Rally
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E-mail: Yvonne Slussar Phone: (608) 843-9950 |
Rally offers both the dogs and handlers an experience that can be fun and energizing. The dog-handler team moves at their own pace through directional signs to guide handler-dog teams over a preset course similar to rally-style auto racing. Rally gained its impetus from dog agility and was designed to offer training and trialing in a natural working relationship between dog and handler rather than the nonverbal-no signal handling precision expected in formal Obedience.
AKC Rally® follows regulations developed by AKC. This companion dog event is described by AKC as: “A rally course includes 10 to 20 stations, depending on the level. Scoring is not as rigorous as traditional obedience. Communication between handler and dog is encouraged and perfect heel position is not required, but there should be a sense of teamwork between the dog and handler. The main objective of rally is to produce dogs that have been trained to behave in the home, in public places, and in the presence of other dogs, in a manner that will reflect positively on the sport of rally at all times and under all conditions.” Charles Kramer, who proposed Rally, intended the dog-handler team move naturally through a course in much the same way as a search and rescue handler directs the working dog to find targets or a herding dog is directed to move a flock.
Badger Kennel Club offers 2 levels of Rally and the Fundamentals for Obedience and Rally classes.
Fundamentals for Obedience and Rally (FOR) is an 8-week class for adolescent or adult dogs and their handlers who have completed puppy level classes or who have little formal training. The dogs must be 7 months or older. The handlers may be any age permitted by BKC Policy and Procedure. The dog must have a manageable disposition to enter this class. On completing this class the dog-handler team should be capable of fulfilling the entry expectations for Obedience 1 or Rally 1 training classes and should be able to use positive motivational methods in training their dog .
At the completion of Fundamentals for Obedience and Rally the dog- should be able to:- Give Attention (focus) to the handler on cue (command)
- Walk on loose leash on the handler’s left side and know the basic heeling movements left and right turn, about turn, U-turn, circle left and right, normal, fast, slow change of pace and halt. Specific Novice Rally heeling movements will also be introduced and practiced.
- Heel with the dog on loose leash to off-leash (or simulation of off-leash with umbilical cord, leash-over-shoulder or lure techniques), do about turns, left and right turns, move at a normal, slow and fast pace.
- Heel with the dog on loose leash in a Figure 8 pattern and to perform some Rally Novice exercises such as spiral left, spiral right, circle right, circle left.
- Maintain a Sit-Stay, Down-Stay and Stand-Stay off leash for a specified time.
- Come when called off-leash with some degree of distraction from a distance greater than 20 ft.
Rally Level 1: This class is dogs who already know basic obedience (heel, sit, down) and want to learn Rally Novice. All 31 AKC® Novice signs will be taught/reviewed and students will receive ring experience running courses. Handlers for this class may come from Fundamentals for Obedience and Rally class or be dogs with previous obedience training in other disciplines. This class concentrates on teaching the Rally Novice signs and preparing for Rally Novice competitions. Many trainees take this class more than one time first to learn the rally signs and then to improve their skills with the signs for Rally competition.
Rally Level 2: This class will teach Rally Advanced and Excellent skills, signs and courses. This class is for dogs who have been through Rally Level 1 or have been trained to a Rally Novice level and are ready to move on to learn Rally Advanced and Excellent skills. This class may be taken more than once since although all the Advanced and Excellent signs can be introduced in an 8 week session, few dogs will improve the skills to a competition level in just 8 weeks.
Last modified:
August 8, 2010
Badger Kennel Club, Inc. 24-hour InfoLine: 608-242-8824
Badger Kennel Club Training Center - 5925 Haase Road, DeForest
WI 53532 (at Hwy. 51 and I-90 intersection)
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