# Tell me about rally



## SDRRanger (May 2, 2013)

So Ranger and I stopped agility this fall as my back can't take it for now and it wasn't fair to him for me not being able to keep up with him, but now we're down to only nosework classes each week. Figured rally was something we could do, and I am going to sign up for a class end of Feb/beginning of March once the pups are weaned and off to their new homes. 

I'm in Canada, and I believe that the rules are mixed breeds can now compete in rally/obedience CKC matches? 

What tips/tricks does anyone have to share or experiences....


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## sassafras (Jun 22, 2010)

I don't know about Canada, but I think Rally was developed in the US at least as kind of a less intimidating version of OB to help bridge or ease people into competing. It tends to be pretty laid back IME, the worst part is just trying to remember the nitpicky rules of each sign - when the dog sits or doesn't sit, your foot position or number of steps for certain skills. 

Believe it or not Squash has his RN and it was fun getting it, although I felt like it got repetitious and I probably won't pursue it further with him. It was a really nice stepping stone for us to dip our feet into the competition world. I was always a bit too nervous at trials for him to perform up to his full potential, so my biggest advice is to relax.  As long as you have a decent heel and other foundations (not as strict for heel position as OB) you'll do fine. I'll probably try for an RN and maybe an RA with Toast, but I don't love it enough to keep going beyond that.


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## Kyllobernese (Feb 5, 2008)

I don't know about your area of Canada but around here we have Caro Rally as well as CKC. I am hoping to start competing in Rally this year with Kris and probably CKC Obedience as that is the only Obedience available. There is absolutely nobody giving classes in Rally now but I was lucky enough to do one session of classes in 2013 so have a pretty good idea what it entails and it looks like it would be fun.


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## SDRRanger (May 2, 2013)

We have a couple places that do rally lessons and I figure I can manage to get around a course of it without too much pain. 

Sass, I think I hold the record for "number of visits to the bathroom before a Detection of Odour Test" so I figure that will follow me to whatever ring I enter lol. (I used to show horses and I don't think I ever ate anything before 3pm on those days lol). I've been reading through the Rally thread and saw Mr. Polar Bear with his fancy ribbons  Did you find people were uptight and "show drama" filled with rally? I tend to compete against myself (that's what happens when you have a habit of taking on the meat truck behavioural issue horses) so I'm just looking for something fun and low impact (for me) that I can compete in with a mix. 

Kyllo, I've never heard of the Caro rally...who started that?


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## sassafras (Jun 22, 2010)

SDRRanger said:


> Did you find people were uptight and "show drama" filled with rally? I tend to compete against myself (that's what happens when you have a habit of taking on the meat truck behavioural issue horses) so I'm just looking for something fun and low impact (for me) that I can compete in with a mix.


So, we've done WCRL (was APDT) Rally and AKC Rally. The WCRL was far more laid back, people at the trial were super supportive of each other and I didn't hear any drama at all. At one of the AKC trials we went to, I didn't hear it but my husband told me there were some ringside smack-talkers who got a little catty. And a couple of times people were wound up enough to shed tears over a few missed points. But, nothing dramatic enough for me to not want to come back and at a couple of other trials I didn't notice anything like that. For the most part, at the AKC trial people were friendly but not as overtly supportive as WCRL.


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## Finkie_Mom (Mar 2, 2010)

I've only done AKC Rally, but we've had a good time each trial. Kimma got her RN pretty easily, and I think her RA will come quickly too (once we actually sign up for more trials LOL). I like that you can be as "strict" as you would like to be in terms of positioning, but it doesn't matter if things aren't as perfect. I highly recommend it. I've never heard anyone talking smack, but then again I tend to be in my own little world at trials anyway. I totally focus just on my dog and tune out people talking 

I have done a couple of videos of Kimma demonstrating the AKC signs - Novice and Advanced. They are easy once you get used to them, and I have asked people questions at trials to help if I wasn't sure about a sign, and everyone was nice about it


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## SDRRanger (May 2, 2013)

Thanks guys. 

I was talking to one of the nosework women tonight (who shows gsd conformation and does obedience/rally) who has offered to help me out once I decide to do an actual rally event and a CKC show. They have a rally class before my nosework class which she said I am welcome to join in on and see what's up.


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## Kyllobernese (Feb 5, 2008)

Finkie _ Mom. Your Novice signs for AKC rally are pretty well the same as the ones for CKC and Karo. Noticed a few I will have to work on as have not done them for a while. Even though I have just been training for Obedience, I did teach her to heel both ways as knew that was something she needed for Rally.


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## Miss Bugs (Jul 4, 2011)

CARO is a Rally specific venue in Canada, where CKC is designed as a stepping stone to obedience, CARO is Rally for the purpose of Rally, some of the signs are different, the judging is different and the.it has more levels like Versatility(working on both sides of the handler) and the newer "working levels" which are more complex tasks without any "boring" heeling lol, its stations where you have to complete tasks like directed retrieves, distance work(sit down stand spin and twist on hand signals from a distance), scent articles, directed jumping etc..


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## kadylady (Sep 23, 2010)

I also don't know anything about Canadian Rally but I have done AKC and UKC. I really enjoy it and my dogs seem to enjoy it as well. I started it as something to try with Luke since I was spending so much time doing agility with Zoey, then he loved it so we started competing and he just earned his Excellent title last month. Then I figured I might as well do it with Zoey too since I'm at the trials anyway and she really surprised me at how well she does. She earned her Advanced title last month. I think it has really helped her ring confidence in general and being able to focus and work with me in the ring and I feel like that has translated over to agility for her too. Luke just loves being with me and working with me, so I keep doing it with him because it makes him happy. His tail never stops wagging the whole time.

I have for the most part been pretty impressed with the rally people, both AKC and UKC. For the most part everywhere I have been people have been really supportive and fun.


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## elrohwen (Nov 10, 2011)

I like Rally! We haven't competed, but we're currently working towards getting in the ring this year. As others mentioned, it's basically a more laid back and approachable version of obedience.

I think the most important foundation is a good heel. It doesn't have to be perfect, but it has to have duration since most of the course is just heeling. The signs aren't especially hard, but you do have to remember the rules for each and get fluid at moving from sign to sign. 

I haven't done a Rally trial but I've been to a number of AKC shows and I think it's pretty easy to ignore drama. I just kind of do my own thing, maybe chat with a few people I know, but mostly focus on my dog.


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## petpeeve (Jun 10, 2010)

I'm not trying to be nit-picky, but you did say "matches". There are a few differences between matches and actual trials, probably the biggest difference being that no legs towards titles can be acquired at a match. They're held relatively infrequently in comparison to trials, and typically as a stepping stone for clubs who intend to begin holding trials eventually. You can learn more about rally trials and matches here .. http://www.bmdcc.ca/Rally Rules.pdf (Section 14 covers matches). 

Which brings me to my second point. Get an official rule book (personally I prefer hard copies). Study it from cover to cover and know it like the back of your hand, even if you only intend to do matches. My opinion is, if you want to play the game -- know the game.

Good luck if you follow through with your plans. And have fun, of course.


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## SDRRanger (May 2, 2013)

thanks for all the advice guys. I come from horse showing/training background and well, let's just say some of the people aren't so nice behind the scenes lol. I guess you get that wherever you go. 

This Monday we're going to go to the drop in rally class held before our nosework to see what it's about and the different signs (I've been reading the CKC online rule book at night haha). I'm not overly confident that we'll be able to keep taking this class as it would mean rally from 6-7, wait around, and then nosework from 8-9...it might be too long a day for him but we'll see how he does.


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## elrohwen (Nov 10, 2011)

SDRRanger said:


> thanks for all the advice guys. I come from horse showing/training background and well, let's just say some of the people aren't so nice behind the scenes lol. I guess you get that wherever you go.


Yeah, I think those kinds of people are involved in most competitive endeavors, but I've never found it very hard to avoid them. I'm just friendly with everyone, and in general people have been friendly with me. I've heard some snarking behind other people's backs, and I've heard of bad behavior second hand, but if you just stay positive and on the surface it shouldn't effect you. 

And with things like trialling in Rally, you're not going to be doing it so often that you get to know a ton of people. It's not like agility where people go every weekend and see the same people. You might not go to more than a handful of trials ever for Rally, and they are usually at bigger shows where people are more concerned with conformation than what's going on in the obedience and rally rings (at least in my experience).


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