AKC Rally

What IS Rally, you ask?

AKC Rally is a FUN game you and your dog can play together.  Rally has been described as an obstacle course where precision, connection and teamwork are valued. Rally is a wonderful stepping stone from our Manners group classes to earning your AKC Canine Good Citizen® certificate and onto the world of obedience, agility or other dog sports. Rally offers both the dog and handler an experience that is fun and energizing.

Rally was designed with the traditional pet owner in mind, but it can still be very challenging for those who enjoy higher levels of competition. The course consists of a series of numbered signs with instructions that ask the team to compete a required task like sit, down, stand, walk in a circle or figure eight and change pace. A rally course includes 10 to 20 stations, depending on the level and scoring is not as rigorous as traditional obedience. Communication between handler and dog is encouraged and perfect heel position is not required, but rather a sense of teamwork between the dog and handler is the ultimate goal. In Rally cheering and talking to your dog is totally ok and encouraged. We offer multiple levels of Rally from first time never evers through the Advanced level.

Our Rally groups start out at the Intro level where the basic skills needed to complete the Novice level signs are taught along with healing exercises focused on building connection.  Dogs learn to pay attention to their handler because doing so pays!  They develop the skills to focus in a distraction filled environment and learn to work as a team with their handler.  All of this transistions to real life situations and helps to develop that wonderful family companion we all want.

The main objective of Rally is to produce dogs that have theskills to behave in the home, in public places, and in the presence of other dogs, in a manner that will reflect positively on the sport of Rally at all times and under all conditions. Rally is a fun way to build a strong working relationship between the two of you.  

AKC offers a Virtual Rally Test for anyone interested in working toward an AKC Rally Title.  We can help you and your pup to prepare for and earn AKC Rally titles.

​Prerequisites:

Completion of Puppy Kindergarten, Basic or Advanced Manners. Dogs should be able to work around distractions and be able to sit, down and walk fairly well on a loose leash. If you have completed a beginning obedience or puppy class somewhere else talk with us to see if your dog is ready to join in the Intro to Rally Group.  We want both you and your dog to be successful and be sure you understand and practice positive reinforcement training methods.