Rally-O rules anyone?

A kennels locally is starting a Rally-O class, and I`ve been going along. However - there seems to be a problem because when I looked up the American one it all looked fun and jolly and you were expected to verbally encourage your dog and give praise etc.
In this country 2 groups are doing it - APBT, who are keeping remarkably quiet about how to do it but running courses, and a Talking Dogs group who are also running courses, selling signs etc. However, their method seems a lot more prescriptive than the US one. A lady who had done the TD thing told us we would be docked points for `touching the lead`, that we could only give one command on certain excercises, that the dog needed to be in a certain position etc.
I just don`t think this is right - I hope not anyway. Has anyone got the rules for the US version - we`ll do it our own way and have fun if necessary. If I wanted to do competition obedience, I`d do it. I thought this would be different.
ta!

Do you mean UK rules?---they are on the APDT site.

As I understand it you can give one initial command and then encourage the dog but not repeat the command. Multisports has the same rule and it is a bit daft really and very open to judges/assessors interpretation.

We were told you can't have a tight lead but have to have a lead for 1st level.

You can take the signs from the APDT site as well and print and laminate them.

rune

The AKC one says multiple cues / commands are allowed and `unlimited communication between dog and handler is to be encouraged`. The British ones don`t. The American one says the dog must be at the handlers side - the Brit one says the handler `must be able to touch their dogs` head`. The difference between the two seems to be in the basic approach.
I think the solution is going to be to use it for training but not bother with competitions TBH.

That'd be difficult with a chihuahua!

rune

I think they probably mean multiple cues as in body language and voice----UK says

Commands may be spoken or signaled. If both are used and given simultaneously they are considered a single command. Additional commands are defined as any command that prompts the dog to perform when they are not complying. Handlers are encouraged to communicate with their dogs throughout the course. Praise and encouragement are not considered commands.

rune