The NAFA home page regularly changes the featured cover dogs to showcase the many faces of flyball. Thank you to all the photographers for letting us use your great photos.

If you have a photo you would like to submit for consideration, please send it to the NAFA Webmaster. Include a brief bio of the dog, and who the photo should be credited to (please make sure you have permission from the photographer to use the photo).

Tam Whoever said “You Can’t Teach Old Dog a New Trick” never met Tam. I adopted Tam from Glen Highland Farm in July 2007 at the age of 10 ½. Having two younger border collies at home that actively compete and train in flyball and agility, I knew I would not be able to give a young dog the attention or training they needed. Adopting an older dog seemed the way to go. It was clear from the first day at home that Tam was not ready to spend his golden years lounging on the sofa. Tam is crazy about his Frisbee and, in spite of our daily exercise regimen, something was missing. As with most border collies, Tam needed a job. I train and teach at Y2K9s in Wyndmoor, PA so I started taking Tam to flyball class with me. He was very interested and excited in class so I started letting him do some run backs. It wasn’t long before I introduced him to the box. He was having a great time and there even seemed to be more order in our pack, so we stuck with it. Tam was not an easy dog to train and can be reactive, but this became a personal challenge for me. With the patience, support and indulgence of my team, Fur Fun, Tam received his Flyball Dog (FD) title in June of 2009 at the age of 12 ½. More importantly, it is now clear that Tam’s “job” in life is to be an ambassador for adopting senior dogs. I realize that not all older dogs have his energy but they have so much to offer and are so often overlooked. Tam has been my teacher, and I continue to learn from him. And, hopefully, there are a few more titles to earn – he clearly is not done yet. Photo by Jim Geiser

Mr. Winchester We are proud to introduce Winchester as the first Gordon Setter to achieve Onyx level! Totally green to flyball, Chester started lessons with Karen Apfel after watching her team do a demo at an equestrian event. Scouted out by Roberta Harrison, he joined her team, 4 on the Floor, and has been racing with her his entire flyball career. Winchester's reliability and stamina made him a great start dog with a fast time and a swimmer's turn, as well as a Dream Team pick on more than one occasion. Chester's other accomplishments include titles in Conformation, Obedience (CDX), Rally and the Field; as well as an AKC CD & RN. He also boasts having been on Toronto's Breakfast Television, doing tricks to advertise a "Canine Idol" contest and performing agility and obedience demos at fall fairs. Having said and done all that, there is no doubt that flyball is his favorite. The boy is an off the wall, too much energy hunk of dog and to stay sane, Chester needs work. In flyball his focus is on the job at hand (paw) and he gets both the mental and physical stimulation he needs and loves; and nothing is more exciting than being praised and treated for doing something so high energy, so well. We are so happy to have found this sport and thank everyone who has helped us get to this Onyx; especially past & present 4 on the Floor dogs! In closing, in a nutshell (from us and our fellow Gordon friends) - Look what a Gordon Setter can do!!! Winchester is owned & handled by Brenda & Bill Brown, Ont. Can. - photo courtesy of Fred Theiss