Dancing with your Dog

Handlers and their dogs all over the world are wagging their tails and using their footwork to all sorts of tunes from "Country" to "Celtic" to "Big Band tunes.

It all started in Britain in 1990 with Mary Ray putting on a show at Crufts. Geesh that is where Agility started as well ! Those Brit's !

In The UK, Australia, New Zealand, & Parts of Canada, we call it HTM or Heel to Music! The U.S. Call it Freestyle Dance. Whatever it's called , it is fun for both dog and handler! Dog dancing can be as simple as setting basic obedience moves such as down, sit, stay, come and walking to heel positions to music. But it can also get much more complicated with tricks and more than 20 moves to teach your dog. At any level dog dancing will relieve stress, is fun for both and delivers on a tail-wagging, well-trained, well- socialized, dog.

World Canine Freestyle Organization (Patie Ventre) Brooklyn,NY says she estimates that some 8,000 people in the U.S. and nearly 14,000 around the world are dues paying dog dancers in organized clubs. Yes, Ninety-five percent are women. The 5 % of men, who dog dance, do it with Bravo! London Trainer Attila Szkukalek and his border collie "Fly" are fantastic. Attila and Fly's performance to "Hurray for Hollywood" with Attila shuffling along as Buster Keaton and "Fly" leaping, spinning, hurling, and rolling, in a performance that would put any acrobat to shame ….all on invisible cues.

Island Dog Sports' Canine Freestyle Dance team, Bark & Boogie, are entertainers…they flip, jump, twirl, weave, spin, and kick up their paws to all sorts of music. Some dance on their own with their dog, some work in pairs. We did a line dance routine last year at the Pet Expo. We are strictly doing it to entertainment the public. We like to let people know that size doesn't matter. Any dog, any handler can dance. It is a lot of fun doing and learning.