Share the Fun with Rally Obedience

AKC Rally is a fun and exciting obedience-based dog sport where handlers guide their dogs through a course of 10–20 stations. Each station features a sign detailing a specific task, such as Sit, Down, Heel, Turn, etc. The dog and handler move continuously throughout the course with the dog heeling at the handler’s left side. There is a clear sense of teamwork between the dog and handler during and between the numbered signs.

Although each performance is timed, having a good race time is not the goal; it’s all about working as a team while performing the skills, with the dog under control.

One of the exceptional features of Rally Obedience is that handlers may talk to their dogs, giving them praise, encouragement, and repeated commands or hand signals. Rally emphasizes fun and excitement. This is a 6-week class held for one hour.

The First Step—Rally Novice

The prerequisite for Rally Obedience is Advanced Manners and Loose Leash Walking I and /or Loose Leash Walking II classes, or the Trainer’s approval. All Novice signs and skills will be covered. Practice courses will be set up using learned signs. We’ll focus on proper heeling, sitting, etc., with the dog on a lead. To move on to the next level, the handler and dog must be working as a team and having fun with the skills they’ve learned. You may have to repeat this class more than once.