Shelly Switick

Shelly Switick has been training dogs and competing in flyball for over 13 years. She teaches in-person classes, private lessons, team practices, seminars, and all-day boot camps, as well as conducting online classes, virtual practices and monthly video review subscriptions.  Shelly's teaching style is very analytical, tailoring every training program to the specific dog based on their drive, structure, maturity etc. With flyball's repeatable pattern, the smallest tweaks to positioning, calling, or rewarding can have monumental effects in perfecting your dog's performance. 
 
Shelly began teaching flyball in 2009 and has honed her training skills by learning from the best coaches in the sport. While the technical running pattern in flyball is always the same, the individual training journey for each dog is vastly different. With her detailed eye and thorough feedback, Shelly is dedicated to helping dogs and their handlers achieve the epitome of success. Since the sport of flyball is constantly evolving as dogs get faster with each generation, she enjoys staying up to date on innovative training methods.   
 
All of Shelly’s dogs have competed in flyball, including the "OG" Miniature Long-Haired Dachshund, Cooper. At only 8 inches tall, he competed for 10.5 years and became the highest-ranking Dachshund in the North American Flyball Association (NAFA). He could easily be run by children or new handlers, which encouraged more people to get involved with the sport. Shelly's personal Flyball handling skills are best suited for providing consistent heart-stopping passes for the pass-caller as well as working collectively with her team in the moment to adjust should they need to push or hold. 
 
Shelly’s dogs and coaching skills have elevated her flyball team, Fur Fun, to achieve success in regional and national tournaments. Fur Fun was titled the NAFA Champions - Multibreed Team in 2018, 2019, and 2021. In addition, they have been the reigning NAFA Regional Champions - Multibreed & Regular for the last decade. Her flyball team also competed in the FCI Flyball Open World Cup, not only winning first place, but setting a new world record time as well. Shelly and her Flyball team have also aired on ESPN for both the CanAm Championships in 2021 and the ESPN Invitational in 2022. 
 
Shelly enjoys the competitive nature of sports and has also competed in agility, disc, dock diving, and Whippet racing. She went from backyard disc throwing abilities to holding a year-long world record in Women’s Xtreme Distance with her Whippet, Smitten. Before having her own children, her dogs were certified therapy dogs and participated in Tail-Waggin' Tutor programs at local libraries to help children learn to read with confidence.   
  
Shelly shares her home in Danville, Virginia, with her husband, two young boys (ages 5 and 3), and her four dogs (Tesla, shepherd mix, age 13; Smitten, Whippet, age 8; Wesley, Whippet, age 7, and Queso, Border/Whippet, age 3).