About Us
Welcome to Tassie Flying Paws Dog Club Inc.
We are all about high-energy fun, wagging tails, and the bond between humans and their best friends!
Whether your dog is a speed demon, an agility ace, or just loves a good challenge, we have a spot for you. Based at the Pontville Recreation Ground since 2015, we’ve grown from a small group of flyball fanatics into a multi-sport community for dogs of all breeds and sizes.
Our Story (Our "Paws" in History)
Our roots go way back to the early 2000s. Fun fact: back in 2005, our teams competed as the Tassie Jack Jumpers—long before the NBL Basketball Team made the name famous! Since incorporating in 2016, we’ve traded our old red gear for bright blue and expanded our horizons beyond the flyball lane.
What We Do
You can always teach an old (or young!) dog new tricks! We offer weekly training in:
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Flyball: The ultimate relay race for all dogs, big and small.
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Agility: A fast-paced obstacle course that tests speed and precision.
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Diverse Sports: We have a rich history in Rally-O, Noseworks and TrickDog with many of our members training and acheiving amazing results in multiple disciplines.
Why Join Us?
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Expert Coaching: We are lucky to have dedicated, knowledgeable trainers who live and breathe dog sports.
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Official Pedigree: We are proudly affiliated with the Australian Flyball Association (AFA) and the Tasmanian Canine Association (TasDogs).
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Community: Our membership grows every year, but our mission remains the same: having serious fun with our dogs.
Ready to get involved? Check out our training schedules or send us a message to start!
Let’s get those paws flying!
Explore Our Classes
Flyball Beginners
Sundays 9am: Flyball Beginners
Flyball beginner classes are the ultimate "intro to the adrenaline" for you and your dog! Our sessions focus on building the foundational skills needed for the sport in a fun, low-pressure environment.
We break the game down into manageable pieces: teaching your dog to drive toward a ball, master the "swimmer's turn" on the flyball box to protect their joints, and focus on their handler even when other dogs are zooming nearby.
Our beginner program is all about confidence and bond-building. Whether your dog is a ball-obsessed Border Collie or a speedy Terrior, we use positive reinforcement to turn these skills into one big game.
No prior experience is needed!
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Intermediate and Team Dog Flyball
Sundays 10am: Intermediate Classes
Once your dog has the foundations down, intermediate classes are where the real speed starts to develop. These sessions focus on:
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Full Course Confidence and consistency.
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Fine-tuning the "swimmer’s turn" on the box for safety and maximum drive.
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Recall & Focus: Strengthening your dog's ability to drive back to you even with distractions in the neighboring lane.
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Passing Foundations: Introducing the idea of "passing" another dog, which is the heart of relay racing.
Sundays 11:00am: Team Dog Sessions
Team dog sessions are for pups and handlers who have mastered foundations and are ready to compete.
In these sessions, we focus on:
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Tight Passing: Training dogs to cross the start/finish line "nose-to-nose" with their teammates.
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Racing Strategy: Working together in teams of four to prepare for AFA competitions.
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Team Bond: Building a synchronised rhythm between different dogs and their handlers.
Agility
Sundays 12noon: Agility
Our agility program is designed for all levels, from beginners to competitive athletes.
We utilise positive, force-free training methods to ensure the experience is rewarding for every pup.
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Agility Foundations: We focus on introducing dogs to basic equipment—like jumps and tunnels—in a safe environment, while teaching handlers the essential groundwork for directing their dogs effectively.
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Progression: As you advance, we introduce more complex obstacles like weave poles and contact equipment, moving from single pieces to full-course sequences.
What is Flyball!?
Flyball is a fast-paced relay race where two teams of four dogs compete side-by-side in a test of pure speed and focus.
Each dog sprints down a 51-foot lane, clears four hurdles, and triggers a spring-loaded box to launch a tennis ball. After a lightning-fast "swimmer's turn" off the box, they snatch the ball and zoom back over the hurdles to their handler.
The next dog can’t start until the previous one crosses the finish line, making for heart-pounding "nose-to-nose" passes that keep the crowd cheering.
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What makes Flyball great?
What makes flyball the best game on four paws is that it’s inclusive of every breed and size. Because hurdle heights are set based on the smallest dog on the team, everyone from a tiny Terrier to a massive Mastiff can be a superstar athlete.
It is a fantastic way to channel your dog’s natural energy into a sport that builds incredible focus and a rock-solid bond between you and your pup.
Our Team
At Tassie Flying Paws, we are more than just a training club we are a vibrant, supportive community of dog lovers who live for the "pawsitive" vibes.
While we take our sports seriously, we never take ourselves too seriously. Whether we are training under the sun at Pontville or cheering each other on at competitions, our community is built on the belief that the bond between a handler and their dog always comes first.
We celebrate every win, from a dogs first successful box turn to a veteran dog’s fastest relay split.
Our Community
Our sessions at Pontville aren't just about drills; they are about the connection we share as humans. You will always see our members sharing a cuppa and a bikkie, or diving into some legendary homemade cake!
We are a true "all hands on deck" community where everyone pitches in to make the magic happen. Whether it’s hauling gear for morning setup, helping pack up the lanes after a long day, or working together to coordinate competitions, our members take pride in building the club from the ground up.
Many hands make light work, and that shared effort is exactly what creates such a strong bond between us all.
