“Does my dog have to know a lot of tricks to do freestyle?” “Why teach tricks, shouldn’t we be working on heeling if we want to do freestyle?” “My dog knows a ton of tricks so we’re ready for freestyle, right?” People ask me a lot of questions about trick training. And I won’t lie,… Continue reading…
Meet Judge Nancy Marston
Our judges embody the true definition of community: Everyone doing their part for the betterment of all. Theirs isn’t an easy job. They spend long hours ensuring the accuracy of their scores, contributing to discussions in the judges’ group, answering exhibitor questions in the Rally Free for All Facebook group, and still find time to train… Continue reading…
Shaping Success
I’m often asked why I use shaping when my dogs already know so many cued behaviors. My answer is that, besides being fun and creative for me, the trainer, shaping teaches my dogs to think. And this greater cognitive capacity makes their future learning of more advanced or complex skills quicker and easier. Improved communication, the… Continue reading…
The 2021 Rally Freestyle Elements Special Awards
Three years ago, I created the annual Special Awards to honor three friends and mentors who influenced my freestyle journey, kept me moving forward when things didn’t go as planned, and taught me the intricacies of training this sport that I love. After losing my dear friend and mentor, Diane Balkavich in 2018, I wanted to commemorate… Continue reading…
Meet Judge Jamie Ohman
There would be no RFE without the judges. They give their time and expertise to help those of us who choose to exhibit feel good about our accomplishments and understand what it takes to improve. These volunteers are rewarded by seeing wagging tails, smiling faces and the bond that grows when we perform with our… Continue reading…
Ready or Not, Here We Come!
The last couple of years have been doozies! For many of us the stress of our everyday lives and “new normal” have left little room to feel motivated to train or progress in our goals. But 2022, ready or not! Here we come! Take a look at some of these motivational hacks to help you… Continue reading…
2021 Rally Freestyle Elements Special Awards
Is there a member who’s inspired or mentored you? Consider nominating them for one of the annual Special Awards. These awards were created to honor the friends and mentors that influenced my freestyle journey: The Heart of Freestyle award in honor of Diane Balkavich Poetry in Motion award in honor of Cassandra Hartman Story Teller’s… Continue reading…
Nothing to Lose, Everything to Gain
A member recently told me, “I never wanted to compete, but once we entered our first event and I got positive, helpful feedback, I couldn’t wait to try again!” That’s the experience I want for everyone who enters an RFE event. Our judges are a knowledgeable and supportive group that gives clear, achievable suggestions about how… Continue reading…
Getting Started with RFE
Congratulations on being one of more than 1,600 members and their dogs worldwide who are enjoying Rally-FrEe together and seeing its many benefits! While I agree with the sentiment, “Be brave enough to suck at something new,” we’ve got tons of resources available to help newcomers get off on the right foot. We want new and… Continue reading…
Can You Hear Me Now?
Proofing our verbal cues is a necessity for sports like Rally-FrEe and Musical Freestyle. As handlers, we work hard to build and maintain value in our verbal cues, but we don’t often take our efforts to the next level and teach our dogs to work through cue interference. Read on to find out how to… Continue reading…
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