I have been thinking of putting Bindi in Rally Obedience. I do not know anyone who has done this. I was wondering if any of you are or have been involved in Rally Obedience and what you thought about it, did you enjoy the experience, did your dog?
Also, was it expensive to compete? (my husband just retired)
I would really appreciate input. thanks. sharon

I have been competing in AKC Rally for a couple years. I like it very much. It's a good place to get started if you want to do something fun, competition-wise, with your dog but feel you are not quite ready for the formality and perfection required in obedience competition. I got into it with the idea of using it as a stepping-stone to obedience, but I know many people who are quite happy to stay in rally and not worry about the pressures of the obedience ring.

One of my dogs has his Rally Novice, Advanced and Excellent titles, the other one has her Novice and Advanced, and we will start going for the Excellent at a trial in a couple of weeks.

As far as expense, I'm making an assumption here that AKC trial entry fees are similar throughout the country. If so, you can expect to pay around $25 to enter one class. How often you enter a trial is entirely up to you. So it works within a budget. (My husband is retired, too.) Of course you have to factor in travel expenses if you will be driving long distances.

I know that the UKC (in this case, the United Kennel Club) also offers rally competition. I don't have any experience with that organization, so I can't say how entry fees compare. I don't believe they have the sheer number of trials to choose from that AKC does. I believe there are also other organizations that offer rally competition, but I am not familiar with them.

If it is AKC events you are thinking of, a good place to start is their website. Here is a link taking you directly to their Rally information page:

http://www.akc.org/events/rally/

I'd be happy to answer any other questions you have, Sharon. Do you have a dog training club nearby where you might be able to take some rally classes? I think that would be very helpful for someone just getting started.

Edited by Cheri Grissom (01/20/2012 09:41 PM)
Edit reason: clarification

$25 is what it is for the trial this weekend (Plus about $6 in fees with possibly another $3.50 but I can't be sure of it since I'm not entering). It does add up if you trial frequently but it's pretty doable if you're selective. You could theoretically get a title for under $100 presuming you qualified in each of your legs.

AKC is probably one of the more 'fun' venues. APDTA is a bit more... shall we say strict? in how they judge and what's allowed etc. Not my bag since we do formal obedience too and rally and agility are our fun things.

go to a dog show that has rally and see what you think, cost is just the gas at most shows. there is nothing like seeing for yourself if you would like it. one thing, if you are not competing then you should not bring your dog with you. you will be surprised what you can learn from just watching. I do rally and obedience both with my dogs but only if they are ready, no reason spending money if they can not place. look on the internet for Rally and there will be more information and clips of what and how to do it. good luck and see you in the ring!!

Thank you CHerri. I have Bindi in advanced dog training. As a matter of fact due to the great training videos we have here, Bindi has learned skills that have given her entrance to the advanced class after they saw her abilities. As she has been in these classes, they have asked me if I have thought of putting her in Rally OBedience. I really enjoy dog training and working with dogs. I know the trainer I have now has participated in Rally with her dogs and I am going to ask her if she has a special class for Rally Obedience or what she can do for our interest. At the same time, my husband has been put into retirement early due to illness. I have a desire to keep going with the training but did not want to put financial pressure on us. I have been blessed by my son and his wife for Christmas they got me a gift certificate for the training center I go to.
I live in California in Riverside County. I really appreciate you letting me ask questions and thanks for the web page address. I will go there.
Is there anything you learned there you did not expect to learn, or anything you have learned that will help my girl Bindi (she is the dog in the center of our picture) with Rally skills?
Thanks again, sharon

Thank you Gerald. I hope to learn all I can. My dog Bindi loves to train and go to school. Her whole personality changes when she gets there. She is very serious. She sticks with me and listens well. She really seems to enjoy it that is why I would like to put her in. Thanks for your input. Lord willing, things will begin to come together.
Thanks sharon Oh, right I do not plan on putting her in a meet until she is ready. I am in no hurry. Sharon

 Quote: Sharon Empson

Thank you CHerri. I have Bindi in advanced dog training. As a matter of fact due to the great training videos we have here, Bindi has learned skills that have given her entrance to the advanced class after they saw her abilities. As she has been in these classes, they have asked me if I have thought of putting her in Rally OBedience. I really enjoy dog training and working with dogs. I know the trainer I have now has participated in Rally with her dogs and I am going to ask her if she has a special class for Rally Obedience or what she can do for our interest. At the same time, my husband has been put into retirement early due to illness. I have a desire to keep going with the training but did not want to put financial pressure on us. I have been blessed by my son and his wife for Christmas they got me a gift certificate for the training center I go to.
I live in California in Riverside County. I really appreciate you letting me ask questions and thanks for the web page address. I will go there.
Is there anything you learned there you did not expect to learn, or anything you have learned that will help my girl Bindi (she is the dog in the center of our picture) with Rally skills?
Thanks again, sharon

While it's not absolutely necessary to take a class specifically dedicated to rally training, it would be helpful in many respects. In a rally class, your instructor would have an actual course set up, using the rally signs or "stations," as they are called, and you could get practice following the course and recognizing the different signs quickly.

From what I see at rally trials and in class, what often causes problems is the handlers misunderstanding a sign or going off course. That is why it would be a tremendous advantage for you to have a good familiarity with how a rally course works beforehand. Plus, your dog gets used to seeing a ring with a dozen or more funny-looking signs and cones and will learn to ignore them.

Of course one can still compete in rally without the benefit of practice courses. I would pick your instructor's brain as much as possible on the subject of rally, and if she doesn't offer any actual rally classes, maybe you could make an arrangement with her for a few private practice sessions, assuming she has access to rally equipment.

Let me see if I can dig up some more useful links for you. It does sound like Bindi has an aptitude for it. Good luck and have fun!

I found this site which shows the AKC rally signs, in color, and a description of each exercise. I know there have been a few changes made by AKC which will take effect April 1, 2012, so this link will not be the most up-to-date, but from what I understand, the changes are minor. This would be a good place to start if you want to practice the individual exercises you would encounter at a trial.

http://www.gracegift.info/rally/description_RallyExercises.pdf

I have done quite a bit of rally. I am in Canada, I have done mainly CKC rally, which has basically the same rules as AKC. I have finished 4 RE titles...and a whole pile of RN titles, not one of those dogs ever went to a rally class. Heck, I ever finished a RN on a 11 month pup that did not live with me, I had 3 days before his first trial to teach him everything LOL he passed in three straight trials for his RN title. So, I consider AKC/CKC rally to be pretty easy, especially at the entry level.

My favorite for rally is APDT. I have only done 2 weekends of APDT so far but can't wait til my next one in March! I find it much more challenging and more fun! Yes, the rules are stricter, the dog has to be actually trained, and you can't lure, beg and plead your way around the course. But the exercises are fun, they have an optional bonus exercise at the end of the course that can earn you up to 10 extra points on your score. At all levels you can give food rewards at the start line and at the completion of stationary exercises. And there is lots of titles you can earn in APDT, including champion titles for each of the 3 levels

I've taken my Malinois Caterina through a Rally class and she LOVED it. Cat was always a bit standoffish when it came to strangers, but going through that class, with other dog-savy people really brought her out of her shell. I am going to try for a CGC with her in March

The advantage of taking a class or working with someone who has titled in Rally is that you get to see the exercises performed as they are supposed to be. Reading the description did NOTHING for me, and attending a show wasn't all that conducive to learning for me.

I had discussed teaching Cat Rally with my instructor before the class was even offered (we were both in an agility class). Several other people heard us talking and before we knew it the owner of the training facility asked if she would teach a Rally class. If the class hadn't happened, we were just going to work in her back yard.

Rally is really fun and it's not very difficult to learn. It's not as strict as regular OB, and I think the dogs have more fun. It can be as expensive as you are willing to make it- shows aren't super expensive, but you decide how many you want to do.

Cat just loves it when we work on exercises when we go on walks. She's always been a good walker, but she's much more attentive now that she doesn't know when I am going to stop and work her on something.

Have fun!!!!