So you think you can dance? How about your dog? How about dancing WITH your dog?
If that sounds like a blast, check out Canine Freestyle, a fun dog sport in which dog and handler perform a choreographed routine to music.
For a dog sport that goes beyond a set exercise and allows creativity on the part of the handler, Canine Freestyle can be a great choice. Also known as “Heel To Music,” Freestyle Dance or Canine Freestyle Dance routines are often designed so that the dog and handler move in sync to music.
During “freestyle heeling,” the dog never leaves the heel position throughout the routine. During “musical freestyle,” the heel work is combined with other moves that involve sending the dog away from the heel position and the handler.
Using verbal cues and body language, the handler is able to communicate to the dog the precise moment they’re to perform a move. The sport combines the exciting creativity of a dog and handler moving in unison with their chosen song and also celebrates the graceful abilities of dogs.
Canine Freestyle is a great dog sport choice if you are looking for a creative way to work and bond more closely with your dog. It is a great choice for a dog of any breed or breed mix. Not only can it be a great way to exercise your dog, but yourself, too!
We want to dance! What’s next?
If you’d like to waltz with Winston or tango with Tucker, you can look for local classes or start to teach your dog from your home. Teaching a dog to dance really is all about shaping behaviors and then chaining them together.
- Shaping basic behaviors like heel is the very first step. Then add different moves like shake a paw, sitting pretty, weaving through your legs, backing up, etc. Each skill should be taught and perfected individually.
- Once your dog knows all of these basics and some tricks, you can ask them to do one behavior after the other (this is what is called “chaining behaviors”).
- Once you have your routine, add some music and do the moves to the beat of the music.
- If you wish to enter competition Canine Freestyle, you might have to travel to a class if there aren’t any in your area. Otherwise, you can just create routines all from the comfort of your own home.
No stress, just fun moves!
Some people might feel too intimidated to start, for a variety of reasons but rest assured, not only is Canine Freestyle for every breed of dog but it can be for every kind of human handler too! Let’s address some potential concerns:
- What if I have two left feet and my dog has two….four left paws?
- Canine Freestyle can be done by anyone. Elderly, people in wheelchairs, anyone can teach their dog some tricks and then move to music. The goal is to have fun with your dog and even if you compete, a big part of the scoring is dependent on how much enjoyment the team seems to be having so don’t stress about perfection, strive for entertaining instead!
- Although there are costumes in some competitions, not all competitive teams dress up. Freestyle is all about your dog and the fun you’re having together.
And remember, you don’t have to be a professional dancer to do Canine Freestyle! It is all about entertainment, even at the competition level and if you don’t want to go so far as to do competition dancing, you can at least show your friends some really cool things that you and your dog can do together.
