Rally & Obedience
Rally and Obedience are dog sports, but at their core they are about building strong communication, focus, and teamwork between you and your dog. Many people join these classes not because they want to compete, but because they want a dog that listens, stays engaged, and enjoys working with them.
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While Rally and Obedience are technically different sports, much of the training overlaps, and our classes are structured with this in mind.
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How Rally & Obedience Training Helps Pet Dogs
Training for Rally and Obedience can greatly improve your dog’s everyday behaviour, including:
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Loose-lead walking and better attention around distractions
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Reliable sits, downs, stands, and stays
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Improved impulse control and responsiveness
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Stronger engagement and connection with you, even in busy environments
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Clear communication so your dog understands what you’re asking and when
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The skills taught in these classes translate directly to real life, making walks, outings, and daily interactions calmer and more enjoyable.
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What is Rally Obedience?
Rally obedience (often called Rally-O) is a fun, structured way to practice obedience skills. Dog-and-handler teams move through a course made up of stations, each marked with a sign that explains a simple exercise to perform. At beginner levels, this includes heeling with direction changes, sits, downs, and turns.
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Unlike traditional obedience, Rally allows handlers to talk to and encourage their dogs while working. There is no judge calling instructions. Instead, the signs guide you through the course. This makes Rally especially approachable and supportive for both dogs and handlers.
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While Rally was originally designed as a stepping stone to obedience, many people now enjoy it as a sport in its own right. Advanced levels can be challenging, but beginner levels are accessible, confidence-building, and fun.
Do I Have to Compete?
Absolutely not. Many dogs and handlers in our Rally and Obedience classes have no interest in competition. These classes are just as valuable for people who want to train, learn, and have fun with their dog in a structured and supportive environment.
Rally and Obedience are low-impact, mentally stimulating activities that help dogs learn how to think, focus, and work calmly with their handler. Whether your goal is better everyday obedience or eventually stepping into the competition ring, these classes provide practical skills that benefit both you and your dog.
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Introduction to Rally & Obedience
5-weeks | $150
Pre-requisites: Beginners Class, suitable for all ages
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This 5-week course builds the foundation skills needed for both Rally and Obedience training, with a strong focus on real-world obedience, engagement, and clear communication between dog and handler.
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This class is suitable for pet dogs as well as those who may wish to progress into Rally or Obedience competition. Many participants attend simply to improve their dog’s focus, loose-lead walking, and reliability around distractions.
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In this class, we focus on:
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Engagement and working together - Teaching dogs to stay connected with their handler, respond to cues, and remain focused during training sessions.
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Heeling and loose-lead skills - Developing comfortable, attentive heeling on the handler’s left side, including forward motion, turns, changes of direction, and re-joining heel position after moving away.
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Position changes and reliability - Building clear, confident sit, down, and stand behaviours, with increasing duration and distance, so dogs can respond reliably even when the handler moves away.
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Start stays and impulse control - Teaching dogs to remain in position until released, helping to build patience, self-control, and calm behaviour.
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Handler movement and body cues - Helping handlers learn how their movement affects their dog, including foot cues, pivots, and positioning that make communication clearer and more consistent.
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Warm-ups and safe movement - Introducing simple physical warm-ups to prepare dogs for training, improve body awareness, and support safe movement.
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Rally foundations - Introducing Rally signs and exercises so handlers understand how Rally works and how obedience skills are applied in a course-style format.
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This class is designed to create confident, responsive dogs and informed handlers, whether your goal is better everyday obedience, enjoying a fun activity with your dog, or continuing on to Rally or Obedience classes.
