attended my first rally class...

[acurajane]

and AHHHHH! Ok I loved it but I found myself more frustrated than anything. My Lab was great. No complaints there but I am so lost. Not being a very bright person, I botched it all up. I actually have to see someone do it before I can do it. The teacher is a member of this board( and if she sees this she will laugh so hard at me). So I am off to study signs and practice. Wish me luck!

[IliamnasQuest]

Studying signs is a huge step in the right direction! (literally .. *LOL*).

I printed out 3x5" signs on card stock and cut them apart so I could flip through them and review. I also printed tiny signs and put them on magnetized paper so that I could set up courses on a magnet board and practice running through them. I used that in class, too - had my students build their own courses.

Once you have the signs figured out it's much easier. Trying to go through a course before you understand the signs is futile and probably confusing to your dog. It's impossible to train behaviors while your focus is on trying to figure out the signs! In my classes we spent most of the time initially working on the individual exercises, and I put together several small courses (like 3-5 signs) so that I could set them all up in the room at once and people went along and worked on each small course. That way there wasn't the pressure of doing a full course, and you could concentrate on just the few signs in front of you (and do it more than once if you wanted).

Good luck with this! Don't let your frustration get to you - rally can be very confusing for the human .. *L* .. memorize the signs separately and you'll find it is much easier.

Melanie and the gang in Alaska

[selzer]

When you see it in trials, you think, gee -- anyone can do that. Well, yes that is true, but not just anyone could take their dog in the ring and do that right then and there.

There's a lot of signs. And when you have them mastered, you have to be good at keeping them in order.

But it IS fun. Welcome. I hope you have a blast!

[Branca's Mom]

Seriously, learn the signs before trying to DO the signs with your dog...

Good Luck it is a lot of fun for sure!

[LuvourGSDs]

Yes & after 2 classes you will be doing a trial like I did !
We Q & did good with a 89.

Have fun & yes the signs are confusing at times !

Best of luck.........

[BlackPuppy]

I keep a copy of the signs in my briefcase. LOL! Then there's the footwork. I always practice that without my dog.

Soon you'll be wondering why you ever thought this was hard.

[amjrchamberlain]

Great encouragement, everyone! I think that you are doing just fine in class acurajane. No need to worry.

If we can just get you to get that lab spayed and apply for her ILP, you'll be set for the October trial in Springfield, I think!

[mjbgsd]

I remember when I first started,my very first trial I was the one that got an NQ, not the dog, because I couldn't figure out what sign to go next. A few years later, I only need to go through the course once and I already know it. Though it's kind of funny when I do RE and then go to RA because it's basically the same course, just some things are taken out, lol. Isa's like, pshh, I already did this course!! LOL We're doing RAE so I have to do both RE and RA on the same day and Q for both. I have 7 more legs to go, just not that many shows near me. To me, Rally is easy.

[BlackPuppy]

Yep, only I NQ, never my dog.