Introducing Your Dog To The Flyball Box

From FlyballDogs.com:

Bob Long recommends the following:

I start my classes with jump work in one area of the training grounds and box work in a totally separate area. I don't mix them together for three or four weeks. If your handlers insist on "box work" and you do not have a safe box ready yet, teach them the "step" exercise. I have used a carpet square with a firm backing leaned up against a sponge. Put an instructor behind the carpet square and the dog and handler six feet in front of it. With a ball visible to the dog in the instructors hand, encourage the dog forward with a word like "step". When the dog touches the carpet square, throw the ball to the dog. This is a basic behavior shaping exercise with the ball as the reward. Eventually the dog should pounce on the carpet square to get the ball. When your box is ready, transfer the behavior to the box by leaning the carpet square on the front of the box. Continue to use the instructor to toss the ball until the dog is happy with the presence of the box, then let the box throw the ball. At this point you can dispense with the carpet square.

Kevin McNichola adds:

I have a variation on the carpet square idea for conditioning dogs in the early stages of Flyball training.

Basically you get a large cardboard box from a store, the sort of box that a TV is packaged in would be ideal. Using heavy duty tape and a sharp knife, cut the cardboard box into a sort of flyball box shape with an angled front, cut an exit hole in the front. Leave a gap at the back so that you can reach inside and put a ball through the exit hole. Paint the front of the box the same colour as the box you are likely to use in the future.

The 'box' can be used indoors and dogs can be trained to become 'box' obsessive in their own homes, family members can become box loaders. It will not be long before the dog is bashing the cardboard box to get it's ball out.

FlyballDogs.com