Does your New Year’s Resolution involve getting out and doing more? How about exercising the dog more? Join the Puget Hounds Flyball Club and have both resolutions covered!
If you haven’t heard of flyball, it’s a fun sport where a team of four dog/human pairs work together in a relay race where the dog takes a series of jumps, bounds off a board at the end of the lane that pops out a ball, catches the ball and then runs back to “tag” the next teammate. It’s fast, it’s furious, it’s a lot of fur-flying fun! Dogs love it and so do the humans who make new friends.
The best part? Any breed of dog – including mixed breeds – that is over 15 months old can enjoy this sport! In fact, one longtime member has titled five Great Danes with the club!
Puget Hounds Flyball Club in Olympia
Puget Hounds Flyball Club, located in Thurston County, is hoping new dog owners will want to come and try out the sport in January 2026. “We have had to say goodbye to some of our dogs due to retirement and owners moving on to new pastures, so we’re offering an introduction class in the new year,” shares Susan Lynch, captain of the Puget Hounds Flyball Club. Susan has over two decades of flyball experience and is currently competing with her fourth flyball dog. Two of her previous dogs ranked among the top Doberman point-earners in the North American Flyball Association’s history.
The club practices in Olympia, with members from all over Thurston, Mason and Lewis counties. The club is part of the North American Flyball Association Region 7, which includes British Columbia, Washington and Oregon.
Currently, Puget Hounds Flyball Club is going through a sort of doggy renaissance, with a completely new generation of pups enjoying the sport. “The sport itself has also introduced changes to jump heights and widths, improving safety for all participants,” shares Susan. “In addition, we are continually exploring new training techniques and incorporating them into our practices to keep our teams learning, growing, and performing at their best.”
As they train new dogs for flyball, Susan says there is definitely a strategy involved in creating a foursome for competition. “We aim to put together teams that can earn the maximum points possible in a race,” she explains. “To achieve this, all four dogs need to be able to complete the course in under 24 seconds. At the same time, we prioritize making sure everyone gets a chance to play, as long as their dog can complete the course. Team formation is a balance between competitive performance, inclusion, and what’s best for each individual dog.”
The Puget Hounds Flyball Club competes in six to eight tournaments a year as part of Region 7. The Club also does flyball demonstrations at community events in Thurston County and surrounding areas throughout the year.
Learn About Canine Flyball Near Olympia
It’s just $10 for a flyball evaluation with Puget Hounds Flyball Club. Your dog doesn’t have to have prior training, but they do need to be people and dog-friendly. “A love of balls and playing tug is helpful but not required,” shares Susan. “Basic obedience skills such as recall, sit, and stay can make the learning process easier, but we are happy to help owners train those behaviors if needed.”
The six-week course starts January 5, 2026, and costs $180, though Susan says new members who are joining with dogs that have done flyball before may pay a reduced cost to join. After the introductory course, it’s just $5 per dog for practices at Fido’s Farm.
“Our team brings decades of collective experience in the sport of flyball,” shares Susan. “Beyond flyball, most of our team dogs also compete in a variety of other sports—including agility, barn hunt, scent work, dock diving, field trials, FastCAT, rally, and obedience—and hold titles in those areas. Puget Hounds has proudly trained nine ONYX dogs (earning 20,000 racing points each) and two Iron Dogs (10 consecutive years of racing).
At the heart of everything we do, our primary focus is having fun with our dogs while always putting their best interests first.”
To learn more, contact them through the Puget Hounds Flyball Club Facebook page.
