RA310: From Good to GREAT! Increasing Your Rally Scores

From Good to GREAT! Increasing Your Rally Scores

Keep Those Feet Still!

Finish/Sit in Heel/Positions Signs

There are many signs that this tip applies to, including any sign that involves a finish with a sit.  Anytime you call your dog front, once you’ve stopped moving (if that sign allows backward movement), you cannot move your feet again as your dog finishes and sits.  Many people get happy feet and shuffle a little bit as the dog is finishing.

Here is an example of one such sign: Call Front Finish Right Sit.  Note that once my feet stop moving on the front, they stay stationary until the dog sits.

Here is another example on a more advanced sign, the halt, circle right, halt.  Note that once I halt, my feet don’t move.

One more place where you’ll see this is on the advanced signs like Halt Call Front Finish Right.  In this case, your feet can’t move from the time you halt and the dog sits.  The dog will front and sit, then finish and sit, all while your feet remain still.

You will also need to keep your feet still on any sort of position changes, such as Halt Down Sit.

There are a couple Excellent signs in which keeping your feet still is important, such as the Stand Leave Down Call Front Finish Sit.  In this case, once you’ve left the dog and turned to face him/her, your feet need to stay still.  Here’s what that sign should look like.

There are a couple Master signs which involve your feet staying still until the dog sits in heel.  One example would be Halt Leave Recall Finish Right Sit.  Here’s the AKC version of what that sign should look like:

Finish and Forward Signs

Some signs specify that the handler should heel forward “once the dog clears the handler’s path.”  In that case, keep your feet still until the dog clears your path then heel forward.

Here are some examples.

Call Front Finish Forwards from Novice

Step in Front Finish Forward from Advanced - in this case your feet should be still once you’ve moved to front position until the dog clears your path.

There are some master signs which require you to remain stationary until the dog clears your path.  The Recall Over Jumps are good examples.  With these signs, you leave your dog and turn to face him/her.  You then call the dog front, tell the dog to finish, then turn in the correct direction after your dog clears your path.  Here’s a video of the AKC version of one of these signs:

Another example of being still until the dog crosses your path is the Master signs that have you call the dog front, take two side steps, then finish.  Once the dog has completed the final sit in front after the side steps, the handler needs to keep his or her feet still until the dog clears his/her path on the finish.  Here’s an example of one of those signs:

The last Master sign we see that fits in this category is Backup 3 Steps Stand and Leave Call to Finish Forward.  During this sign the handler should not move his or her feet until the dog moves to finish.  As soon as the dog clears the handler’s path, the handler may step forward.  Here’s a video of that: