Rally

Rally is a relatively new sport you can enjoy with your white German Shepherd. Although it has been around for awhile, it was first recognized by the American Kennel Club January 1, 2005 as a titling event.

Rally is a difficult sport to explain - it's probably best described as a combination of agility and traditional obedience. A handler and dog heel through a course that is marked a with a sign at each station. Each sign asks for some kind of obedience exercise - from as simple as a turn to as complex as jumps, ignoring food distractions, or heeling backwards.

This biggest draw of rally is that the handler can talk to the dog throughout the course and can use multiple commands and hand signals. In the lower levels of Rally, the handler can also pat their leg or clap their hands to motivate the dog to perform. This makes it a fun experience for both the dog and handler.

There are three levels in AKC Rally:

• Novice - the Novice level is all on leash and does not contain exercises like jumps or the more difficult obedienc exercises. If a dog earns three qualifying scores in Rally Novice, he earns the RN title.
• Advanced - the Advanced level is off leash and has one jump and several more advanced exercises. If a dog earns three qualifying scores in Rally Advanced, he earns the RA title.
• Excellent - the Excellent level is off leash, has two jumps, several advanced exercises and an honor stay exercise. If a dog earns three qualifying scores in Rally Excellent, he earns the RE title. Once a dog earns the RE, he can compete for the RAE title by qualifying in Advanced and Excellent at the same trial 10 times!

You can compete in AKC Rally with your white German Shepherd. For more information on AKC rally, please see their Web site. The Association of Pet Dog Trainers also offers Rally competition with slightly different rules. Their Web site is here.

The great thing about Rally is that any dog with basic obedience training (sit, down, basic heeling) can easily prepare to try Rally at the novice level. There are more challenges at the higher levels, but Rally is something that is easy to get involved in and fun for everyone!