Rally Obedience

It almost seems like another life time. I was a teenager when I first started training dogs. Back then, we had a young german shepherd, Misty. Misty and I were both a little out of control and I think my parents figured out giving us both a job might be a way to reign us both in. And it worked.

My first dog training instructor through the Manhattan Kennel Club was Dr. Charles L. Kramer. We learned alot, but I can't say my dog training skills were ever perfect back then. We did go on to compete at state, and we went to many dog shows and had a great time. And these were skills that I carried on the rest of my life.

While I grew up and went on to train dogs as a hobby, Dr. Kramer went on to invent a form of obedience called Rally Obedience. In it, the handler follows a course set up with different stations. At each station is a sign. Simply, you and your dog do what is on the sign. Before you try this with your dog, you are able to walk the course as many times as you can fit in to the allotted walking time. It helps you to figure out your flow and what commands you want to use with your dog at what time. Then it's time to try it with your dog.

Recently, Rally Obedience was accepted at an AKC Titling Event. In the Novice Rally Obedience class, everything is done on-leash. This makes it possible for any breed to compete. You can talk to your dog, use your hands, even repeat stations that you've done wrong. It's a postive way to train and one both handler and dog will enjoy.