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AKC Rally®

AKC Rally®

Dachshund moving through a course with its owner at the 2018 Rally National Championship.
David Woo ©American Kennel Club
Labrador Retriever in a Junior AKC Rally trail.
Canine Partner AKC Rally competitors
Samantha Scicchigno
Red, 4 (left), and Marge, 12 (right), are Canine Partners owned by Samantha Scicchigno in Staten Island, New York. While they each started out with individual behavioral issues, Canine Good Citizen (CGC) helped both dogs become well-behaved athletes.
Papillon in AKC Rally
AKC Rally National Championship Winner 2020
Border Collie laying down in a AKC Rally trial.
Australian Shepherd sitting in a AKC Rally trial.

Think of an AKC Rally event as any team sport: You and your dog navigate a course, side-by-side, as you steer him through a course of 10-20 different signs. Each of these signs provides instructions regarding the next skill that is to be performed. The dog and handler move continuously throughout the course with the dog under control at the handler’s left side. There is a clear sense of teamwork between the dog and handler both during and between the numbered signs. Although each performance is timed, having a good race time is not the goal; it’s all about working as a team while performing the skills, with the dog under control.

As one of the world’s most famous basketball players, Michael Jordan, once said, “Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships.” When you participate in an AKC Rally event, you get to show off both: Your dog’s talents and the teamwork between you.

Started in 2005, AKC Rally is a fun family sport and participation increases each year. All dogs are welcome to participate in AKC Rally, whether purebred or mixed breed. It’s a perfect starting point for those who are new to canine sports, as AKC Rally provides a challenging introduction to all AKC Companion Events for dogs and handlers to strengthen their skills.

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  • Eligibility +

    To compete in a Rally event, your dog must be:

    In addition:

    • Spayed females and neutered males are eligible to participate, but females in season are not.
    • Dogs that are deaf are eligible to participate, however dogs that are blind are not.
    • No dog may compete if it is taped or bandaged or has anything attached to it in any way for medical purposes.
    • It is important that before competing, you familiarize with all of the AKC Rally Regulations and ring procedures.

  • Get Started +

    One way to begin in AKC Rally is to find a training club near you to take classes with your dog. Prospective students are usually welcome to observe a class before signing up.

    If you haven’t attended a Rally event in person, we highly recommend you attend one as a spectator. It will familiarize you with ring procedures and give you a chance to ask questions of those who are more experienced at Rally events.

    After you have completed your training classes and you decide to enter a Rally trial, there are six levels of competition: Novice, Intermediate/Advanced, Excellent and Master/Choice. Look on the AKC Events Calendar to find an event near you and then submit an official AKC entry form to the trial secretary or superintendent listed to take entries for the trial. Scoring is not as rigorous as traditional obedience, and all teams begin with a perfect 100 with points deducted along the way. If you retain a score of at least 70 points, you will earn a leg towards a title.

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  • Find An Event +

    With over 22,000 annual events, there is a sport for you.

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  • Resources +