Rally obedience (also known as Rally or Rally-O) is a dog sport based on obedience. It was originally devised by Charles L. "Bud" Kramer from the obedience practice of "doodling" - doing a variety of interesting warmup and freestyle exercises.

Unlike regular obedience, instead of waiting for the judge's orders, the competitors proceed around a course of designated stations with the dog in heel position. The course consists of 10 to 20 signs that instruct the team what to do. Unlike traditional obedience, handlers are allowed to encourage their dogs during the course.

Controlling the environment can really help your dog. Why wait till he is all guns blazing till we try correct him? Wouldn't it be better if we controlled the environment and the dog never got to that stage?
It's all about maintaining thresholds and controlling the environment.
Say you are out for a walk with your dog, and in the distance: a cat, you have seen it, and now bracing for the reaction. What about instead you got your dogs attention before he saw it? Or changed your direction? Before he is all guns blazing and out of control. This is called working within the behavioural adjustment training zone.
All behaviours have thesholds for active or reactive responses. Take, for example in humans: a dripping tap, some people would HAVE to fix it that day, others a day, week or month later. Thesholds occur at different levels for different people. So to control the environment in this situation you would identify the "problem" (dripping tap) and have it fixed before it caused any distress (perferreably that day, before anyone noticed) therefore we have advoided unnecessary stress. The same thing applies to dogs - if we identify "problems" then control the environment before arosal level rises. Then stress is reduced or advoided.

Be proactive in your training and remember that every interaction with your dog is training.

If you have any questions please email me at [email protected]

This was a little while a go now, she handles differently now, but still a nice round

What variables to do you add into your training?

Well first let’s take a look at what ‘variables’ may be.

For this example we will say that we are teaching your dog to stay.

Variable one: time/duration

Variable two: distance

Variable three: indoor/outdoor setting

Variable four: different people (walking by, talking, sitting)

Variable five: other dogs/cats/birds

Variable six: noises (cars, people, unexpected noises)

Variable seven: change of posture/tone of voice

Variable eight: Lead/ no lead

These variables are in no particular order, I am just trying to outline all the different possible variables that could be within a situation. Variables can be very small, but they need to be treated the same way as some of the ‘bigger’ variables.

The dog needs to be taught in each of those settings as if he has never done a stay before, lessen the criteria and work through the process for reinforcement. If the dog has not done a down stay in a busy area, take the opportunity to teach the dog how to respond in that situation.

Each time you add a variable to the situation, and the dog can ‘work’ through it – the stronger the behaviour will become. 

I know that a lot of people dread the time of trimming their dogs nails,
ideally you should ply with the dogs feet right from when they are a puppy so they get use to it, but intentions are always good but sometimes they get forgotten, So I have done some diagrams to show you where to cut the nail so that you are more confident in trimming those nails, because long toe nails are dangerous and they can also cause the dog pain when they get too long. 
One thing to remember is that your dogs nails are always growing and unless you are exercising your dog on concrete (which can be bad for their joints) they won't be wearing down their nails, plus the Kwik is always growing so the more you keep on top of it the better.

If by accident you hit the kwik don't fret!
Depending on how bad it is it will stop soon enough, but to save your carpet, have paper towels on hand and a bar of soap, don't use a towel as you don't want the hairs/ fluff from the towel getting into the wound. 
The bar of soap is too push onto the nail to clog the wound, and it will stop bleeding.
HOWEVER if you have taken a considerable chunk of the dogs nails away, and it wont stop bleeding after 5 or so minutes, take the dog to the vet, they have surgical grade stuff that will stop the bleeding. 

These products all contain substances called methylxanthines, which are found in cacao seeds, the fruit of the plant used to make coffee and in the nuts of an extract used in some sodas. When ingested by pets, methylxanthines can cause vomiting and diarrhea, panting, excessive thirst and urination, hyperactivity, abnormal heart rhythm, tremors, seizures and even death. Note that darker chocolate is more dangerous than milk chocolate. White chocolate has the lowest level of methylxanthines, while baking chocolate contains the highest. 

Alcoholic beverages and food products containing alcohol can cause vomiting, diarrhoea, decreased coordination, central nervous system depression, difficulty breathing, tremors, abnormal blood acidity, coma and even death.  

The leaves, fruit, seeds and bark of avocados contain Persin, which can cause vomiting and diarrhoea in dogs. Birds and rodents are especially sensitive to avocado poisoning, and can develop congestion, difficulty breathing and fluid accumulation around the heart. Some ingestions may even be fatal. 

Macadamia nuts are commonly used in many cookies and candies. However, they can cause problems for your canine companion. These nuts have caused weakness, depression, vomiting, tremors and hyperthermia in dogs. Signs usually appear within 12 hours of ingestion and last approximately 12 to 48 hours.  

Although the toxic substance within grapes and raisins is unknown, these fruits can cause kidney failure. In pets who already have certain health problems, signs may be more dramatic.  

Yeast dough can rise and cause gas to accumulate in your pet’s digestive system. This can be painful and can cause the stomach or intestines to rupture. Because the risk diminishes after the dough is cooked and the yeast has fully risen, pets can have small bits of bread as treats. However, these treats should not constitute more than 5 percent to 10 percent of your pet’s daily caloric intake. 

Xylitol is used as a sweetener in many products, including gum, candy, baked goods and toothpaste. It can cause insulin release in most species, which can lead to liver failure. The increase in insulin leads to hypoglycemia (lowered sugar levels). Initial signs of toxicosis include vomiting, lethargy and loss of coordination. Signs can progress to recumbancy and seizures. Elevated liver enzymes and liver failure can be seen within a few days.  

These vegetables and herbs can cause gastrointestinal irritation and could lead to red blood cell damage. Although cats are more susceptible, dogs are also at risk if a large enough amount is consumed. Toxicity is normally diagnosed through history, clinical signs and microscopic confirmation of Heinz bodies. An occasional low dose, such as what might be found in pet foods or treats, likely will not cause a problem, but we recommend that you do NOT give your pets large quantities of these foods.  

Because pets do not possess significant amounts of lactase (the enzyme that breaks down lactose in milk), milk and other milk-based products cause them diarrhoea or other digestive upset. 

Large amounts of salt can produce excessive thirst and urination, or even sodium ion poisoning in pets. Signs that your pet may have eaten too many salty foods include vomiting, diarrhoea, depression, tremors, elevated body temperature, seizures and even death. In other words, keep those salty chips to yourself!