Enhance your four-legged teammate’s teamwork skills and try Rally Obedience! Here, you train together in a varied way what many would like to have but are reluctant to practice: your dog’s obedience. Rally Obedience combines elements of traditional dog training with diverse movement. This way, your dog learns to connect what is useful for you with what is enjoyable for them in a playful manner. The special aspect of this dog sport: Even people and dogs with physical impairments can participate effortlessly – both in leisure activities and tournaments.

What is Rally Obedience?

Rally Obedience originates from the USA and is a relatively young dog sport. Its goal is to combine more classical obedience training with a sporting activity through a course. Classical commands like sit, stay, come, etc., are at the core of the dog training and must work perfectly. However, every dog owner knows that mere practice and execution of obedience tasks do not satisfy either human or dog in the long run. Therefore, Rally Obedience combines obedience exercises with various tasks into an exciting course for both partners, adapting to the team’s physical fitness.

No wonder that Rally Obedience is gradually evolving into a trendy dog sport.

Rally Obedience requires obedience from the dog and leadership qualities from the human

Rally Obedience emphasizes exercises from the classical Obedience training program. In classical Obedience training, commands like sit, stay, come at a pace, changes in pace and direction, with lying down or distraction scenarios, are combined. The modern Obedience training does not only require the dog’s rehearsed obedience but above all, it aims to see a joint action between human and dog. Absolute trust in you and your leadership qualities is crucial for Obedience exercises. Your dog must turn its attention to you throughout the exercises and promptly execute the spoken or signaled commands. You are allowed to address, motivate, and praise your dog at any time.

For a detailed description of the Obedience training program, visit our guide to Obedience dog sports.

Who is Rally Obedience Suitable For?

In principle, all dogs, regardless of size and breed, can participate in Rally Obedience if they enjoy running and completing tasks.

And you as the handler should also bring enthusiasm for joint action, as you will accompany your dog through the course. Any potential mobility restrictions do not hinder your role as a handler because the course is adjusted to both the dog’s and the handler’s disabilities.

Rally Obedience promotes spirited dogs with flair: the Setup

The Rally Obedience course consists of a series of tasks that the dog-human team must complete as flawlessly as possible. You accompany your dog, encourage them, and give them the necessary commands. Small signs between the sections indicate which obedience tasks must be completed and how the course progresses. This keeps the course exciting and varied.

At tournaments, dogs of all breeds and mixes that are at least 15 months old can participate. There is a special class for senior dogs from eight years old. In the competitive course, time plays a role. The regulations specify about four minutes for the entire course. The judge may extend the time if necessary. Senior dogs are not under time pressure.

However, in training, you and your dog can set the time and pace freely according to your preferences and the dog’s capabilities.

Rally Obedience Exercises in the Course

Overall, there are about 50 different exercises in Rally Obedience. So, it never gets boring on the training ground. The course itself is usually set up on an area of ​​20 x 30 meters and consists of ten to 20 tasks announced with practice signs.

The exercises in the course consist of the following parts:

Each task can be varied with another, resulting in a wide variety of exciting sequences of tasks.

In the course and on the training ground, you become the so-called “handler,” the dog leader who accompanies the dog in each task. You not only give commands but also cheer your hero on enthusiastically, praise them, and make them feel like part of an exciting endeavor. In this way, you motivate, support, and challenge your dog. You strengthen their confidence while naturally building their bond with you.

The AKC (American Kennel Club) defines classes into which Rally Obedience is divided. Your dog benefits from this because exercises and courses are tailored to their age and abilities:

For dogs with disabilities: In classes B, 1, and Seniors, there are no jumps; in classes 2 and 3, a maximum of three jumps are provided, which can be omitted if the dog is ill. Thus, this dog sport challenges animals of all ages and adapts flexibly to their health condition.

This is what a typical Rally Obedience looks like

A classic starting exercise, signaled by a sign, looks like this: In the left corner of the sign, you see a classic red and white “Stop” sign, to the right or below it, a yellow box with the inscription “Sit,” which leads into a yellow arrow pointing upwards. Instead of “Sit,” it can also be “Down,” “Stand,” or a combination of those.

For the dog-human team, this means: You approach the sign with your dog walking at your side, stop, and place your dog in the basic position of “Sit” (or “Down,” etc.) by commanding them with an auditory or visual signal. Afterwards, the dog should rise on command and walk (or run) by your side towards the next station and another task sign. For signs that consist of combined tasks, such as “Down-Sit,” the dog must lie down on your command and then sit up before both of you continue towards the arrow.

If this dog sport is just right for you and your dog, we wish your human-dog team great success and, above all, loads of fun!