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Flyball is all about speed. It’s a sprint relay for dogs, with hurdles along the way. The dogs also have to collect a tennis ball, which they release by pressing on a spring-loaded pad. Then it’s back to the starting line where another dog on the team sets off to repeat the sprint. It started in California in the 1960s as a way of keeping energetic breeds of dog fit. It’s one of the few dog-and-owner team sports that doesn’t involve hunting.

I didn’t have a dog with me when I went to a Flyball meeting near Northampton. Basil had barked his last woof, but in his pomp he would have been quick down the course, although mentally challenged by the tennis ball. However, you can just turn up as a beginner, and get paired up with a team member when you arrive. I got a Jack Russell called Spike. He was coaching me rather than the other way round. I was distracted by the noise and the passion as owners and trainers screamed encouragement and dogs strained on their leads, yelping with frantic excitement as they waited their turn.

The course is 15.5 metres long and all four dogs have to run the length of the course and back, collecting the tennis ball on the turn. There are penalties if any dog drops the ball, or if there is a foul on the changeover – for instance if the next dog in line goes off before the previous runner has crossed the starting point.

That was the problem with Spike. He really was champing at the bit to go, rearing up on his back legs, tail beating like a helicopter blade with anticipation, and it took all my restraining powers to keep him back until his moment arrived. Spike didn’t even look at the four hurdles on the course as he skipped over them like a skimming stone, and I hadn’t even got to the end of my first ‘Come on Spike!’ before he was back.

Jessica Ennis would be very proud, because the world Flyball record is 14.690 seconds. That’s over a total distance (for all four dogs) of 124 metres, and it was set by the Touch and Go team in Las Vegas.

After the first Flyball tournament was held in the USA, a Flyball box was brought back to the UK for use by the Kennel Club in 1987, and this was followed by a competition at Crufts in 1990. It has now spread to all corners of the world, and the European championships were held in the UK in 2012.

This sport means every dog can have its day. The ragged-looking mongrel gets a chance to mix it with the pedigrees. One of the competitions is specifically for mixed breed dogs, and winning teams in the main races often have mutts running one of the legs. Although border collies and whippet-like dogs dominated the line-up at the tournament I attended, all the teams included a smaller breed like a Jack Russell. This is because the height of the hurdles is based on the size of the smallest dog. They are known as the ‘height dog’ and are essential for any top side, who want to avoid large obstacles. The only problem for some smaller dogs is getting enough weight on the pad at the end to trigger the release of the tennis ball from the hole. Spike though had developed the funniest technique: leaping into the air with all four paws flying, Kung Fu Panda style.

In truth there are many funny sights in dog agility and Flyball – as anyone who has seen a Corgi hurdling will know. For more information go to www.flyball.org.uk