Rose Christensen, nosework. Pattison photo

1.Train the dog in front of you.

2. Basenji Logic.

3. AKC Virtual Rally Program.

Train the dog in front of you.

Irvin Dog Training, November 2021

Every dog is different.

But the guidelines of reinforcement and learning are universal. All beings with a central nervous system respond to it, react to it in predictable and perceivable ways. So when you're asked to train the dog in front of you, what we mean by that is not a justification for the use of punishment because "some dogs need a heavy hand" (No, no living being -needs- a heavy hand.) What that means is the dog in front of you is going to be different from the dog you were working last week. Even if it's the same dog. Last week your dog did not know the things you taught him yesterday. Yesterday he had more energy or less. Today the most valuable thing is a tennis ball, yesterday it was pieces of kibble. Every single day and every single dog is going to be different. What motivates a dog on a given day, in a given situation will vary. Their ability to respond to cues on a given day, in a given situation, will vary.

Make note of those things, adjust accordingly and train the dog in front of you.

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AKC Rally® Virtual Program.

The AKC Rally Virtual program is open to all dogs six months of age and older. Dogs entered in the Rally Advanced class must have earned the Rally Novice (RN) title and may have earned the Rally Intermediate (RI) title according to the owner’s records. Qualifying in the Rally Advanced class three times will result in the dog earning the Rally Advanced (RA) title.

Dogs entered in the Rally Excellent class must have earned the Rally Advanced (RA) title according to the owner’s records. Qualifying in the Rally Excellent class three times will result in the dog earning the Rally Excellent (RE) title. All qualifying scores will be recorded on the dog’s AKC record and applied toward the three required for the Rally Advanced and Rally Excellent titles.

The qualifying scores and titles earned virtually are the same as those earned at in-person events. You may earn a title by qualifying at either or both types of events. The RAE class is not offered in this virtual program and therefore, virtual classes cannot be used to earn the RAE title where double Qs at the same event are required. Rally Championship (RACH) points will be recorded for dogs after they have earned the Rally Excellent (RE) title, for scores of 91 or better in the Rally Advanced and Rally Excellent classes in the virtual program.

The scores earned virtually will not be eligible to use to qualify for entry into the AKC Rally National Championship events.

There are five pre-designed courses published on the AKC website for the exhibitor to choose from. The exhibitor will setup the course according to the Instructions provided in the Virtual Rally Guidebook. They will video the performance, upload the video to their personal YouTube account, set the required YouTube viewing options, and submit the video link with the online entry form and pay the fee electronically to AKC.

WE ARE EXCITED TO OFFER THIS VIRTUAL OPTION TO OUR RALLY EXHIBITORS PERMANENTLY!