apart from each other, with the starting line six feet (1.8 m) from the first hurdle, and the flyball box 15 feet (4.5 m) after the last one, making for a 51-foot (15.5 m) length. The hurdle height is determined by the shoulder height of the smallest dog in the team. Under current North American Flyball Association (NAFA) rules this should be 5 inches (12.7 cm) below the withers height of the smallest dog, to a height of no less than 7 inches (20.3 cm) and no greater than 14 inches (40.6 cm). Each dog must return its ball all the way across the start line before the next dog crosses. Ideal running is nose-to-nose at the start line. The first team to have all four dogs cross the finish line error free wins the heat. Penalties are applied to teams if the ball is dropped or if the next relay dog is released early.

History

Flyball started as a dog sport in the late 1960's and early 1970's, in Southern California. Some dog trainers combined scent hurdle racing with the dogs bringing back a tennis ball to the finish line. Then a tennis ball-launching apparatus was added and the first flyball box was born. Herbert Wagner is credited with making the first real flyball box, and he also demonstrated flyball on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.

The first Flyball tournament was held in 1983 in the USA. Flyball has now expanded into many countries including Australia, Canada and South Africa, and in Europe countries such as Belgium, Britain, Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, the Netherlands and Poland have National flyball tournaments and also hold joint annual European championships.

The European championships were held in Britain in 2007 the Czech Republic in 2008 and Belgium in 2009.

Nature of the sport

Flyball provides an entertaining and active way to interact with one's dog and other dog enthusiasts in an environment that is fun while allowing the dogs exercise and enjoyment. It is an especially effective way to burn off the energy of dogs with a high drive to work, such as Border Collies and Terriers.

A large part of flyball's popularity stems from the fact that it is one of the competition activities available to mixed-breed dogs, allowing rescued mutts and non-pedigree dogs to shine alongside their purebred canine counterparts. Though herding dogs currently dominate the courses, many champion teams have mutts on them. Dogs earn titles and awards based on points earned by their team in racing.

Flyball is not limited to the size of the breed, as smaller dogs such as Jack Russell Terriers and Whippets, even miniature poodles, often compete with great success in mixed-breed teams (teams consisting of dogs of various sizes and breeds). Smaller dogs are often prized as the hurdle height is based on the height of the smallest dog in the team, commonly known as a height dog. Their only limitation is whether they can trigger the release pad, and small dogs often have to fully jump on it to do so.

Flyball is one of the non-hunting dog sports in which dogs and people work as a team. Many casual pet owners use their flyball time more as a way to relax and socialize with other dog owners than as a competition, and many champion flyball dogs are essentially pet dogs with a hobby, rather than dedicated sporting or working dogs.

Competitions

Competitions are usually hosted by a specific local flyball club but under the sanction of a national governing body. The host club may be devoted solely to flyball or to many other types of dog sports. The host flyball club uses Head judges who are licensed by the national sanctioning organisation and the club will apply to the national sanctioning organization for permission to hold a competition on a specific date or weekend; most competitions are two-day weekend events.

Although competitions may vary, teams are normally seeded into divisions against other teams of similar speed. This allows the races to be closer and much more exciting. Each team in the division will usually race against all the other teams in a round robin format. The overall winner is the team with the most wins.

In competitions all teams will also be trying to improve their own individual team's best race time. Teams that underestimate their speed may "break out" of their division in competition. The break-out time for a division is typically set at 1 second faster than the top seeded team in each division. The break-out rule is intended to encourage teams to seed themselves accurately, as any heats where a team breaks out do not count and are recorded as losses.

The largest single regularly held flyball competition is the North American Flyball Championships. In the 2009 Championships there were about 300 teams competing held over a 3 day event.

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Xtra Dog Walking Harness Size Petite

£18.80

This Petite size harness is designed to fit the teacup dog breeds and very small puppies and kittens. The size is smaller than our XXS harness.

These new harnesses have been specially designed with an “O” ring at the top plus one at the front so that they can be used with a double ended lead. It becomes easy to stop your dog from pulling using Tellington TTouch (http://www.xtradog.com/pulling) leading and balancing walking techniques. These harnesses are designed and made by Xtra Dog and offer the following benefits:

• The only manufacturer of fleece harnesses to offer 10 standard fit sizes and a made-to-measure service •

Front rings are ideally positioned to re-balance pulling dogs •

New measurements for better clearance of the dog’s front legs •

“O” rings rather than “D” rings - less wear on the webbing

• Webbing matching the colour of the fleece - the most effective and stylish harness a dog can wear

• Machine washable at low temperatures

• Recommended by trainers, behaviourists, Tellington TTouch practitioners, vets.

• Featured in Dogs Today magazine, Your Dog, Dogs Monthly, Dog Trainer Magazine etc...

Learn More | Add to Wishlist | Add to Compare
Xtra Dog Walking Harness Size Extra Extra Large

£31.50

This XX Large harness is designed to fit the largest sizes of dogs including large Akita, Bernese Mountain Dog, big Chows, giant Schnauzer, large Great Dane, Leonberger, larger Mastiffs, big Rottweiler, and Wolfhounds.The size is comparable to our previous size 7, although we have extended our measurements between the dogs legs so that there is less chance of rubbing. Should you need a larger harness please contact us about a custom fit.

These new harnesses have been specially designed with an “O” ring at the top plus one at the front so that they can be used with a double ended lead. It becomes easy to stop your dog from pulling using Tellington TTouch (see http://www.xtradog.com/pulling for more details) leading and balancing walking techniques. These harnesses are designed and made by Xtra Dog and offer the following benefits:

• The only manufacturer of fleece harnesses to offer 10 standard fit sizes and a made-to-measure service

• Front rings are ideally positioned to re-balance pulling dogs

• New measurements for better clearance of the dog’s front legs

• “O” rings rather than “D” rings - less wear on the webbing

• Webbing matching the colour of the fleece - the most effective and stylish harness a dog can wear

• Machine washable at low temperatures

• Recommended by trainers, behaviourists, Tellington TTouch practitioners, vets.

• Featured in Dogs Today magazine, Your Dog, Dogs Monthly, Dog Trainer Magazine etc...

Learn More | Add to Wishlist | Add to Compare
Xtra Dog Walking Harness Size Large

£27.90

This Large harness is a new size designed to fit the large sizes dogs with a deep chest including larger Labrador, Standard Poodle, large male Dalmatian, large Flat Coated Retriever, large Golden Retriever, large Setters, large GSD's and their crosses. The size is comparable to our previous size 5, although we have extended our measurements between the dog's legs so that there is less chance of rubbing.

These new harnesses have been specially designed with an “O” ring at the top plus one at the front so that they can be used with a double ended lead. It becomes easy to stop your dog from pulling using Tellington TTouch (see http://www.xtradog.com/pulling for more details) leading and balancing walking techniques. These harnesses are designed and made by Xtra Dog and offer the following benefits:

• The only manufacturer of fleece harnesses to offer 10 standard fit sizes and a made-to-measure service

• Front rings are ideally positioned to re-balance pulling dogs • New measurements for better clearance of the dog’s front legs

• “O” rings rather than “D” rings - less wear on the webbing

• Webbing matching the colour of the fleece - the most effective and stylish harness a dog can wear

• Machine washable at low temperatures

• Recommended by trainers, behaviourists, Tellington TTouch practitioners, vets.

• Featured in Dogs Today magazine, Your Dog, Dogs Monthly, Dog Trainer Magazine etc...

Learn More | Add to Wishlist | Add to Compare
Xtra Dog Walking Harness Size Extra Large

£29.45

This Extra Large harness is designed to fit the large sizes of dogs including Very large Labradors, Very large German Shepherds, Malamutes, very Large Setters, Northern Inuits, Very large Golden Retreivers. The size is comparable to our previous size 6, although we have extended our measurements between the dog's legs so that there is less chance of rubbing. This harness has the same size neck as a large harness, but deeper in the chest and around the rib cage.

These new harnesses have been specially designed with an “O” ring at the top plus one at the front so that they can be used with a double ended lead. It becomes easy to stop your dog from pulling using Tellington TTouch (see http://www.xtradog.com/pulling for more details) leading and balancing walking techniques. These harnesses are designed and made by Xtra Dog and offer the following benefits:

• The only manufacturer of fleece harnesses to offer 10 standard fit sizes and a made-to-measure service

• Front rings are ideally positioned to re-balance pulling dogs

• New measurements for better clearance of the dog’s front legs

• “O” rings rather than “D” rings - less wear on the webbing

• Webbing matching the colour of the fleece - the most effective and stylish harness a dog can wear

• Machine washable at low temperatures

• Recommended by trainers, behaviourists, Tellington TTouch practitioners, vets.

• Featured in Dogs Today magazine, Your Dog, Dogs Monthly, Dog Trainer Magazine etc...

Learn More | Add to Wishlist | Add to Compare
Xtra Dog Walking Harness Size Medium

£25.85

This Medium harness is designed to fit medium sized dogs including: Husky bitches, larger Dalmatians, medium Border Collies, Bearded Collies, Springer Spaniels, Lurchers, small Greyhounds and Staffordshire Bull Terrier bitches. The size is comparable to our previous size 4, although we have extended our measurements between the dog's legs so that there is less chance of rubbing.

These new harnesses have been specially designed with an “O” ring at the top plus one at the front so that they can be used with a double ended lead. It becomes easy to stop your dog from pulling using Tellington TTouch (see http://www.xtradog.com/pulling for more details) leading and balancing walking techniques. These harnesses are designed and made by Xtra Dog and offer the following benefits:

• The only manufacturer of fleece harnesses to offer 11 standard fit sizes and a made-to-measure service

• Front rings are ideally positioned to re-balance pulling dogs

• New measurements for better clearance of the dog’s front legs

• “O” rings rather than “D” rings - less wear on the webbing

• Webbing matching the colour of the fleece - the most effective and stylish harness a dog can wear

• Machine washable at low temperatures

• Recommended by trainers, behaviourists, Tellington TTouch practitioners, vets.

• Featured in Dogs Today magazine, Your Dog, Dogs Monthly, Dog Trainer Magazine etc...

Learn More | Add to Wishlist | Add to Compare
Xtra Dog Walking Harness Size Small Medium

£23.45

This Small-Medium harness is designed to fit mid-size dogs including large Parsons Jack Russells, Fox Terriers, Toy Poodles ,Shetland Sheepdogs, Cockers and Field Spaniels, large Miniature Poodles, small Dalmatian bitches, West Highland Whites and certain breeds of puppies. The size is comparable to our previous size 3, although we have extended our measurements between the dog's legs so that there is less chance of rubbing.

These new harnesses have been specially designed with an “O” ring at the top plus one at the front so that they can be used with a double ended lead. It becomes easy to stop your dog from pulling using Tellington TTouch (see http://www.xtradog.com/pulling for more details) leading and balancing walking

techniques. These harnesses are designed and made by Xtra Dog and offer the following benefits:

• The only manufacturer of fleece harnesses to offer 11 standard fit sizes and a made-to-measure service

• Front rings are ideally positioned to re-balance pulling dogs

• New measurements for better clearance of the dog’s front legs

• “O” rings rather than “D” rings - less wear on the webbing

• Webbing matching the colour of the fleece - the most effective and stylish harness a dog can wear

• Machine washable at low temperatures

• Recommended by trainers, behaviourists, Tellington TTouch practitioners, vets.

• Featured in Dogs Today magazine, Your Dog, Dogs Monthly, Dog Trainer Magazine etc...

Learn More | Add to Wishlist | Add to Compare
Xtra Dog Walking Harness Size Small

£21.70

This Small harness is designed to fit medium terrier sized dogs including large Jack Russells, Fox Terriers, Toy Poodles, Pugs, Tibetan terriers, Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Patterdale Terriers, Chinese Cresteds, small Whippets, medium to large Papillons and certain breeds of puppies and very large cat breeds. The size is comparable to our previous size 2, although we have extended our measurements between the dog's legs so that there is less chance of rubbing.

These new harnesses have been specially designed with an “O” ring at the top plus one at the front so that they can be used with a double ended lead. It becomes easy to stop your dog from pulling using Tellington TTouch (see http://www.xtradog.com/pulling for more details) leading and balancing walking techniques. These harnesses are designed and made by Xtra Dog and offer the following benefits:

• The only manufacturer of fleece harnesses to offer 11 standard fit sizes and a made-to-measure service

• Front rings are ideally positioned to re-balance pulling dogs

• New measurements for better clearance of the dog’s front legs

• “O” rings rather than “D” rings - less wear on the webbing

• Webbing matching the colour of the fleece - the most effective and stylish harness a dog can wear

• Machine washable at low temperatures

• Recommended by trainers, behaviourists, Tellington TTouch practitioners, vets.

• Featured in Dogs Today magazine, Your Dog, Dogs Monthly, Dog Trainer Magazine etc...

Learn More | Add to Wishlist | Add to Compare
Xtra Dog Walking Harness Size X Small

£19.40

This X Small harness is designed to fit small terrier sized dogs, medium to large Papillons, larger Chihuahas and certain breeds of puppies and large cats. The size is comparable to our previous size 1, although we have extended our measurements between the dog's legs so that there is less chance of rubbing.

These new harnesses have been specially designed with an “O” ring at the top plus one at the front so that they can be used with a double ended lead. It becomes easy to stop your dog from pulling using Tellington TTouch (see http://www.xtradog.com/pulling for more details) leading and balancing walking techniques. These harnesses are designed and made by Xtra Dog and offer the following benefits:

• The only manufacturer of fleece harnesses to offer 10 standard fit sizes and a made-to-measure service

• Front rings are ideally positioned to re-balance pulling dogs

• New measurements for better clearance of the dog’s front legs

• “O” rings rather than “D” rings - less wear on the webbing

• Webbing matching the colour of the fleece - the most effective and stylish harness a dog can wear

• Machine washable at low temperatures

• Recommended by trainers, behaviourists, Tellington TTouch practitioners, vets.

• Featured in Dogs Today magazine, Your Dog, Dogs Monthly, Dog Trainer Magazine etc...

Learn More | Add to Wishlist | Add to Compare
Xtra Dog Walking Harness Size XX Small

£18.80

This XX Small harness is designed to fit toy and very small dog breeds including tiny puppies, miniature Chihuahas, miniature Dachshunds, even small cats. The size is comparable to our previous size 0, although we have extended our measurements between the dog's legs so that there is less chance of rubbing.

These new harnesses have been specially designed with an “O” ring at the top plus one at the front so that they can be used with a double ended lead. It becomes easy to stop your dog from pulling using Tellington TTouch (see http://www.xtradog.com/pulling) leading and balancing walking techniques. These harnesses are designed and made by Xtra Dog and offer the following benefits:

• The only manufacturer of fleece harnesses to offer 10 standard fit sizes and a made-to-measure service

• Front rings are ideally positioned to re-balance pulling dogs

• New measurements for better clearance of the dog’s front legs

• “O” rings rather than “D” rings - less wear on the webbing

• Webbing matching the colour of the fleece - the most effective and stylish harness a dog can wear

• Machine washable at low temperatures

• Recommended by trainers, behaviourists, Tellington TTouch practitioners, vets.

• Featured in Dogs Today magazine, Your Dog, Dogs Monthly, Dog Trainer Magazine etc...

Learn More | Add to Wishlist | Add to Compare
Zima Multi Sport Harness (available in fleece or foam)

£40.85

ZIMA X-BACK Multi-Sport harness (available in fleece or foam) - Here it is: What our skijoring, bikejoring, cani-cross and scootering customers have been asking for--a FULLY padded harness to meet their needs. They are beautiful with padding everywhere to protect from harness rubbing, an adjustable belly band, the same proven ZIMA neckline, and adjusted centerpoint to allow for easy pulling. Just attach to the tail-loop and go. The point of attachment is just past the shoulder blades and has a great weight distribution to make pulling fun and easy!

Here it is: What our skijoring, bikejoring, cani-cross and scootering customers have been asking for--a FULLY padded harness to meet their needs. They are beautiful with padding everywhere to protect from harness rubbing, an adjustable belly band, the same proven ZIMA neckline, and adjusted centerpoint to allow for easy pulling. Just attach to the tail-loop and go. The point of attachment is just past the shoulder blades and has a great weight distribution to make pulling fun and easy

These are hand-made and whilst we keep a selection in stock, your harness may need to be made for you, so please allow up to 2 weeks for delivery

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