Corgi Forums

Chip's Mom · **Rally O -** 12-05-2006, 12:18 PM

Last night at Obedience class, we did 1/2 hour of Rally O and it was really fun. It looks like it is going to be low impact for our short little corgi's legs and fun to do. Chip went through all 10 signs without a problem but of course it gets more difficult as you go along. There are also trials in my area periodically. The first week in February, the obedience instructor is starting a Rally O class so Chip and I will surely be there. Is anyone else involved in Rally O. The only bad part is during the actual trial no cookies are allowed. so I need to figure out how I can get Chip to work for free

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Dillydoodle · 12-05-2006, 03:22 PM

Bonnie,
I am thinking of doing Rally O with Dillon. We have been getting very stale with the same Novice obedience class ( studying for our CD) and i have taken a break from school for the past two months, but we need to start going back to school again. It looks fun, my only issue is that I will screw up reading the darn signs ( now which was my left again?

LOL)
As for Cookies, or lack of them, that is the biggest problem i have as well. In class we can use them, and it is great, for a cookie i have a wonderfully trained dog, no cookie, no workie that is how he is...sigh...you should have seen him in one of the last few classes of novice that we took, we did a full run through with cookies, Dillon was great! He looked like a pro! Then she had us put the treat bags away and get them to do the same run through...the first command he was great, second command he did pretty good, but by the third command he was getting hip to the fact i had no cookies for him, so he just started getting sloppy and by the end he was just barely getting the job done, with many corrections on my part. I asked if i could soak my hands in lamb treats or peanut butter for the actual trials...sadly, they said no! LOL!

Emilie

Chip's Mom · 12-05-2006, 03:29 PM

Emilie:

Did Dillon read the manual "Nothing in life is free" I know he hasn't been talking to Chip because Dillon doesn't know our phone number. Chip is exactly the same way. I have started carrying treats in my coat pocket for when we go away and he is well behaved. He has his CGC test in 2 weeks but he still jumps on people but I figure it will be good experience. The Rally O signs are not too bad once the instructor explains them to you. I thought it was a little confusing at first. Chip is getting bored with plain obedience class as well and we have stopped in mid session a couple of times because he is bored and I don't want him to get burned out on it. We are supposed to be having fun. He did like the Rally O though and he LOVES the socializing. I took him to Home Depot the other day and he was really well behaved but I gave him cookies. He doesn't work for free either.

Dillydoodle · 12-05-2006, 04:05 PM

I feel your pain! We signed up for a CGC prep class about 5 months ago, they offer two classes and then you just go for the CGC at my school- Well he had been doing the Novice obedience class and the 18 other dogs that drop in that class are all relatively non-hyper and he acts like them, a little happy and wanting to socialize but once i get his attention (via food) he will calm down instantly and stop being interested in them and focus on working. THe first class for this CGC this lady came in with a very hyperactive dog that she let run right up and jump on DIllon!

i was not happy, as I was in a corner with Dillon trying to keep him away from the other dogs so he would not lose focus and he would remember that we were there to work.. Well this dog just was so hyper it set the tone for Dillon, and the whole class he spent ignoring me ( and they said to put the treats away, well the second those treats went bye bye, so did Dillon's motivation to listen to me- I was no longer the most exciting thing in the room...GRRR!!!!! needless to say, i told them i was done with that class and we were obviously not ready for the CGC yet...incidently they told me that this other dog dropped the class too. Dillon will stand for exam with no real issue- but to sit next to me and have someone ask "can i pet your dog" and have him NOT jump up...forget it...we are still working on that one. I took a break with dillon in part becuase BOTH of us were burnt out from the constant classes. The break has been nice, and my daily walks with him are opportunities to work with him on his obedience- so we work daily- just not in class. We will be going back soon...
Emilie

Chip's Mom · 12-05-2006, 06:37 PM

Emilie:

You could be describing Chip. He will sit for exam perfectly but let someone walk up to pet him and up he goes. Anyway, this class is very good and if he doesn't pass it, I am not out anything and we will start Rally O in the Spring and try again later. It is no big deal if he doesn't get his CGC. We just want to have fun. I also work with Chip in the evenings at home but that is mostly playing around. It is hard to teach him not to jump up when people encourage it and i am a softee and don't enforce it to much.

manymuddypaws · 12-06-2006, 12:27 PM

Rally Obedience is a ton of fun! Depending on what organisation you are going to compete in, you can have food! APDT (Association of Pet Dog Trainers) allows food, you just go after everyone who isn't using food. Regardless, you should start weaning the food away anyways. The trick with getting rid of the food is to not let your dog know! Slowly phase out the cookie in the hand- make the food reward less obvious. Be spontaneous in your reward, vary between higher and lower value tidbits. Usea toy sometimes. It is really important to keep the dog guessing as to when and what the reward is going to be. In my agility and obedience classes I suggest people to use a goodie container- a small container that you can fill with goodies but the dog can't get into without your help. Start slow- just a few steps of heeling, run over to the container, open it up and let the dog have a few nibbles. As our dog starts to understand that the cookie isn't on your person, but he is still going to get rewarded you will have a dog that will work even without an obvious reward!

Have fun! Rally is a great sport that is alot of fun for you and the dog!

Dillydoodle · 12-06-2006, 03:22 PM

Amanda,
thanks for the tip, i will try that and see if i can get a working corgi out of the deal LOL!
Emilie

tandemgal · 12-06-2006, 09:10 PM

what all is involved with Rally O? is it like agility?

MissGambler'sMommy · 12-06-2006, 11:48 PM

ManyMuddyPaws: The tip about the container is great, teaching them that it's not on your person so they will continue to work to get to the treat, absolutely brilliant.

Tandemgal: Thanks for asking, I was curious, also.

Dillydoodle · 12-07-2006, 05:05 AM

Rally O is more like obedience with more of a fun feeling to it. You go to 10- 20 different stations each one with a card that gives you an instruction to do with your dog. ...The biggest difference is that you can talk to your dog, encourage them, jump up and down, be a fool and no one will deduct points for that where as in straight obedience there is no extra talking, it is more formal and bound by strict rules etc. More stuffy feeling than Rally. Rally is fun. You can get a better description of it at www.rallyobedience.com and then go to the section that says "rally chart (exercise list with brief descriptions)" to get an idea of the things that the signs tell you to do.
Emilie

Chip's Mom · 12-07-2006, 05:14 AM

Emilie:

Great discription. I was going to reply but knew you would do a much better job than me. It is great fun. I talk to Chip all the time so it is easier for me too.

Dillydoodle · 12-07-2006, 05:23 AM

My biggest issue was that I do both verbal and hand signal and he is really used to that, and some things he does better with verbal and others the hand signal, and my understanding of the rules for the obedience is that you have to use one OR the other and cannot go back and forth between the two...that could pose a problem...yet another thing to be working on with Dillon LOL! I will be working on the food issue first LOL! One thing at a time

Emilie

tandemgal · 12-07-2006, 05:53 AM

Checked out the Rally-O site and it sounds fun for both the handler & their dog!

But as I read "heal left, heal right, turn and ...." why do I hear square dance music in my head???? That would be fun to add the music - Paws to Dance as Corgimum says

p.s. This is why Hubby doesn't let me out much any more .....