[2yellowlabs]

I've agreed to teach a Rally Class this fall with the target audience to be beginning handlers. Requirements pretty basic - hopefully CGC's at least. Dogs are supposed to know how to heel - that is we won't be teaching heeling per se. My request is that if anyone has taken a really good Rally Class - what did you do in class that made it so good? I'd like to use games and or fun exercises so that everyone has a good time as well as learning what Rally is about. Been to a couple of Rally web sites but didn't find much of what I was looking for. My experience is more as a handler - I have an RAE2 on my oldest lab and my middle guy has an RA, but I'm not an experienced dog class instructor. Any and all suggestions greatly appreciated. Thank you.

 

[3TailsWaggin]

I've taught Rally class for several years now, sporadically. Agility classes seem to fare much better in my area. Anyway, be prepared to teach heeling! Trust me, having a CGC is in no way going to have your beginners heeling. I always spend time working on heeling, keeping a loose leash, and team motivation. We do things like a "simon says" game where I'll call out commands and they have to do them. Last person to do them is "out". For example we'll go in a circle heeling, I call out "Down your dog". Last one to do it is out

Generally I do set up a course and we work at it, first by a walk thru and discussion of the signs and then with our dogs. I critique each student as they go.

I pay attention to the signs that are giving students the most difficulty, and we work on those in a line up (just line up the dogs and have everyone practice).

For grins and giggles, I sometimes like to mix up the dog/handlers too. I'll have them swap dogs and try to do part of the course, etc. Keep them on their toes And, it seems to really help their dogs pay more attention (when reunited with their owners, the dogs seem really more "up").

Hope some of these ideas have helped you. Have fun!

 

[patm]

I would want to make sure that the dogs knew "sit, down, and have a fairly good short stay. If they don't know these, you'll spend your time trying to teach them, and that's not Rally. I really like Linda's suggestions.

 

[ObedienceLabs4Me]

In our rally class, we teach the rules and regulations, how to walk a course, read each of the signs. Before they get to our rally class they all ready know how to do everything and it's just learning the signs. We also do attention work.

 

[2yellowlabs]

Linda - Thank you for your suggestions. I think they are all great. I was toying with the idea of switching handlers maybe mid-session. Its always such an eye-opener when someone with a Lab has to handle a small dog and vice versa. I know we will spend time heeling - practice straight at 1st and then turns, but the hope was not to have to "teach" heeling. Guess I'll have to see how well everyone heels. I've grouped the signs together - Heeling, Stays, Sits, Downs, Turns - we'll start slowly and build as we go along with a different focus each week. I plan to use the last 15 minutes for short courses at the beginning, getting longer as we go. Pat - I agree - these pups should know the basics - only time will tell. Susan - Thanks for the info. This class is more introductory - hope is that is mostly students who may want to go on but haven't quite decided that yet. There could be more experienced handlers who sign up but our plan was to attract people who really didn't know how to do Rally. Our goal is that the beginners in this class will advance to a more refined level of instruction - more like what you do. Thanks everyone for your answers. Betsy