Rally Obedience
Rally obedience, or rally-o, is catching on as a fun way to work with your dog. It combines the obstacle-course navigation of agility with obedience exercises. Seamus LOOOOVES rally class; we're taking it at Deco Dogs with Judy Kay of Prospect Dog Training, and we're having a fabulous time. When he's excited, Seamus says "Rooooooo" -- so when I mention "Rally-rooo" to him, he's always ready and waiting at the door. Dinah's just starting out in rally and Badger hasn't tried it yet, but both will make fine rally-roo dogs as well.
Here are some rally-o links to help you get started:
- The BeardieMainiacs Rally Obedience Wiki page (includes Geoff Stern's introduction to rally)
- Rally Obedience
- AKC Rally Page
- APDT (Association of Pet Dog Trainers) Rally Obedience Info
- DOG -- Dog Owner's Guide to Rally-O (thanks again, Gail!)
- CARO (Canadian Association of Rally Obedience)
- Canadian Kennel Club
- Canine Fun and Games, a new performance "league" with its own obedience and rally
- St. Hubert's CDSP
- UKC now has a Rally program! Scroll to the bottom of their Rules page for all of the Rally links.
Are You Ready to Rally?
Here are some places in Maine and NH that offer rally classes:
- Pet Positive at Refreshing Paws, Gorham, ME (207) 741-2091: Judy Kay teaches her weekday rally classes here. They offer many other types of classes as well.
- Deco Dogs Daycare, Grooming, and More, Dover, NH: (603) 749-PETS. Seamus, Dinah, and I take our rally classes here with Judy Kay on Sundays. Judy also teaches in Gorham on Mondays and Tuesdays, and has both morning an evening classes. Contact Judy if you're interested in joining her at either location.
- Happy Tails, Portland, ME: (207) 797-2488. Happy Tails now offers APDT rally classes with Shannan Hall-Nutting and Rebeccah Aube.
- It's a Dog's World, York, Maine, (207) 363-0099. IADW has started offering rally classes again. Seamus and I started out in rally there.
- Piscataqua Obedience Club, NH: (603) 749-2275 (749-BARK). ME: (207) 363-2574. They offer classes in towns all around the Seacoast. They currently offer rally classes on Monday nights at Ellis Dog Training and Supply in Dover, NH. Call (603) 749-BARK.
- Saccarappa Obedience Club, ME: (207) 854-3647. SOC holds puppy kindergarten, beginner, and pre-novice obedience at the Westbrook Armory in Westbrook. They also offer beginning rally and breed handling classes and feature "Super Sunday" obedience run-throughs and other special events.
- C&D Obedience, Augusta, ME: (207) 377-3053. Cindy Dunham and Donna Cassista offer private and group obedience training, rally-o, and agility in both Augusta and Manchester, ME.
- Tri-County Obedience Club, ME. Tri-County serves Kennebec, Somerset, and Franklin Counties in central and western Maine. They offer training in regular and rally obedience, CGC testing, and occasionally TDI (therapy dog) evaluations.
- Renaissance Dogs, Holden, ME: (207) 989-9977. Renaissance offers obedience, rally, and agility (and lots of other classes, too) just outside of Bangor.
- Bear Brook Kennels, Brewer, ME: (207) 989-7979. Email: info@bearbrookkennel.com. Instruction in APDT rally.
- Peaks Island Dog Club, Peaks Island, ME: (207) 766-2390. Email: voices@maine.rr.comJenny Ruth Yasi offers classes at Trott Park in both AKC and APDT rally.
- Bo-Gee Agility, Raymond, NH: Yes, they do agility too, but Bo-Gee also offers classes in AKC and APDT rally with Barb Burri. They hold classes behind the Ben Franklin store in Raymond (Exit 5 off Route 101). Contact John and Laura Raymond at bo-gee@comcast.net.
- Carroll County Kennel Club, North Conway and Shelburne, NH and Fryeburg, ME: CCKC offers obedience and CGC classes, rally classes, and conformation handling classes at three locations in NH and ME.
- WAG IT! Training Center and Dog Club, Lincolnville, ME: (207) 789-5126. Sumac Grant-Johnson has been doing agility and regular obedience, and is starting to hold APDT rally trials -- the first in Maine!
- Monadnock Canine Academy, West Swanzey, NH: 603-352-9011. MCA is the training arm of the Monadnock Humane Society. This is where Seamus and I finished his RL1X title. They have a terrific facility for classes and trials, and the hospitality is the best at any trial I've been to.
