Have More Fun With Your Dog
Teaching to Play Rally By LCDR Arlene Henriques, Liaison Manager
You and your dog are a team, right? You do almost everything together. You take walks, you eat together and often sleep together. So just think of the fun you can have by showing off what a great team you are! Rallying is a new type of dog sport.
The Basics
You and your dog navigate a course together side-by-side at your own brisk pace. You begin with 100 points, points are then deducted for faults and the course must be finished in a certain time frame.
In a Rally dog test, a course of 12-20 “test cards” in consecutive order are navigated with the dog at heel position. There are 90 possible cards which the judges can select from. The team is required to execute a coordinated exercise printed from each selected card.
You are allowed unlimited communication between the handler and the dog so the dog knows what to do and when to do it. You are not allowed to touch your dog, the dog’s toys, or treats. This strengthens the communication between the handler and his dog and will help build and maintain that bond. Any breed of dog – yes even mixed breed dogs can do Rally. You do not have to be super fit or an athlete. Rally is for young and old.
During practice you will learn that Rally is about giving your dog the right motivation to perform the right command at the right time. Rally is based on Obedience training but it also includes some tricks and agility depending on the age of the dog.The dog and handler as a team focus on developing communication strategies to fulfill tasks and complete the course.
More complicated
As the team progresses through the classes, the signs become more complicated. The beginning of the course the dog may be on a lead but later they are required to compete off lead. The team is judged on how well they work together. Points are allocated for the “overall impression” of the handler-dog as a team. It is based on Obedience, but it differs that the dog must be comfortable working on both your left and right sides. It is also less strict than Obedience with regard to how many cues you may give your dog while performing an exercise. Therefore Rally can be considered an easier alternative to obedience.
Why would anyone consider doing it?
Every course is unique – as it can be set up using a large variation of test cards. This also means that training is not at all boring. It means there are a lot of commands and moves to perfect on both sides of the handler. It is rewarding; executing the cards together leaves the handler and dog team with an intense bond and sense of satisfaction.
Participants
Anyone can participate. Any type of dog-purebred dog or mixed breed dog. Although NO prior training is necessary, teaching your dog ahead of time will make it considerably easier. Teach your dog the basics: how to walk on a leash, how to sit on command. Figure out if your dog has a good recall or if they are toy or treat motivated. Learn and teach your dog what the signs mean beforehand.
Contact your nearest dog training club or google the trainers and training centers that teach Rally and go check out a training session. Sign up for one session and see if you like doing it but most people are hooked when they first watch a session. Just remember you must have a Rally record card to take part in a competition.
Most of all, remember to have FUN!
