Rally
Rally made its debut with the AKC as of January 1st 2005. Rally competition is comprised of the novice, advanced, and excellent levels. The AKC has embraced rally as a way to bridge the canine good citizen program and competition obedience and agility.
Rally courses
are designed by a judge and are comprised of skills stations
which must be performed in numeric order. Before each class
exhibitors are given a chance to walk the course without their
dog in order to memorize the patterns and order of signs.
During the performance Rally encourages communication between
handler and dog and allows for both verbal commands as well as
body language (signals). Good sportsmanship shall prevail and
the sport does not allow harsh verbal commands or any physical
corrections. The sport of rally is scored out of a possible
100pts with time used to break ties for placements. Scoring
is not as rigorous as traditional obedience and the emphasis is
on teamwork, communication, and FUN!!
Each time you compete in Rally you will find a brand new course to compete on. This exciting challenge helps to keep dog and handler on their toes. Training your giant to perform the 50 different stations in rally will build skills and teamwork you can use to branch out into all other performance venues. What better way to entertain your giant’s high intelligence and learn about the exciting world of AKC performance events? Remember a working giant is a happy giant so get out there and give rally a try you are sure to leave the ring with a smile on your face.
The rules and regulations regarding Rally as well as a listing of the signs and stations to be performed can be found at www.akc.org. By Rebecca Letson
