Looking for a fun new way to train with your dog? Bored of the traditional obedience class where everyone practices sit over and over in a line? If so, Rally-O may be just what you’re looking for. Rally-O is an interesting obedience course hybrid designed to test your dog’s patience against distractions, sits and stays, and much more. Read on to find out if Rally-O is right for you.
What is Rally-O?
Rally-O, or Rally Obedience, is a fun way to teach your dog obedience training. While traditional classes are great for learning the basics, Rally-O helps to use those behaviors in a fun obstacle course style-setting. Rally-O started off as an activity to do at American Kennel Club (AKC) events and has evolved into a training technique used worldwide.
Rally-O focuses on a timed course with various obstacles in it. Owners are encouraged to use whatever means, except for physical touch and correction, to get their dog through the obstacle course in as little time as possible. The obstacles are designed to incorporate basic obedience commands, patience commands, and distractions.
Improve Leash Walking
Traditional Rally courses for competition are done off-leash, however, many novice courses utilize on-leash training. This helps keep your dog safe if they become too distracted during the course. It also increases good leash behavior. Your dog will be asked to heel, sit, and stay, all important in real-life leash walking. If your dog can sit and stay with you on a distracting course, he’s more likely to listen on a busy street corner as well!
Increase Focus
Distractions are great for improving focus and ramping up the difficulty of basic obedience. Tossed balls, loud noises and treats placed nearby may all make for an interesting distraction to your dog. Practicing around these can help strengthen behaviors such as sit, stay and wait. Your dog will quickly learn to focus on you, rather than the distraction! This is another important behavior for the real-world. If your dog isn’t distracted by other objects in the environment, such as some garbage on the ground, he’s less likely to eat something bad for him.
Have Some Fun!
Rally-O, above all else, is fun! Spending time with your dog should be all about fun, and being able to incorporate training with it is a bonus. Have fun trying to beat your old times on an established course, or learn a new way to avoid distractions and increase focus. Best of all, you’ll be challenging your dog’s brain in a new way. This will help lead to a happier, healthier and less bored pup!
Think you’re up for the Rally-O challenge? Sign up for a class and see just how much fun you and your dog can have while learning together.
All images provided by Creative Commons/Pixabay