Dog obedience rally competition held in Estonia with 30 teams

A rally obedience competition, a dog sport in which an owner and dog complete a course of tasks together, took place in Estonia. Thirty handler-and-dog pairs took part, and two teams won the fourth class, the highest. The event was covered by the Russian-language programme "Kofe+" of Estonian public broadcaster ERR.

How the competition works

The main task is to complete a course made up of special signs with instructions. Each sign says how to go around an obstacle or which command to carry out. Anastasia Tamm, head of the Koerus club, explained that a pair must complete the course in the correct order.

The dog starts alongside its handler and must perform 10–15 exercises without food rewards. According to participant Ekaterina, the dog works only on motivation and contact with the person. It must walk next to the owner without a leash, which does not always succeed. Basic commands such as "sit", "speak" or "no" are not enough: dogs must be able to back up on command and understand from which side to go around an obstacle.

Judges and classes

Strict judges monitored the execution. Iiris Harju, a specialist from Finland, judged the highest class. She said that class was judged under international rules, while the lower classes followed Estonian ones. The differences lie in small details, such as how a dog's extra movements or the distance to elements are assessed.

Participants competed in classes two to four: the first is for complete beginners, and the fourth is for professionals. Tamm stressed that the sport suits any breed, with only age restrictions.

Nerves and socialisation

Competitions are a tense moment for both dog and owner. Ekaterina spoke about her young Welsh corgi cardigan, Sky, and admitted that the handler's state matters too, as many people, including her, get nervous. Some come not for trophies but for socialisation: participant Karl brought four-month-old English cocker spaniel Raitu to get him used to working near other dogs.