Who else does Rally?

Everybody here has been really receptive, too, and enjoyed the mixed breed dogs. It's good to see them getting out, and having fun. AKC trials are really all we have here. We are lucky if there is one UKC show within 3 hours, every year.

We do rally, and love it! We love traditional obedience, too. I don't have an agility dog. Mine have all had structural issues, and I do, too. I will be trying it out, when I get a suitable dog, because I LOVE going to agility trials. So much fun!!!

 Thanks guys for the info! It all makes sense. I'm going to see if my parents will help pay for the class and talk to the people to see which course will be better for us.

Once Sim is older I'm hoping to get him into agility as well. :P 

punkchica321

 Thanks guys for the info! It all makes sense. I'm going to see if my parents will help pay for the class and talk to the people to see which course will be better for us.

 

Once Sim is older I'm hoping to get him into agility as well. :P 

If which course you mean which level, you start with beginners/novice and work your way up. 

 Oh I know but there was two different beginner classes:

These:

Obedience for Rally 1 the class will be geared to the novice competitor who wants to improve their on-leash heeling and the advanced competitor who needs reasonable attention & reasonable off-leash heeling skills to succeed. Will be working on heeling with attention from sign to sign, left & right turns, 360's & 270's. Working thru distractions & introducing light proofing. Working on a reliable recall & set up, keeping the dog happy & motivated in the ring. Some sign work including introduction to pivots & back ups. Introduction to attention, heeling with attention, straight sits/downs, reliable "come" commands, novice & some advanced signs.

Obedience for Rally 2  Pre-requisite is Obedience for Rally 1. Continue attention work, heeling with attention between stations, begin off leash heeling, light proofing, advanced & excellent signs.

and then

RALLY BEGINNER CLASS- Learn proper footwork & execution of novice signs. Basic obedience necessary...walk on leash, sit, down. This is a set of 6 classes to introduce you to AKC Rally. You will learn the first 31 Rally signs. These are the signs that are used at the Novice level, and we will work up to doing full Novice courses.

You will learn how points are deducted and the requirements needed to qualify at trials. We will go over rules and regulations and learn how trials are conducted. Dogs should have basic obedience skills to start Rally. Rally reinforces obedience training and produces confidence in both dogs and handlers.  Rally is a stepping stone to formal obedience and also agility. For advanced dogs and handlers it is great fun and a way of adding more titles to your dog.
 

punkchica321

Obedience for Rally 1

this one tells me they will help you work on heeling - which, to be honest, much of Rally is keeping the heel position.  If your dog is lagging (falling behind you) or forging (pushing up ahead of you) and doesn't have a good understanding that HEEL means "stay in this position next to my leg forever until I release you or tell you otherwise." then this is the class for you.

Now this one:

punkchica321

RALLY BEGINNER CLASS-

 gives me the impression that they expect your dog to be good at heeling, and focuses on making sure your timing for footwork, approach to signs, and moving your dog through the stations is solid.  It sounds more like this is teaching the handler how to do Rally moreso than teaching the dog how to move with you.

You/your trainer will have to evaluate how solid and reliable your HEEL is.  Then you can choose which class is better for you.

miranadobe

punkchica321

Obedience for Rally 1

this one tells me they will help you work on heeling - which, to be honest, much of Rally is keeping the heel position.  If your dog is lagging (falling behind you) or forging (pushing up ahead of you) and doesn't have a good understanding that HEEL means "stay in this position next to my leg forever until I release you or tell you otherwise." then this is the class for you.

Now this one:

punkchica321

RALLY BEGINNER CLASS-

 gives me the impression that they expect your dog to be good at heeling, and focuses on making sure your timing for footwork, approach to signs, and moving your dog through the stations is solid.  It sounds more like this is teaching the handler how to do Rally moreso than teaching the dog how to move with you.

You/your trainer will have to evaluate how solid and reliable your HEEL is.  Then you can choose which class is better for you.

Good point! I think I may have to go for the obedience for rally first, he's pretty decent on the leash but he needs more work. I'll see how he does in the obedience class he's in now and work on it with him more. I have a while to decide anyway since classes are in session right now.

punkchica321

 Obedience for Rally 1 the class will be geared to the novice competitor who wants to improve their on-leash heeling and the advanced competitor who needs reasonable attention & reasonable off-leash heeling skills to succeed. Will be working on heeling with attention from sign to sign, left & right turns, 360's & 270's. Working thru distractions & introducing light proofing. Working on a reliable recall & set up, keeping the dog happy & motivated in the ring. Some sign work including introduction to pivots & back ups. Introduction to attention, heeling with attention, straight sits/downs, reliable "come" commands, novice & some advanced signs.

 

RALLY BEGINNER CLASS- Learn proper footwork & execution of novice signs. Basic obedience necessary...walk on leash, sit, down. This is a set of 6 classes to introduce you to AKC Rally. You will learn the first 31 Rally signs. These are the signs that are used at the Novice level, and we will work up to doing full Novice courses.

You will learn how points are deducted and the requirements needed to qualify at trials. We will go over rules and regulations and learn how trials are conducted. Dogs should have basic obedience skills to start Rally. Rally reinforces obedience training and produces confidence in both dogs and handlers.  Rally is a stepping stone to formal obedience and also agility. For advanced dogs and handlers it is great fun and a way of adding more titles to your dog.

From the way it's written, I personally would think the Rally Beginner Class is where you would start. Obedience for Rally 1 sounds more like proofing and perfecting what you've already learned. 

My trainer has it written like this :

Introduction to Novice Rally Obedience - Learn the newest, fastest growing competitive dog sport that's sweeping the nation! In this exciting event, the dog and handler complete a timed course of designated stations that require the dog to perform various obedience and heeling skills. This 6 week class will introduce both the AKC (American Kennel Club) and APDT (Association of Pet Dog Trainers) exercises. Pre-requisite: Good loose leash walking skills, completion of a basic obedience class or instructor approval

Competition Rally - This on-going, 6 week rally competition prep course is for all levels of competitors and focuses on breaking down exercise components and improving scores and performance.
Prerequisite: Completion of Novice Rally class, obedience competition experience or instructor approval.