Wordless Wednesday: Teams

My flyball team decided to update our team picture at the tournament on Saturday, since we have gained a lot of new members since our last official photo.

Flyball Tournament Food

The biggest difference between flyball and other dog sports is that flyball is a team sport. You certainly have friends and people who you train with in other sports. You have people you look forward to seeing at trials. But in flyball, you practice with your team every week, you crate with your team, you run with your team. And, if you are on my team anyway, you eat with your team!

I'm not in the least bit ashamed to admit that in our region, my team is known for the most impressive lunch buffets in our crating area. To a lot of us, the food spread is just another part of the tournament. It isn't a requirement for a team to bring food, of course. Some teams just let each individual bring something or plan on purchasing something for lunch when they are hungry, in an every-man-for-themselves sort of way. Not on our team!

Of course, putting together elaborate food spreads isn't exactly effortless. It is also a lot easier than you would think, though.

A week or two before the tournament, an email is sent out. The email looks something like this:

Breakfast stuff:
Coffee/Tea:
Sweet snacks:
Salty snacks:
Veggies and/or Fruit:
Lunch Saturday:
Lunch Sunday:
Bottled Water:
Plates, napkins, plastic ware:
Table:
Cooler w/Ice:

If we have people running with our team on Open, we often include them in the email as well as all of the team members who are traveling to the tournament. What happens then is that everyone signs up for what they are willing and able to bring. You end up with an email inbox that looks like this:

Actual screen shot of my email inbox when planning for the Stumptown tournament potluck

The most important part is to remember to hit "Reply All" rather than just "Reply" so that everyone gets to see all of the latest updates. Sometimes, someone needs to compile multiple lists together as some contributions mysteriously disappear in the email chain. For the most part, though, it works well. Since most venues have electricity available in the crating area, we often have at least the lunch dishes as hot items warmed up in crock pots. For those tournaments that don't have electricity, all of the dishes are things that can be served cold or room temperature.

The final potluck email for the Stumptown tournament

The final potluck email from the X-Fidos tournament

As you can see from the screen shots of the final potluck emails from the past two tournaments, the food can vary a lot. As the weather gets colder, chili and soups in crock pots tend to get more popular than things like sandwiches. 

You may not know it based on these emails, we do have a couple of people with dietary restrictions. Two of our team members are vegan. For the most part, we count on them reading packaging to know if they can eat the food that is brought along. A lot of us will make sure to bring something that works for them (such as hummus as an alternative sandwich spread) or simply choose the vegan friendly version of a food when out shopping. With the meal plans laid out like this, it makes it easy for people with any dietary restrictions (vegan, gluten free, etc) to plan what they can eat with the group and what they should bring for themselves.

Of course, this email list also ensures that we have enough tables to put the food on, coolers to keep it edible in, plates/napkins/forks/spoons/knives to not have to eat like heathens, etc. And water. Always make sure there is plenty of water at the tournament, and drink a ton of it. I also highly recommend bottles of tea (especially sweetened with honey), as they seem to help the sore throat that comes with flyball tournaments.

I think this method works great. It keeps anyone from having to put too much effort into planning the potluck. People can sign up to bring what they can afford to bring (short on cash that month? sign up to bring bottled water and a cooler with ice!). Our group is generally really good about rotating who brings what so that the same people aren't always providing lunch (though the tables and coolers are often brought by the same people over and over). A good group of people is essential to making this work. But a successful potluck spread makes a flyball tournament so much more fun!

We're At The Fair

So, Pallo and Koira and I are spending the next two days at the Marion County Fair in Salem. We are participating in two flyball tournaments over two days, and the whole thing is open to spectators. So if you happen to be in the area, it is a great chance to stop by. You can check out flyball first hand, see the craziness as it happens, and maybe even meet Pallo, Koira, or even Athena from Pitlandia as she runs in her first tournament!

Hope to see you at the fair!

Puppy Love

We had a great weekend in California. Pallo was awesome all weekend, running clean every time. Even I didn't mess up at all, and we had no ball dropping, jump skipping, or early passes at all. His times were good for the most part, in the 5.2-5.3 range, even on Sunday afternoon. My passes made him get some times more in the 5.6 range a few times, but overall, we both did really good.

Warm up with the prop, nice high box turn

Koira was entered in singles. It is basically the same as regular racing, only there is one dog in each lane instead of a team of four. Singles is offered only in U-Fli, which we don't compete in often (NAFA is much more common in our region). During our warm up time, I had Koira do both close up box work with the prop, and a few full runs with the prop. Her turn was okay for a few runs once the race started, but I pulled her from the last few heats in both races on Saturday, and didn't race her at all on Sunday, we just used our warm up time. Her turn still has a long way to go.

Running without the prop. Koira's rear is low, one foot not even up on the box. We have some work to do!

I spent a lot of time taking pictures of the other dogs running (and major, huge thanks to the people who used my camera to get some pictures of Koira running!). This mastiff was about the most adorable thing ever at flyball. He was hilarious to watch. His first run of the day, he went over one jump, then casually veered to the side to try to get some pets from the spectators. The rest of the weekend, he was much more solid on his jumps, but hilarious at the box. He would either jump up, put his feet on top of the box, and lick the box loader, or else would stand in front of the box for a moment before grabbing the ball, without ever touching or triggering the box. Very cute, but the rules require the dog triggers the box with the ball still in it, so he got a lot of flags for this. He did get his first points ever though because of interference from the other team. And really, he was a crowd favorite every time he ran!

Cutest dog ever doing flyball

We ended up packing up and leaving before the end of the racing day on Sunday. I had 8 hours of driving ahead of me and wanted to be home before midnight. We skipped Koira's last singles run and left shortly after Pallo's last run with his team. I like to stay for the end of racing and awards, and have never skipped it before, but that drive was motivating for getting out of there. 

Before taking off, I had to load the car back up with everything from the weekend, plus a pair of flyball boxes that my team purchased and that I needed to bring north from me. Flyball people are awesome, and one of the people Pallo was running pick-up with brought the boxes over from Las Vegas, where they were made. Everyone was worried about me being able to fit them both in my rather small car, but it didn't turn out to be an issue at all.

All packed up for the drive home

Awesome Flyball Weekend

Just a quick post to share a little about the weekend. I spent all day Friday cleaning the car, packing up, and then driving down to Gridley, CA for the flyball tournament. We arrived a little after 7pm, and ended up heading to dinner with one of the teams down there who were all camping at the tournament site. It was plenty warm for tent camping.

I set my alarm for 6:15 the first morning. With check in at 7, followed by measuring, then racing at 8, I wanted to give myself plenty of time to shower, walk the dogs, and eat. The jack russel alarm from the next camp site over, however, was set for 5:30, so I ended up with an even earlier start (the JRT alarm held off until 5:45 on Sunday morning).

I know most of my readers don't run flyball, so I try not to do play-by-plays of the weekend that most people don't end up understanding. So, here is the quick version.



Pallo measured in U-Fli for the first time, and sets 6 inch jumps. U-Fli has a different measuring system, using the length of the bone in the foreleg to determine jump height, instead of the dog's height at the withers. We ran 3/3 on Saturday and 5/5 on Sunday (meaning each race is made up of 3 or 5 heats). Pallo ran like a rock star. His best time for the weekend was a 5.1, and he pulled off plenty of 5.2 and 5.3s for the weekend. He held his ball solid, and ran perfect. The only error we had all weekend was mine, an early pass late in the day on Saturday.



Gold Coast Flyers, the team we were running with for the weekend, was hosting the tournament, and did a great job. Everyone was super helpful and friendly. I did lunch and dinner with them, and we had a good time. After dinner, I even had two awesome, very experienced flyballers take a look at Koira's box turn and got some advice about how to train it.

All the people we met were awesome. I spent a lot of time taking pictures, trying to get some of every dog and every team. I think I finally figured out how to change my camera settings to get decent pictures in the dim indoor lighting of dogs moving at lightening speed- it was a trade off between grain and blur, and I chose grain. And, a ton of people were awesome and used my camera, set on the tripod, focused, and ready to go, to take pictures of Pallo while he ran as well. For my first time taking pictures at a tournament, I think it went really well. I'm looking forward to taking pictures at our outdoor tournament in July though, for the better lighting.



We ended early on Sunday, at just after 2. Pallo was super tired, and conked out in his kennel until I packed up. I stayed to help with some of the clean up and for the awards ceremony, then headed on home. I stopped in Yreka, CA, just south of the Oregon border, for dinner and to check out the solar eclipse, which was total in that area. I ended up getting home about 11:30 last night.



More pictures from the tournament to come later!

Pallo Goes to Canada

That's right, I said Pallo, not we. I am staying home this weekend to work. Koira is staying with me. Pallo, on the other hand, is taking a fun trip to Canada with a flyball friend, Nancy, who needed a spare dog for their team this weekend.

I spent some time making up the list of stuff to pack for Pallo, then spent a good bit longer writing in a "Pallo notebook" about all his little weird things. I included his full registered name, his CRN (which is needed so that dogs can earn points in NAFA toward titles), and his jump height. Then, one page each on feeding Pallo, pottying Pallo, running flyball with Pallo, and of course another page of random stuff.

In addition to the notebook, Pallo will be traveling with his rabies certificate, proof of my ownership of him (a photocopy of his adoption paperwork), and letter written and signed by me, giving my friend permission to take my dog across the border and back.

Then, of course, Pallo also has his actual stuff to take along. He has a crate, a crate blanket, and a bag with an extra collar, two leashes, two squeaky toys, three tugs, some treats, a small soft sided cooler with his food (lamb hearts and meaty lamb bones), a water dish, and a roll of poop bags (which I know Nancy will have, but that I am sending anyway, because when at a dog event, there is no such thing as having too many poop bags).

I can't help but think I am forgetting something. Like, packing stuff for myself. Because I've never sent Pallo away for a weekend all by himself. He has always had either me or Koira along with him. I know that Nancy will take great care of him, and Pallo will have a blast running flyball, because that is what this dog was born to do, but still. I'm going to miss my little man.

A dog named Mellie

Something I often say about flyball is how awesome the team aspect is. Having people by your side during training and at tournaments, to share in your defeats as well as the wins, and to really share every aspect of the experience, is something pretty amazing. I don't think I've ever really mentioned before, though, how much this goes beyond your immediate team.



In the flyball world, we often become close to members of other teams by interacting at tournaments, running in Open together, talking training details, or just seeing each other at every flyball event, be it a tournament or a local fun match. Flyball becomes a community that is much larger than just the individual or even the individual teams.

Recently, my local flyball community took a blow when a border collie named Mellie was injured playing disc at a local park. Mellie belongs to Greta Kaplan, who leads and trains the Portland Tailblazer's flyball team. Greta also does training work with reactive dogs or those with behavioral issues.

Mellie is a six year old border collie who is active not only in flyball and disc, but also in herding, obedience, rally, nosework, and other dog sports. Mellie always gives 110% in everything she does. She is a handful on the starting line in flyball, but she knows her job and gives every single heat everything she has, even at the end of the day on Sunday when even the most reliable dogs are getting tired and making mistakes.

Mellie helps her mom out around the house by picking up dropped objects (and greatly enjoys doing her work!), and also helps out the reactive dogs Greta works with on a daily basis by being the decoy dog, distraction dog, and meet and greet dog. Mellie loves going to work with her mom, and happily jumps into the car every time.

Mellie is Greta's heart dog- Greta, who gives her heart to every dog she puts so much time and effort into training and rehabilitating. Mellie always gets along with everyone, and is always there. She loves to rest her chin on Greta's shoulder in bed, and will give a little hop to help her mom pick her up.

But now, Mellie has a full cruciate ligament rupture as well as an unstable knee joint. She had surgery to repair both of these problems, including an older surgical method used to stabilize the knee joint with, basically, fishing line strung through. Mellie is doing good post surgery, doing regular rehab exercises including twice-a-week under water treadmill (thanks to the very generous support of a sports rehab vet who is also a part of our flyball community).

Greta has set up a Chip-In, which you may have noticed displayed on the side bar of my blog for the past couple of weeks. Many very generous people have donated to help pay for Mellie's surgery, but the full amount has not yet been raised. If you don't have the ability to donate, I hope you have been able to just read this post about an incredible dog, and that it helps you appreciate not only those incredible dogs in your own household, but those owned by your community as well, be they family, friends, or dog sports competitors that you see most every weekend.

Mellie in action on the big screen at a Portland Trailblazer's half time show 

 If you do have the means and desire to donate, you can do so either on the sidebar or using the link below. And know that you are not only helping out Mellie and her mom Greta, but an entire community of dog lovers who would have been much worse off without this amazing team in action.