Rally is a fun and captivating dog sport that requires not only obedience skills but also excellent memory recall abilities. Not only do you as a handler need to remember how to properly execute the signs, but remembering the rally course is essential for seamless performance and achieving top scores. In this blog post, we will explore practical strategies to help you improve your memory and successfully remember rally courses. Let's dive in and unleash your memory power!

 Know the Signs

If you want to be confident and stay connected to your dog and remember the course, knowing the signs at first glance is critical. If you have to study the sign as you're approaching it, thinking "Is this the one where I can back up or do my feet need to stay still?" you've already used too much brain power trying to figure out the sign, and you have less to focus on the flow of the course. Make flashcards of all the signs and study them until you can immediately visualize you and the dog completing them perfectly.

 Study the Course Map

Before stepping foot on the rally obedience course, thoroughly study the course map provided by the judge. Familiarize yourself with the layout, including the various signs and stations you and your dog will encounter. Pay attention to the sequence and positioning of each station, as well as any specific rules or variations mentioned in the map. You can make notes on your course map to trigger your memory if specific details are hard to recall.

Break It Down

Like in any memory task, breaking the course into smaller sections or segments can greatly aid your recall abilities. Analyze the course map and identify natural divisions within the course. Focus on memorizing one section at a time, ensuring you have a solid understanding of the signs and actions required in that specific segment.

Visualize the Stations

Visualization is a powerful memory technique. Close your eyes and mentally walk through the course, picturing each station in detail. Imagine yourself and your dog successfully performing the required actions at each station. Visualizing the course will create a mental blueprint that can significantly improve your memory recall during the actual performance.

Utilize Your Walkthrough Time

You are going to have 10 minutes to walk your course. This is a long time if you utilize your time well. The first time through the course, look at the signs. Pay attention to the dog's path and where things might get tight for your dog. Look for places where it would be easy to miss a sign.

When you start the next walkthrough, go through all the motions. Pretend like your dog is there with you. Do the heeling, the halts, the turns. Walk around your invisible dog and pause next to the dog before you continue forward. Adjust your pace if you have fast or slow signs. Do the entire course just as you would with your dog.

After my first time through, if there is a particularly tricky spot, I will go back to that spot until I'm comfortable. Then I'll repeat walking the course a few times, focusing on connecting with my (invisible) dog, reading the signs with my peripheral vision as I'm approaching, and rehearsing all the correct handling moves. When I feel really good about the course, I walk it one more time!

Don't Rush!

Because rally is a timed sport, sometimes the more competitive of us might rush through the course. (I am most certainly NOT referring to myself – no way!) Remember that if you miss a sign in rally, it's an automatic NQ. You need to at least attempt every sign. So always pay particular attention to where sneaky judges might "hide" signs to add a little extra challenge. Don't rush through the course. Keep a steady pace, but instead of focusing on going fast, concentrate on completing every sign to the best of your ability. Be there for your dog. Keep your handling as clear and clean as possible. Stay connected. Smile at your dog!

If you do happen to forget a sign or two, please don't be mad at yourself! Your dog will sense that you're upset and will certainly think it has something to do with him or her. Instead, concentrate on all the signs your awesome dog did perfectly. Go get some ice cream for both of you and head home with the best dog in the trial!

Remembering rally obedience courses is an essential skill that can elevate your performance and enhance your enjoyment of the sport, but it doesn't need to be an impossible task. By implementing these strategies, you can sharpen your memory recall abilities and confidently guide your dog through the rally course.