Introduction to Rally obedience
Rally obedience is a sport new to the competitive dog show world. Several organizations offer rally competitions, but AKC has only had competitive events since January of 2005. Rally has some similarities to traditional dog obedience, but also differs from it in several key ways.
-Handlers are not only allowed, but are encouraged to speak to and
encourage their dog throughout the competition.
-The judge only gives one command (“forward”) at the beginning of the run.
The dog and handler then complete the course on their own by following
directions on signs.
-Rally is timed, so promptness of responses is encouraged.
-Deductions are not made for the small mistakes, so a dog that sits just a tiny
bit crooked doesn’t lose points.
-There are lots of fun and challenging exercises you do not see in traditional
obedience, such as 270 degree turns.
Benefits of Rally:
For the companion-
Rally teaches you and your dog how to work as a team. This is key to having a good pet or working companion. Also, rally is fun and offers you a good way to spend productive time with your dog.
For the competitive dog-
Rally is a good, low stress way for new competitors to get started, since the tiny mistakes do not receive deductions.
Rally is also a great way to improve the competitive dog’s heeling and teamwork, and offers one more way for you and your dog to enjoy the sport of competitive dog showing.
Novice Rally
Novice rally is open to dogs that have had novice obedience. In this class we will introduce the novice/level 1 rally signs and begin preparing you for competition if that is your goal.
Novice rally classes run for 5 weeks and cost $100.00
Next class begins: Wednesday, February 7, 2024, 7:00 pm
Thursday, February 8, 2024, 12:30 pm
Advanced Rally
In advanced rally we will introduce the advanced, excellent, and masters signs and prepare you for competition. It is open to dogs that have completed novice rally.
Advanced rally classes run for 6 weeks and cost $85.00
Next class begins: Thursday, January 9, 2020. Spaces Available
Rally Courses
Each night two courses of mixed level will be presented. Each team will have a minimum of two runs per night. Depending on number of attendees, typically each team has the opportunity for 3-4 runs.
Rally Courses costs $15.00 for a one-time drop-in, $70.00 for 5 sessions, or
$190.00 for 15 sessions.
Next class begins: Wednesdays at 8:00 pm