Fenzi Dog Sports Academy - RA330: Movin' On Up: Skills and Signs for Master Rally

Course Details

Master Rally Doesn’t Have to Feel Intimidating

Did you know you can go from Novice to the Master class in just nine qualifying runs? It happens fast!

By the time you reach Master, you’re suddenly looking at spins, sends, signals, recalls, and a whole new set of skills to teach. Maybe you’re moving through the levels faster than you expected and want to start preparing before you get there. Or maybe you’re already competing at the Master level, but there are still a few signs you cross your fingers and hope you don’t see in the ring.

This class will give you a step-by-step plan for teaching the skills, understanding the signs, and getting you and your dog ready for Master Rally.

We’ll break the Master-level skills down into manageable pieces and show you how to teach them from the ground up. With detailed lectures and lots of video examples, you’ll learn not only how to train the skills, but how to put them together into the finished behaviors you’ll need in the ring.

We’ll also take a close look at the Master signs themselves. You’ll learn how each sign should be performed, where teams commonly lose points, and how to avoid those errors. We’ll cover troubleshooting along the way, as well as rules and challenges that are specific to the Master level.

You’ll learn:

How to teach the skills needed for Master Rally, including spins, sends, signals, recalls, and more
How to break more complicated behaviors into manageable training steps
How each Master sign should be performed
Common errors and how to avoid losing unnecessary points
How to troubleshoot when a skill isn’t coming together as planned
Rules and challenges specific to competing at the Master level

Whether you’re already competing in Master, getting close to moving up, or simply want to get a head start on the skills you’ll need, this class will help you feel more prepared and confident about taking that next step.

Master Rally is challenging, but it’s also a whole lot of fun. Join me and let’s get you and your dog ready to tackle it!

Extra support included: A Teacher’s Assistant (TA) will be available to support bronze students.

Trailer for RA330:

Teaching Approach

Lectures are released on the first day of each week and include step-by-step written instruction plus short demonstration videos for each skill. Most videos are between 20 seconds and 2 minutes long, making them easy to fit into even a busy schedule. Videos are designed to be understood even without sound. If speaking is important in a video, the lecture will clearly outline what is being said. Homework is included at the end of each lecture so you always know what to practice. Supplemental lectures and videos will be posted as needed. This class is a great fit for students who enjoy clear written instruction paired with short, visual demonstrations.

Instructor: Nicole Wiebusch

Nicole Wiebusch CPDT-KA (she/her) has been active in dog sports for over 25 years. What began with 4-H quickly grew into a lifelong passion for dog sports. (Click here for full bio and to view Nicole's upcoming courses)

Syllabus

View Full Syllabus

Syllabus (subject to change)

Week 1: Recalls

1.1 Halt Recall Jump Turn Forward Signs

1.2 Turns After Finishes

1.3 Call Over Jump

1.4 Call Over Jump with Front

1.5 Halt Leave Recall Finishes

1.6 Recalls

Week 2: Side Steps

2.1 Call Front Move 2 Side Steps Finish Forward

2.2 Lateral Movement with Mats

2.3 Lateral Fronts with Props

2.4 Pivots and Lateral Fronts

Week 3: Send Aways

3.1 Halt Send Away Sit Signs

3.2 Teaching the Send

3.3 Teaching the Sit at Distance

Week 4: Backups and Stands

4.1 Backup 3 Steps Turn Backup 1 or 2 Steps

4.2 Teaching the Right Backup

4.3 Teaching the Left Backup

4.4 Backup 3 Steps Stand Leave Call to Finish Forward

4.5 Teaching Back Leave Call to Finish

4.6 Stand Leave 2 Steps Call to Heel

4.7 Teaching Stand Leave Call to Heel

Week 5: Spins

5.1 Dog Spins Right or Left Forward Signs

5.2 Teaching Spins

5.3 Side by Side 360 Circle Signs

5.4 Teaching Side by Side Circles

5.5 Dog Circles Right Around Handler - Handler Circles Left

5.6 Teaching Dog Right Handler Left Circle

Week 6: Short Heeling Segments

6.1 Cloverleaf Sign

6.2 Cloverleaf Tips

6.3 Double Left About Turn Right/Left Turn Signs

6.3 Teaching Double Left About Turns

Sample Lecture

RA330 Movin’ On Up: Skills and Signs for Master Rally

Backup 3 Steps Turn Backup 1 or 2 Steps

Backup 3 Steps - Right Backup 1 or 2 Steps – Forward - While heeling, the dog and handler reverse direction walking backwards at least 3 steps, and without stopping, take one or two steps backwards 90° to the right and then heel forward. The dog must move with the handler.

Videos

Excel Demonstrating this Sign

AKC Demo

Tips for Performing the Sign Correctly

It’s okay to pause very briefly after your pivot to allow your dog to straighten up before continuing the back up. After your turn and 1-2 steps of backup, simply heel forward.

Backup 3 Steps - Left Backup 1 or 2 Steps – Forward - While heeling, the dog and handler reverse direction walking backwards at least 3 steps, and without stopping, take one or two steps backwards 90° to the left and then heel forward. The dog must move with the handler.

Videos

Strive Demonstrating this Sign

AKC Demo

Tips for Performing the Sign Correctly

It’s okay to pause very briefly after your pivot to allow your dog to straighten up before continuing the back up. After your turn and 1-2 steps of backup, simply heel forward.

RA330 Movin’ On Up: Skills and Signs for Master Rally

Teaching the Left Backup

This is one of my favorite signs! A dog that can stay in heel through several steps of backing up including a left 90 degree turn shows a great understanding of heel position.

Your dog should have the skills to stay in heel while you back up three steps, from the earlier levels. Also, your dog should understand how to stay in heel position when you complete the various left turns, which will often require the dog to back up. If your dog doesn’t understand these foundational skills, I would recommend going back and working on them. For backing up straight, you can use a gate or wall to help guide the dog, or you can use a rear foot target. Many dogs get through excellent without ever really mastering the backup sign, but if you intend to play in master it’s a good idea to have a good foundation on this skill.

To start training for this sign, I begin with a left 90 degree pivot. Your dog should back up to stay in heel position. When I can see that the dog understands that behavior, I will start doing one step back to a 90 degree pivot. Stopping at the end of the pivot and marking the dog getting into position will reward the dog for the most difficult part of the skill, which is completing that 90 degree turn.

As the dog shows understanding, I will start to add 1-2 steps both before and after the pivot. When you start adding steps after the pivot, be sure you pause until the dog is lined up straight before continuing backward.

This video shows Excel’s first time training this skill. It went fast because he understands left pivots and straight backing up.

Testimonials & Reviews

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A sampling of what prior students have said about this course ...

This course was awesome! I learned so much and will soon be ready to compete in Rally Master. This was my first Gold class and definitely worth the money! Great instructor! I really enjoyed the class.

Skills were nicely presented. Good videos. I enjoyed this class.

Nicole is awesome! She easily works with people at the level they are at and helps them progress in a meaningful way.

Learned new moves/skills and proper way to do them. Appreciate insight on how to approach new signs and perform properly. Also appreciated positive approach and working through difficult areas for us.

I was a little concerned that we were getting ahead of ourselves with all the trials cancelled but we had no problem keeping up and I really enjoyed this class the most of all our rally classes. My other dog and I do dog dance and I have a competitive ballroom dance background. It was the first time I felt a little like we were dancing doing rally.

Registration

Next session starts: October 1, 2026
Registration starts: September 22, 2026
Registration ends: October 15, 2026

Registration opens at 11:30am Pacific Time.

RA330 Subscriptions

	Gold	Silver	Bronze
Tuition	$ 260.00	$ 130.00	$ 65.00
Enrollment Limits	15	25	Unlimited
Access all course lectures and materials	✔	✔	✔
Access to discussion and homework forums	✔	✔	✔
Read all posted questions and answers	✔	✔	✔
Watch all posted videos	✔	✔	✔
Post general questions to Discussion forum	✔	✔	✖
Submit written assignments	✔	✖	✖
Post dog specific questions	✔	With video only	✖
Post videos	✔	1 per week	✖
Receive instructor feedback on	Questions All videos	Questions All videos	✖

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RA330: Movin' On Up: Skills and Signs for Master Rally