Dancing with your Dog

This is the demonstration of canine freestyle dancing that peaked my interest in this wonderful sport. Watch the devotion that australian shepherd has for her owner. The dogs eyes rarely ever leave her owner.

Honestly it brought tears to my eyes to watch this!

I think you will enjoy it too.

Read the Amazing story of Carolyn Scott and her Golden Retriever, Rookie.

Both her and her dog Rookie have been through some incredible hardships, and experienced an incredible bond and actually are pretty famous, through their "dancing" together.

Another fun performance by Tina Humphrey and her dedicated canine companion.

They call this heelwork to music, but I think they take it far beyond what is commonly known as "heelwork".

This is a really good video that shows some of the ways the handlers train their dogs those amazing moves. The little pouch you see around their waste, hold the treats that they use as rewards for their dogs for doing well.

Each freestyle performance is unique. Each performer chooses their own music and routine. Hence the "freestyle" comes into play!

""The objective of Freestyle is to show the dog to his best advantage in a creative and artistic manner." To be creative, one must have a reason or motivation. In Canine Freestyle, the reason is "to show the dog to his best advantage." To be creative, one must problem solve by making choices intuitively with wisdom gained through knowledge and experience. Creative choices constitute the visual images (movement designs) seen by the spectators, but it is the artistry of the performance itself which communicates the objective "to show the dog to his best advantage" to the spectator. "

-Read the entire article at: The objective of freestyle

This is a good demo of a handler working with her dog to perfect their moves as they "dance".

So what exactly is freestyle you may ask?

Definition of Freestyle

Canine Freestyle is a choreographed performance with music, illustrating the training and joyful relationship of a dog and handler team.

The objective of Freestyle is to present the dog to his best advantage in a creative and artistic manner. A Freestyle presentation is always accompanied by music selected to suit the rhythms of the dog. Freestyle should demonstrate, with appropriate music, the grace, beauty and intelligence of the dog working in harmony with the handler. A Freestyle presentation should clearly show the dog's athleticism, attentiveness, flexibility and training. All handler movements should complement and enhance the dog's movements. Teamwork is essential.

-Read the entire article at Definition of Freestyle and the Structure of a Freestyle Performance

This dog and it's best friend competed on "Britains got talent in 2008 and gave an incredible performance that the judges and audience seemed to really enjoy!

A little frisbee training, encourage even during play to learn those special dance moves!

This is a great demo on how one handler taught their dog how to do a handstand.

Some basic movement on heelwork

Here is some basic jumps that might be used during freestyle competitions.

So just what moves are required in freestyle?

What are the required moves in CFF Freestyle?

Heeling: What could be more natural than moving side by side? That is how we express companionship and relationship with other human beings as well as our dogs, at work and at play. We are definitely expressing our relationship with our dogs when we do freestyle. CFF requires heeling.

Frontwork: To approach and greet front to front is also a natural expression of our relationships with other beings, be they people or dogs. Face to face, eye to eye contact is very powerful. We utilize these concepts in training a recall with our dogs, that basic, potentially life saving exercise which should be high on every dog owner's priority list. CFF requires frontwork.

Changes of Pace: You could do an entire freestyle routine at a single pace but there is a certain artistic monotony to a single paced routine which will creatively benefit from even a few moments of a contrasting pace. CFF requires changes of pace.

Backing and Lateral Work: Backing and Lateral Work represent training not commonly (but sometimes) found in basic obedience work. These relate to the development of our dogs as athletes.
CFF requires backing (starting at Level II) and lateral work (starting at Level II) as a foundation for the safety, health and well being of our dogs as we ask them to participate in increasingly athletic endeavors.

Turns and Pivots, Circles, Serpentines or Spirals: Could you to choreograph a routine which did not use some combination of these movements? Do you begin to understand how natural most of the CFF requirements are? Don't get bogged down in the "I have to." You will quickly realize that most of the CFF requirements are part and parcel of your natural working relationship with your dog.

Distance Work: Distance work (dog and handler separated by a minimum of six feet) is added at Level III as a challenge for more creative and versatile training.

Entire article is Understanding Required Moves