The newest addition to the AKC lineup of competitive dog events, Rally has only been around since 2005. Some people think of it as watered-down obedience, but that’s not how DSK trainers view it. “To give a great performance in Rally, your dog needs to be just as well trained as for Obedience,” Kim Berkley says.
The way Rally works is simple. There are three advancing skill levels, just as in Obedience and Agility. A rally course is made up of a number of different “stations” set up inside a traditional Obedience ring. Each station has a sign describing the exercise, and as the dog and handler approach each sign, they perform the exercise or combination of exercises before moving on to the next station.
The judge devises a new course for each trial, and handlers can review a map of the course and actually walk the course (without their dogs) before the competition starts. Novice Rally courses have between 10 and 15 stations, Advanced Rally from 12 to 17 stations, and Excellent courses between 15 and 20. Novice dogs perform on lead, while Advanced and Excellent dogs work off lead.
The dog is supposed to walk “under control” at the handler’s left side, but does not have to remain in heel position. Also unlike obedience, handlers are not only allowed but encouraged to talk to their dogs, and they use their hands to give signals or guide their dogs however they want. Handlers are not allowed, though, to touch the dogs at any time.
The relaxation of obedience rules – which prohibit talking to the dog during exercises and permit only one signal for each exercise – leads many people to believe that Rally is a walkover. Not so, Kim Berkley says.
“In some ways, I think rally is even harder than obedience,” Kim says. “In the Obedience ring, the dog has to pay really close attention for maybe a minute or so at a time – the length of time it takes to perform one exercise – and then he gets to relax and take a breath before moving on to the next exercise. But in Rally, the dog has to pay really close attention through as many as 20 stations. That isn’t easy, and when a dog can pay attention for that long without losing focus, I think it’s a terrific achievement.”
Here are a few sample exercises from each of the skill levels:
Right Turn
Moving together as a team, the dog and handler make a 90-degree turn to the right, then continue along the course.
Call Front/Finish Left/Forward
While heeling, the handler calls the dog to the front position. On a signal from the handler, the dog moves to the handler’s left side, and then the team moves forward toward the next station.
Advanced:
Send Over Jump/Handler Passes By
As the team moves forward, the handler asks the dog to jump a low barrier and then return to the handler’s side as they move forward together. (The height of the jump is determined by the dog’s size.)
The dog and handler come to a halt. With the handler giving a command for each action, the dog sits, lies down, and gets up. Dog and handler then move on toward the next station.
