Rally Novice Polish (Ongoing)
This ongoing class will cover Novice, competition level courses with each handler’s run critiqued and suggestions offered on improving performances. Focus will be placed on developing your teamwork with your dog to produce an enthusiastic and high scoring Rally performance!
The requirement for taking this class is the completion of Rally Skills and Instructor Approval.
Rally Advanced / Excellent Polish (Ongoing)
This ongoing class will cover nested Advanced and Excellent, competition level courses with each handler’s run critiqued and suggestions offered on improving performances. This class is structured to flex each run based on each dog’s working level. Focus will be placed on developing your teamwork with your dog to produce an enthusiastic and high scoring Rally performance!
The requirement for taking this class is that the team has mastered the Novice courses and has instructor approval to move into the Advanced / Excellent level.
- $120 for each 4-pack (covers 4 consecutive class meetings, each one hour long)
- 12-packs are available at a 5% discount, though only if you are on auto-pay $342
- Class Drop-Ins are $35 per class. This is only an option with instructor approval and after verifying there is space on the class roster.
- Review Ongoing Class Policies prior to enrolling
- To drop the class, 1 WEEK WRITTEN NOTICE is required. Please send an email to info@whatagreatdog.com or richardson@whatagreatdog.com
Your Instructors
Rally Trainer
Diane Cocchiara CPDT-KA
Diane Cocchiara joined WAGD in 2018. She teaches Rally, Pet Manners and Private Lessons. She also sometimes jumps in to help with Great Dog Day School. She completed her Karen Pryor Academy Dog Trainer Foundations course in 2018 and WAGD Trainer Education Program in 2019. She now is certified through the Certification Council of Professional Dog Trainers and an AKC Evaluator. Diane is an approved competition judge for WCRL Rally.
Diane has two dogs of her own, Eugene a Lab/Hound mix and Arnold a feisty little Pembroke Welsh Corgi. They enjoy a variety of sports together including agility, rally, dock diving and tricks.
Diane graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture from the University of Oklahoma (Boomer!) and a Master’s degree in Landscape Architecture from Kansas State University. Soon after graduation a foster puppy fell into her arms, dog training became a new passion and life never was the same since!
Eugene: Rally – RL1X, RL2, FL1 Tricks – TKI
Arnold: Agility: ACT1J, P1J Dock Diving: GNJCH Rally: RL1 Tricks: TKI
Specialty & Pet Manners Trainer
Gabi Vannini CPDT-KA
Gabi Vannini CPDT-KA joined the WAGD staff in fall 2018. She teaches barn hunt, agility, conformation, rally and manners. She is an AKC CGC, trick, ACT test, temperament test and farm dog evaluator. Gabi competes in a variety of dog sports with her own dogs and has titled in obedience, agility, rally, conformation, lure coursing, dock diving, barn hunt, tricks and herding. She has a particular fondness for rare breeds and has titled multiple “off” breeds in various dog sports, including Icelandic Sheepdogs, Norrbottenspets, Great Pyrenees and mixed breeds. She is heavily involved with her two rare breeds, as the president of the American Norrbottenspets Association and a board member of the Icelandic Sheepdog Association of America and the National Icelandic Sheepdog Rescue Alliance. Her Icelandic Sheepdog, Link, has been among the top ranked in his breed in agility, obedience, rally, conformation, coursing, barn hunt and dock diving. He has won High in Trials, competed at Westminster, the AKC Rally National Championship, AKC Obedience Classic and AKC Agility Invitational. She has a degree in Journalism from Michigan State University, and has worked in marketing for various animal shelters. Most recently, she managed the equine adoption program at the SPCA of Texas. She and her husband Chris have fostered more than 400 animals in the last few years. When she’s not competing or hanging out with her dogs, she enjoys traveling and trying unique new foods.