Don't Dally, Try Rally!

I'm so excited to take the time to talk about one of my very favorite dog sports, Rally Obedience! One of the fastest-growing competitive dog sports today, Rally combines dog obedience with an obstacle course, and is loved by dogs of all ages, breeds, and levels of training experience, ​and their handlers.

In a Rally competition, a judge will set up a unique course in a large training ring with around 15 signs. Each sign will show a task, and your goal as a handler/dog team is to heel through the course and follow the instructions on each of the signs as you pass them. Many signs will simply tell you which way to heel: “Fast Pace,” “Slow Pace,” “Left Turn,” “U-turn,” etc. Other signs will require you to stop and do an obedience behavior: stop and have your dog sit, cue your dog to lay down and stay while you walk all the way around him, etc.

An Example of a Rally Course Map

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