Activities for Dogs
Musical Freestyle and Heel Work to Music Links
Of course there is no need for a formal sport to have a good relationship with your dog. However, having and achieving shared goals provides a framework for improved communication and understanding. For a different twist on obedience, take a look at musical freestyle, a combination of obedience and dance. Musical freestyle started out as "Heel work to music" which is simply putting a little spin on traditional heeling exercises by setting it to music and adding some variations to add interest and challenge. Musical Freestyle takes the concept further and adds moves and routines that do not maintain the traditional heel position. There are different styles of this activity and everyone has their favorite. The activity can be sport focused, precision focused, or performance focused. There is no "best" focus. What is right for you and your dog depends upon your personalities, goals and teamwork. For a real picture of what this activity in is in teamwork and fun, forget the flash and look at this " K9 Freestyle Dancing No Limitation" video on YouTube.
A quick overview to the sport, and some contacts.
Canine Freestyle Federation
http://www.canine-freestyle.org
Overview of the sport, the history, organizations, rules and regulations, how to get started. Distinguishes the style of the Canine Freestyle Federation with that of the MCSI. They state they welcome mixed breeds. They do participate in AKC events and mixed breeds would ordinarily be excluded from such show grounds but can participate with American Kennel Club Approval.
A relatively new addition to competitive venues for dancing with your dog.
A basic introduction to canine freestyle and a link to the main site with more information. Some really wonderful videos are on this site.
An overview to the sport, great videos and some contacts.
This class is designed for the enjoyment of handler and dog. Using positive training techniques, you will teach your dog a series of well orchestrated tricks that can be put to music and turned into a dance! In this class you will learn the side-pass, crawl, spin, turn, bow, back and more fun dance moves.
Offers DVDs and articles on Musical Canine Freestyle.
While this article is over ten years old it is quite detailed and gives a great amount of detail and information. It should give a good feel for the development and diverse directions of the activity.
A very detailed and reasonably complete discussion of the history and development of the various forms of competitions involving dogs, movement and music. I put it that way because there is quite a bit of variation. There are various degrees of formality with which routines are expressed. Find the one that suites your personality, there is room for all. Site maintained and authored by Mary Ray
Article by Cris Anderson
| Dogwise store with Canine Freestyle Books and Videos | ||||
| Canine Freestyle DVD | ||||
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