Rally

Rally Program

You and your dog are a team. You do almost everything together – take walks, eat, veg out, even sleep together. So think of the fun you’d have showing off what a great team you are at a Rally event!

Rally is one of the newest dog sports and participation increases every year. Whether you just train or decide to compete, Rally develops better teamwork between you and your dog. Just as importantly, it will sharpen your dog’s obedience skills and behavior – at home and in public.

Here’s what you need to know to get started:

Registration Form

Registration Form - Members

Rally Skills Class

Tuesday

2:30pm- 3:30pm

Rally
Novice / Int / Advanced

Tuesday
6:15pm - 7:15pm

Thursday
9:30am - 10:30am

Rally
Excellent / Master

Tuesday
3:45pm - 4:45pm

Tuesday
5:00pm - 6:00pm

Thursday
10:30am - 11:30am

AKC Rally® is all about teamwork. You and your dog navigate a course together, side-by-side, at your own brisk pace. You move through a numbered course with 10-20 stations, performing a different "trick" or specific movement at each station in the sequence.

The signs at each station display simple drawings and brief wording telling the team what to do. The courses are designed by the Rally judge (with 10-20 signs per course, depending on the class level) that include various turns and commands such as sit, down, stay, spin is a circle, etc.

Communication from the handler to the dog is encouraged. While touching isn’t allowed, you can use verbal commands, and hand signals to praise and encourage your dog.

The Rally title levels increasing in difficulty and complexity are:

Novice
Intermediate
Advanced
Excellent
Master and Choice

Required Elementary Skills Prior to enrolling in Rally

The dog must be able to follow the commands of the handler to:

Heel (walking the dog on the handler's left side with the leash held loosely)
Turn right
Turn left
Turn around
Heel in a Figure 8
Heel in a circle to the right
Heel in a circle to the left
Turn 270° to the right
Turn 270° to the left
Sit
Lie Down
Stand
Stay
Come when called (recall)
Come and stand in front of the handler ("Front")
Move from in front of the handler to their left side (the heel position) by passing on the handlers right ("Finish Right")
Move from in front of the handler to their left side by passing on the handler's left ("Finish Left")

Crates

Instructors will teach students how to perform the Rally exercises. Once a handler understands the skill, they will introduce it to their dog. While the students are learning to perform the exercises, each dog needs to wait quietly in either a soft-sided or rigid crate.

Prerequisites for IPOC Rally Classes

For the Rally Novice, Rally Intermediate, and Rally Advanced classes, the prerequisite is Advanced Basic Obedience and the ability to perform the elementary skills above
For the Rally Excellent and Rally Master classes, your dog must be able to perform controlled off-leash heeling, such as is required for the Novice CD Obedience title.