Looking for something fun to do with your dog? Rally-OOOOOOOO!!!

By Jana Seymour

Rally is a new and upcoming obedience event that will soon be making it into the mainstream dog sports as much as competitive obedience and agility. Rally Obedience is a combination of obedience and agility. Really it should be called Rally-Fun because that’s what it’s all about, having fun with your dog. Sure there is a small competitive element, but what other dog sport values participant (dog and handler) attitude as much as precision. Yup, that’s right-you might not be perfect but if you and your dog are having a blast that is just as important. It will only be a matter of time until this sport will take over as “the” fun and enjoyable activity to do with your dog. Both obedience and agility competitors have started to cross over to fun world of Rally. The Canadian Association of Rally Obedience (CARO) is the governing body for Rally in Canada. So what exactly is it?

Basically in Rally-O there are a series of signs, indicating certain odedience exercises, which are sequenced together to form a circuit of stations. Each competitor must complete each exercise and heel along to the next one until they’ve completed the circuit. Each station is scored and the heeling in between is also considered. Each participant starts off with 200 points and then small deductions are made for small goof ups (like a crooked sit) or big deductions for big no-no’s like your dog leaving the ring. (don’t laugh this has happened-no one that I know of course). There are four classes which competitors can work through. Novice is done on leash and offers food and no food rounds. Yes that’s right you can bring food into the ring and use it to reward your after successfully completing an exercise. Then you have Advanced, then Excellent these are done off leash also and by this level no food is allowed. Recently a new level has been added which is Versatility. This level is also off leash and the handler must work the dog on the right and left sides and is required to change side four times during the competition. Overall the competitors need to score at least 170 out of 200 points in times competitions (or earn three legs) in each class to earn a title in that class.

There are well over 60 obedience exercises that include combinations of sit, down, stay, come, stand for exam, halts, turns and pivots to the left and right and at various degrees. Then you get into the fancy stuff, sending your dog over a jump while you run by, down your dog while you keep walking…and I could go on. For a full listing of the exercises go to the Canadian Rally Obedience website at www.canadianrallyo.ca

Many dog training schools now offer courses or workshops in Rally-O and its growing popularity is seeing more competitions happening and more people coming out to give Rally-O a try. It’s a great sport for even a newbie to come out and try. In most cases a dog having completed a basic or intermediate level of obedience could come out and be successful at a rally-o competition.

Some check out a rally workshop near you and set your sights one coming out to an event near you so you and your dog can have some fun with RALLY-O.

“Rally Obedience is a fun dog obedience sport, open to ALL dogs, purebred or mixed breed, pets or titled champions as well as physically challenged dogs and/or handlers. Rally Obedience goes beyond basic heeling by interspersing over forty obedience movements with the sits, turns and paces of traditional heeling. It also requires a brisk pace, positive attitude and happy demeanor. The Canadian Association of Rally Obedience (CARO) has been established so that dogs can earn titles in Rally O here in Canada. ” (www.canadianrallyo.ca)

Jana Seymour is a trainer with Who’s Walking Who in Toronto and teaches all levels of obedience including her favourite-Rally-O. Her Jack Russell Terriers, Fez and Annie, hold titles in Rally and are looking forward to the upcoming season. When not teaching Jana enjoys her seven month old daughter Abigail and spends the rest of her time as the President of the Jack Russell Terrier Club of Canada.