| WYSIWYG Welsh Terriers Gwin's Rally News 2002 |
Let's Rally!
By: Linda Schulte
The second weekend of May found Gwin, Hogyn and me in Tupelo, MS. Hogyn attended three
days of conformation and Gwin attended the two days of rally obedience offered. Like most
(possibly all) of the other participants, Gwin and I had never tried this together. And like most of
the other participants, we had printed out the information from the AKC website to review and
understand the exercises which might be included.
At a Greater St. Louis Training Club-sponsored Pat Krause obedience seminar, Sky and I did
the quick walk-through of rally obedience which followed the seminar. This had been my only
exposure to it, but I was eager to try it again. Ten year old Gwin earned her CD (companion dog
title) long ago and still loves to work (at home). When I tried her in the veterans class a year ago,
it was clear she was no longer happy or comfortable in a formal obedience ring. But I was fairly
sure that she could do rally. In rally obedience you are encouraged to talk to the dog, clap your
hands, etc. and Gwin usually responds happily to praise!
When reviewing the information from the website, there was only one exercise which Gwin had
never been taught: a finish to the right and around the back of the handler. (We had always
finished with a swing to the left). We practiced and, after only a few times, Gwin learned the
exercise and would finish in either direction for me!
The first day, the exercises consisted of (see diagram below):
Start
1. About Right Turn
2. Right Turn
3. Stop, Down, Walk Around (your dog)
4. Left Turn
5. Front, Left Heel, Forward
6. 270 Right
7. Side Step Right
8. Left Turn
9. 1 Step, Halt, 2 steps, Halt, 3 Steps, Halt
10. Straight Figure 8
11. Sit, Down
12. Right Turn
13. 270 Left
Finish Line
By: Linda Schulte
The second weekend of May found Gwin, Hogyn and me in Tupelo, MS. Hogyn attended three
days of conformation and Gwin attended the two days of rally obedience offered. Like most
(possibly all) of the other participants, Gwin and I had never tried this together. And like most of
the other participants, we had printed out the information from the AKC website to review and
understand the exercises which might be included.
At a Greater St. Louis Training Club-sponsored Pat Krause obedience seminar, Sky and I did
the quick walk-through of rally obedience which followed the seminar. This had been my only
exposure to it, but I was eager to try it again. Ten year old Gwin earned her CD (companion dog
title) long ago and still loves to work (at home). When I tried her in the veterans class a year ago,
it was clear she was no longer happy or comfortable in a formal obedience ring. But I was fairly
sure that she could do rally. In rally obedience you are encouraged to talk to the dog, clap your
hands, etc. and Gwin usually responds happily to praise!
When reviewing the information from the website, there was only one exercise which Gwin had
never been taught: a finish to the right and around the back of the handler. (We had always
finished with a swing to the left). We practiced and, after only a few times, Gwin learned the
exercise and would finish in either direction for me!
The first day, the exercises consisted of (see diagram below):
Start
1. About Right Turn
2. Right Turn
3. Stop, Down, Walk Around (your dog)
4. Left Turn
5. Front, Left Heel, Forward
6. 270 Right
7. Side Step Right
8. Left Turn
9. 1 Step, Halt, 2 steps, Halt, 3 Steps, Halt
10. Straight Figure 8
11. Sit, Down
12. Right Turn
13. 270 Left
Finish Line
The second day the course consisted of (see diagram below):
Start
1. Halt, Pivot Left, Halt
2. Halt, Pivot Right, Halt
3. Slow
4. Normal
5. About Left Turn
6. Right turn
7. Halt, Down
8. Straight Figure 8
9. 270° Left
10. Spiral Left
11. Right Turn, 1 Step
12. Fast
13. Normal
14. 270° Left
15. Side Step Right
16. Right Turn
17. Right Turn
18. 1 Step, Halt, 2 steps, Halt, 3 Steps, Halt
19. About Right Turn
20. Left Turn
Finish Line
Start
1. Halt, Pivot Left, Halt
2. Halt, Pivot Right, Halt
3. Slow
4. Normal
5. About Left Turn
6. Right turn
7. Halt, Down
8. Straight Figure 8
9. 270° Left
10. Spiral Left
11. Right Turn, 1 Step
12. Fast
13. Normal
14. 270° Left
15. Side Step Right
16. Right Turn
17. Right Turn
18. 1 Step, Halt, 2 steps, Halt, 3 Steps, Halt
19. About Right Turn
20. Left Turn
Finish Line
The judge starts by asking the handler/dog team a
very familiar question, "Are you ready?" The handler
responds if ready and the judge gives the "forward"
command. With no further instructions from the
judge, the team completes the course by following
the signs while the judge scores the performance. A
perfect score is 100 and a passing score is 70. In
addition to the score, the time for completion of the
course is kept and recorded. The time is used only
as a tie-breaker for placements in the class.
The first day, Gwin's score of 92 earned her third
place. The second day, Gwin's handler (me) made
an error and spiraled around the wrong cone at the
wrong time! Other than that error, we did well and still
received a passing score of 85.
Currently, AKC rally obedience can be offered as a
non-regular class at obedience trials which include
all of the regular classes. The non-regular classes
are listed as Level-I (on lead) and Level-II (off-lead). I
believe that sometime in 2003, Rally obedience will
become a regular class with three separate levels
and titles to be earned. The latest information
(updated April 2002) can be found on the AKC
website!
I would love to do more rally obedience and hope that
others will try it too!
So... Let's go out and Rally!
very familiar question, "Are you ready?" The handler
responds if ready and the judge gives the "forward"
command. With no further instructions from the
judge, the team completes the course by following
the signs while the judge scores the performance. A
perfect score is 100 and a passing score is 70. In
addition to the score, the time for completion of the
course is kept and recorded. The time is used only
as a tie-breaker for placements in the class.
The first day, Gwin's score of 92 earned her third
place. The second day, Gwin's handler (me) made
an error and spiraled around the wrong cone at the
wrong time! Other than that error, we did well and still
received a passing score of 85.
Currently, AKC rally obedience can be offered as a
non-regular class at obedience trials which include
all of the regular classes. The non-regular classes
are listed as Level-I (on lead) and Level-II (off-lead). I
believe that sometime in 2003, Rally obedience will
become a regular class with three separate levels
and titles to be earned. The latest information
(updated April 2002) can be found on the AKC
website!
I would love to do more rally obedience and hope that
others will try it too!
So... Let's go out and Rally!
| Mary 2002 - Linda with Gwin and her third place ribbon. |
