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Rally obedience

Kate H

Well-known member
[h=5]Just a reminder that our first Cavalier Rally Obedience meeting in Coventry is coming up in 3 weeks time, on Sunday, 28 April. We're going to meet once a month from 2.30 to 5.00 at St Francis Church Hall, Links Road, North Radford, Coventry CV6 3DQ and Sabby and her husband will be teaching us. During this first session we will be having a short business meeting (over tea and shortbread!) to decide future dates, cost etc. All Cavaliers and their owners are welcome. For more information, contact me either here or on [email protected].

Kate, Oliver and Aled

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Yes, a bit far for you! I'm hoping Oliver will be able to cope with it - he's done a lot of competition obedience in the past but is now very deaf and a bit stiff with spondylosis and SM, but he really enjoys working, is good at hand signals and I think will enjoy pottering round a Rally course. Sabby reckons the group should be ready to compete by August! So far there are about 6 owners with 10-12 Cavaliers who have said they are coming.

Kate, Oliver and Aled
 
I used to have concerns about whether CM/SM dogs should do vigorous activities but so many, including my own, seem to actually improve while doing things and getting exercise and also, Clare Rusbridge has also said she feels it's a real positive for many dogs with these conditions and that it seems to bring pain relief, not aggravation. Obviously each dog is an individual and we have to remember that dogs will often drive through pain to do what we ask of them -- so owners need to be watchful -- but I do think for most dogs it brings some relief and also -- it is so much a part of their quality of life. Leo rarely ever scratches when running free in the park, off lead. :D I am sure it will be a great time for Oliver and I know you are so aware and observant that you'll know if he's having any difficulty. :)

Have lots and LOTS of fun! Hope many here can make it and take lots of pictures for the rest of us!
 
The great advantage of Rally is that in the lowest class it isn't particularly vigorous - you can very much work at your own pace, and Sabby even says that as Oliver finds sitting rather uncomfortable, he can go down at the 'sit' signs instead. Aled is still doing competition obedience, so if he has a go at Rally he will have to do proper heelwork and straight sits! Ellie Hollinshead is one of the people intending to come, so we should get some good photos.

Kate, Oliver and Aled
 
This sounds a really good idea to me Kate, but I have some questions about whether it would be suitable for either of my special needs dogs:

Firstly, what is Rally please? I am sure there are others reading this who have heard the name but have no idea what is involved

Secondly, what (if any) previous experience of obedience does the participating dog need?

Lastly, I tried to get details of public transport from the Coventry Station area to the venue, but the site doesn't seem to have heard of that location!
 
Sabby will correct me if I'm wrong, but basically Rally is a gentler, less competitive version of the ordinary competition obedience. It has different levels of difficulty, starting with on-lead exercises. Instead of competing against other people, you have your own personal score (200 in Level 1) and lose marks for mistakes; then, if your final score is above a certain level, you get a rosette and can go on to the next class. Instead of doing a round following a steward's instructions, there are signs telling you what to do - sit, down, sit and walk round your dog, walk at heel (which is not the collie-type heelwork of obedience!), and so on. Off-lead work and jumping don't happen until the higher classes, so Level 1, which the Coventry group will be doing, seems to me ideal for older or less vigorous dogs. And our group is for fun, so you can do what your dog can manage and miss out any exercise that you think might stress them. As I mentioned previously, my elderly Oliver finds sitting difficult, so when we see a sign saying sit, he will go down, which he finds much easier. And it will be only Cavaliers in the group, so the dogs won't be stressed by having to relate to bigger dogs. Sabby does the higher levels of Rally with her Cavaliers, all of whom have SM.

As to previous experience, being able to walk quietly on a lead, come when called and sit and go down would be useful, but we're there to learn and enjoy ourselves, and the dogs will enjoy doing things with us and appreciate all the treats that will be in evidence!

Unfortunately, you can't get a bus direct from Coventry station, but if you get any bus into the city centre and then catch a no. 13 going to Whitmore Park and get off at Jubilee Crescent, it stops just round the corner from the church. But it might be easier to get the 900 bus from Birmingham to the Belgrade Theatre, cross over the road and catch the 13 there. It would be great if you could come - let me know and I'll send you a map and more travel information. The same applies to anyone else who wants to come - PM me and I'll send you travel info.

Kate, Oliver and Aled
 
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