Explore every episode of the podcast Rally Onward Podcast

On this episode of the Rally Onward Podcast we’re going to talk about timing a trial. How early do you need to arrive? If it’s an AM/PM trial, what are you going to do during those hours between shows? Planning ahead can save you a lot of stress.

Sign Of The Week: HALT - Send Away Sit - Return - Follow Arrow

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On this episode of The Rally Onward Podcast, we’re talking about backchaining. Backchaining is a training technique that shows the dog how to do complex behavior sequences. 

Programing Note: Due to changes in our schedules, Catherine and Marie can no longer record a weekly podcast so we are switching to a bi-monthly schedule. 

Sign of the Week: Call Front - Move 2 Side Steps Right - Finish Forward and Call Front - Move 2 Side Steps Left - Finish Forward 

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On this episode of The Rally Onward Podcast, we’re going to be breaking down how to train your dog to perform all three of the Rally Master jumps correctly. From where to sit your dog, to where to stand on the other side of the jump, which way to finish, we’re talking about those three jumps this week.

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On this episode of the Rally Onward Podcast we’re going to talk about setting goals with our dogs. As you know, there are a lot of different titles to pursue. How do you know which titles are realistic for you and your dog? Should you take your dog to trials, or would virtual titling be a better plan. Can you afford to pursue a RACH? We talk about all of these things and more in this episode.

Sign of the Week: The different types of Rally jumps

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On this episode of the Rally Onward Podcast we’re going to talk about being nervous at trials. The feelings of being judged, being watched, can be intimidating. Watching another team do a perfect run, and knowing your dog doesn’t do anything like that, can make you feel like you don’t belong. We’re going to talk about scores and titles and putting ourselves under pressure. If you’re trialing soon and it makes you nervous, this episode is for you.

Sign of the Week: Sit Stay and Call

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Sorry for the late drop. We recorded late due to the holiday.

On this episode of the Rally Onward Podcast we’re going to talk about learning from watching other people train their dogs. Getting a chance to watch a great trainer work with their own dog can give you tips on how to use your hands and footwork to help your dog succeed.

Sign of the Week: HALT - Dog Circles Right - SIT

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This is a short special episode of The Rally Onward Podcast. We'll be back recording our regular show next week.

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On this episode of the Rally Onward Podcast we’re going to talk about what we wish we knew before we started Rally. We’re going to discuss things we learned the hard way. Ring entry, leash removal, walkthrough skills, mentorship, all of this and more.

Sign of the Week: Stand Right Turn Forward and Stand Left Turn Forward

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On this episode of the Rally Onward Podcast we’re going to talk about footwork. What we do with our feet can make it easier for our dogs to know which direction we’re going to turn. And we’ll also discuss some issues with maintaining our balance during different types of turns. Next we talk about strategies for knowing our left from our right. In our normal lives, this doesn’t matter nearly as much as it does in rally. If your trainer keeps calling out, “No, your other right,” this episode is for you.

Sign Of The Week: About Turn Right About U turn and About U Turn About Turn Right

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Marie and Catherine had a rough week. We were unable to get together to record. We'll be back next week.

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On this episode of the Rally Onward Podcast we’re going to talk about more of our favorite training games. This week we’ll be discussing stay and recall games. 

Sign Of The Week: Double Left About Turn

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On this episode of the Rally Onward Podcast Catherine and Marie will discuss some of their favorite training games. This week we’re talking about heeling games and focus games. Games make training fun for dogs. And if training is fun for dogs, it’s fun for us, too.

Sign Of The Week: Send To Jump

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On this episode of the Rally Onward Podcast we’re going to talk about three related topics. The dog being responsible for their own behavior, giving our dogs agency in our training, and whether or not dogs are sentient. All three of these ideas help us communicate with our dogs better, and help our dogs communicate better with us.

Sign Of The Week: Stand-Leave-Sit-Call Front-Finish-Sit and Stand-Leave-Down-Call Front- Finish-Sit 

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On this episode of the Rally Onward Podcast we’re going to talk about training ahead. Don’t wait until you’re finished with Novice before working on off leash cooperation. Off leash cooperation needs to be part of your training plan from the beginning. We’re going to talk about how to get off leash cooperation on track.

Sign Of The Week: Stand-While Heeling-Call To Finish-Sit and Down-While Heeling-Call To Finish-Sit 

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On this episode of the Rally Onward Podcast we’re going to be talking about down. Ever ask your dog to lie down and wonder why they hesitate, or refuse? We’re going to talk about some reasons why. We’ll also talk about how to train your dog to down at heel without creeping forward. 

Sign Of The Week: Back Up Three Steps

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On this episode of the Rally Onward Podcast we’re going to be talking about sit. You might be thinking, well, my dog already knows how to sit. But, when it comes to Rally there are a lot of things to consider. Does your dog know how to sit facing a brick wall? Does your dog know how to sit facing a ring gate? We’re going to talk about practicing and proofing sits in Rally.

Sign Of The Week: Moving Stand – Walk Around and Moving Down – Walk Around

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Sorry everyone. Catherine and Marie tried an experiment with their audio this week and ended up with an unusable recording. Sometimes experiments teach us what not to do. This was one of those. New episode next week.

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Sorry for the late drop. We had technical difficulties with our recording this week. 

On this episode of the Rally Onward Podcast, we’re going to be talking about the Rally Champion title. RACH is a prefix title and it is the highest title you and your dog can achieve in AKC Rally. Catherine’s dog Lily has a RACH title. And if you’ve been listening for a while, you know how hard Marie is trying to get a RACH with her dog, Noelle. This week we’ll discuss what the AKC requires our dogs to accomplish to earn that title. And why when a dog and handler earn a RACH, it’s a really big deal.

Sign Of The Week: Halt-Stand-Down and Halt-Stand-Sit

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Show Notes

On this episode of the Rally Onward Podcast we’re talking about being consistent in how we communicate to our dogs. In the Rally ring, it’s helpful to our dogs if we use our cues and our body language in a consistent manner. Training should look and sound like trialing, otherwise our poor dogs don’t know what we want from them.

Rally Sign Of The Week: Two Sidesteps Right

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Show Notes

Catherine attended a conference about building confidence in our dogs. We’re going to be breaking down some ways we can build confidence in our rally dogs to help them be successful.

Rally Sign Of The Week: Halt - Step in Front - Finish Left - Forward and Halt - Step in Front - Finish Right - Forward

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On this episode of the Rally Onward Podcast we’re going to be talking about coming back to training after a long hiatus. We discuss what can we expect from our dogs and what can we expect from ourselves. Where do we start rebuilding? In this episode we share our knowledge and experience with getting our dogs back working with us.

Rally Sign of The Week: Right Turn - Dog Circles Right - Forward and Left Turn - Dog Circles Right - Forward

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This is a Best Of Episode of the Rally Onward Podcast. Catherine and Marie took a holiday break but they'll be back with a brand new episode next week.

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Show Notes

On this episode of the Rally Onward Podcast we’re going to be talking about dry spells. As Marie is closing in on her Rally Champion title, we talked about the problems we had getting enough Master points. If you are unfamiliar with how a Rally Champion title works, here’s what the AKC requires: 20 Triple Qualifying scores and 300 points. 

Triple Qualifying: That means qualifying in Master and Excellent and Advanced at the same trial. Repeat this for 20 trials.

Earn 150 points in Excellent and Advanced. Earn 150 points from Master for a total of 300 points.

Points are only given for scores above 91. The point schedule: 
A score of 91-94= 5 points. 
A score of 95-96= 6 points. 
97=7 points. 
98=8 points. 
99=9 points
Perfect score of 100=10 points. 

It is technically possible to get the Rally Champion prefix title (RACH) in those 20 triple qualifying scores. However, in reality, a lot of teams end up needing more points in Master. 

Catherine and Marie both went through struggles with scores of 87, 85, 89 and not earning Master points. Dry spells can be incredibly frustrating. Today we are talking about how we overcame those dry spells and started earning points again.

Rally Sign of the Week: HALT – Leave 2 Steps – Call to Heel – Forward

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Show Notes

On this episode of the Rally Onward Podcast we’ll be talking about finding Plan B when life prevents you from training your dog and trialing. Catherine’s foot injury has taken her away from rally and she’s finding her way forward. We also discuss how resting from competition can be a benefit for our dogs and for ourselves.

Sign of the Week: Halt-Pivot Right-Forward and Halt-Pivot Left-Forward

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On this episode of the Rally Onward podcast we’ll be discussing how to know when it’s time to retire your dog from competition. Age, injury, illness, all of these things can bring changes to our ability to compete. We discuss being fair to our partners and celebrating the adventures we enjoyed. 

Sign of the Week: Halt-Down-Sit and Halt-Stand

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Show Notes:

On this episode of the Rally Onward Podcast we will be discussing choosing a new dog to be a rally partner. Male or female? Adult or puppy? Rescue or breeder? What temperament traits are helpful? What breed or breed mix? 

Sign of the Week: Halt-180 Degree Pivot Left-Halt and Halt-180 Degree Pivot Right-Halt

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On this episode of the Rally Onward Podcast we’re going to talk about building a deeper bond with your dog. Your attention to your dog is a key part of that bonding process. We put a lot of effort in training our dogs to pay attention. Sometimes we forget to train ourselves to be attentive to our dogs. 

Sign Of The Week: Halt-Call Front-Finish Left and Halt-Call Front-Finish Right

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Show Notes

On this episode of the Rally Onward Podcast we’re going to be discussing heads up heeling. We’ve all seen dogs who look up at their handlers while heeling in Rally. Maybe you’re trying to figure out how to train your dog to move while looking at you. We’re going to talk about how we trained it, why it’s useful, and how attention heeling can be a lifeline for fearful or distractible dogs. 

Sign of the Week: Halt Side-Step Right Halt

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Show Notes

This week on the Rally Onward Podcast we’re going to be talking about trialing problems. It’s important to be able to evaluate your score. Did you incorrectly perform (IP) a sign? Do you always IP that specific sign? Was there an issue with the venue? Was there a noise you can proof for so your dog isn’t confronting an unfamiliar scenario? The ability to evaluate what needs fixing will help you trial better next time.

Sign of the Week: Offset Figure 8

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Show Notes

On this episode of the Rally Onward Podcast we’re going to talk about how the Covid lockdown of 2020 impacted dogs. Puppies born in early 2020 were particularly negatively affected due to social isolation. This generation of dogs didn’t go to puppy class, or have positive social experiences with strangers, or other dogs. When their owners took them for a walk, they backed away from people to avoid them. These dogs didn’t even realize humans have faces because everyone was wearing masks. Trainers across the world are seeing epidemic levels of aggression and reactivity in these, now three-year-old, dogs. Many people got puppies to keep them company during lockdown. Too many of those cute puppies are now adult dogs with behavior issues.  Shelters are filling up. Something has to change. We believe strongly that reactive dogs can be successful in rally. We believe rally fosters teamwork bonds that benefit all dogs. From basic obedience cues to social enrichment, rally can make a huge difference.

Sign of the Week: Halt-Pivot Right-Forward and Halt-Pivot Left-Forward

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Show Notes

On this episode of the Rally Onward Podcast we’re going to be talking about stress signs in dogs, and different ways we can help our dogs find the reset button to rid themselves of stress. This is particularly useful for younger, or less experienced dogs at trials.

Sign Of The Week: Halt-Down-Sit and Halt-Stand

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Show Notes

This week on the Rally Onward Podcast we’re talking about how treats can get in the way in the rally ring. Sometimes when we give our dog a treat during a rally run, we interrupt the flow. In our training, treats can easily become a trap. When you have treats, you have an enthusiastic working dog. When you don't have treats, enthusiasm takes a nose dive. How do you get the dog to work just as enthusiastically without a pocket full of snacks? If you are struggling with getting treats out of the rally ring, this episode is for you.

Sign Of The Week: Halt-180 Degree Pivot Right-Halt and Halt-180 Degree Pivot Left-Halt

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Show Notes

This week on the Rally Onward Podcast we’re going to be talking about trusting your dog as you walk away for a stay. We’ll give tips and tricks to help build this behavior so you can walk away with confidence. Stay tuned for the Sign of the Week because we’re breaking down the Intermediate/Advanced call front signs and they are more tricky than they first appear.

Sign Of The Week: Halt Call Front Finish Right Halt and Halt Call Front Finish Right Halt

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Show Notes

This week on the Rally Onward Podcast we’re going to be talking about a conference we attended about aggression in dogs. We’ll be discussing reactivity, and ways to prevent your dog from losing it. We’ll also be talking about how rally and dog sports are beneficial to reactive and shy dogs, and for their handlers, too.

Sign Of The Week: Sit Side Step Right Sit

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This week on the Rally Onward Podcast we’re going to be talking about engagement. How does temperament factor into how our dogs connect with us in the ring. Is your dog an up stressor or a down stressor? Really knowing what your dog likes and needs will help you build engagement in the rally ring. 

Sign Of The Week: Off-Set Figure Eight

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Show Notes

This week on the Rally Onward Podcast we’re going to be talking about disconnection. When you’re working with your dog in the ring, and your dog checks out mentally, that’s what we mean by disconnection. Teaching your dog to refocus attention is a useful skill to have.

Sign Of The Week: HALT – 90° Pivot Right – HALT and HALT – 90° Pivot Left – HALT

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This week Catherine was unable to record so this a short episode. We'll be back with a full episode next week.

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Show Notes

On this weeks episode of the Rally Onward Podcast we’re going to be talking about how to prevent mistakes our dogs make in the ring from becoming habits. If you accept a crooked sit half of the time, half of the time your dog will sit crooked. Providing our dogs with clear criteria and expectations is the key to preventing bad habits.

Sign Of The Week: Halt Stand Walk Around

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Show Notes
On this weeks episode of the Rally Onward Podcast we’re going to be talking about sniffing the floor. This trouble can start in Novice, but it really becomes a problem once you take off the leash. Teaching your dog that the ring is not a place to sniff can be a challenge for some dogs. In this episode we’ll discuss some ways you can start fixing ring sniffing.

Sign Of The Week: Halt Turn Right One Step Halt

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Show Notes

Oh this weeks episode of the Rally Onward Podcast we’re going to be talking about several things related to getting our dogs ready for off leash classes. We’ll introduce some concepts about stress in dogs and how they manifest in the ring. And how working with our dogs in our everyday lives can transition to making things easier for our dogs in the ring.

Sign Of The Week: Halt About Turn Right Forward and Halt About U Turn Forward

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Show Notes

On this weeks episode of the Rally Onward Podcast we’ll be talking about jumping. For anyone who is just starting Advanced and has to teach their dogs how to jump, we’ll be discussing  different types of jumps. And we’ll give you insider tips about take offs, landing, and how to help if your dog goes around the jump.

Sign Of The Week: Send Over Jump Handler Passes By

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Show Notes

On this weeks episode of the Rally Onward Podcast we’ll be talking about making decisions after you get a Rally Novice title. We’ll discuss moving up to Intermediate or Advanced and how to make the best choice for yourself and your dog. 

Sign of the week, Finish

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On this week’s episode of the Rally Onward Podcast we’re going to be discussing pre-cues. What is a pre-cue? How do pre-cues help our dogs during rally?  Marie and Catherine unpack this powerful dog training technique for you so you can start using pre-cues with your own rally dogs.

Rally Sign of the Week:  HALT - 1, 2 and 3 Steps, and Call Front – 1, 2 and 3 Steps Backward

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On this episode of the Rally Onward Podcast we’re going to be discussing more about good sportsmanship. Last we week talked about the AKC Code of Sportsmanship. This week we’re talking about some unwritten aspects of good sportsmanship, especially what not to do during walkthroughs. 

Rally Sign of the Week: Moving Side Step Right and Stop and Down

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On this episode of the Rally Onward Podcast we're going to be discussing two articles about sportsmanship from the AKC. The first is the Code of Sportsmanship which you can read right here: https://images.akc.org/pdf/AKC_code_of_sportsmanship.pdf
The second is a more recent article about good sportsmanship online. You can read that here: https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/sports/good-sportsmanship-online/ 
Both of these are important to keep in mind when we show our dogs, or write comments online. Kindness matters. It really does.

Rally Sign of the Week: Halt Walk Around Dog and Halt Down Walk Around Dog

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On this episode of the Rally Onward Podcast we’re going to be discussing things that happen away from the ring. How do you arrive at a trial? How do you get set up? How do you make sure your dog is able to settle when you’re not in the ring? Planning how to set things up leads to a more relaxed and successful trial.

Rally Sign of the Week: About U Turn and Call Front Return to Heel

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On this episode of the Rally Onward Podcast we’re going to be discussing one of the Four D’s of dog training, Diversity of Place. Taking our dogs to the AKC Rally National Championship had both Marie and Catherine reflecting on acclimating to new locations. Knowing what is a good location for your dog, and for yourself, is an important part of trialing.

Rally Sign of the Week: Diagonal Right and Diagonal Left. 

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On this special episode of the Rally Onward Podcast, Marie and Catherine share their experiences at the AKC Rally National Championship.

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On this episode of the Rally Onward Podcast we’re going to be discussing the use of consequences in dog training. Expanding on last week’s episode, where we talked about lures vs bribes, we talk about the use of punishment in dog training. We talk about the four quadrants of operant conditioning: R+ R- P+ P-. What those concepts mean and how they help us train our dogs. 

Rally Sign of the Week: Slow Pace, Fast Pace, Normal Pace

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On this week’s episode of the Rally Onward Podcast we’re going to discuss using food rewards when we train our dogs. It’s sometimes hard to tell the difference between a lure, a bribe, or a reinforcement. We will discuss some traps that you might encounter when training your dog with food. And we will also discuss how to stop using food and transition our dogs to getting life rewards instead. Since you can’t bring food into a trial ring, knowing how to reinforce your dog without food is important.

Rally Sign of the Week: Offset Serpentine Right and Offset Serpentine Left

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