15/11/2018
"When you get the choice to sit it out or dance, I hope you DANCE!”
“When all else fails, turn up the music, and dance with your dog."
While I do want to keep addressing some of the myths surrounding raw feeding to carnivore pets, I thought it might be time to take a little break, and talk about a different topic. One of the activities my Whippet, Autumn, and I are involved in, is K9 Freestyle, so this weeks’s subject is about dancing with your dog/cat/ferret, or any animal you have, and want to train.
I use positive reinforcement training, particularly the one called clicker training. Most of my training is done totally off leash. Rewards are whatever your pet friend (and, for simplicity’s sake, I will now use the word “dog”) likes best. I’ve never had a canine partner who loved tug, playing, toys, or anything other than food, so that is what I use. I’m always on the hunt for treats I can tolerate in my own mouth. Keeping food in my mouth serves two purposes: keeping the dog’s attention focused on my face, and freeing up my hands for hand signals, and the clicker.
I started in freestyle with the first formal canine freestyle organization, which began in Canada in the early to mid 1990’s. I was a member of Musical Canine Sports International (MCSI). The Canadian group fizzled, and folded, but in the USA, freestyle gained a hold, and flourished.
There are now 3 main “clubs,” each with it’s own vision of how freestyle should be presented: Canine Freestyle Federation (CFF), Musical Dog Sport Association (MDSA), and World Canine Freestyle Organization (WCFO.) In addition, there are private organizations, and more starting up all the time.
For the last two years, I have found my vision coincides most with that of Judy Gamet at Dogs Can Dance dogscandance.com . Judy provides online classes, video titling events, and personal coaching via Skype. Autumn & I are progressing through her levels pursuing a Dogs Can Dance Freestyle Championship.
Uniquely, she has a “team”approach where a team can be comprised of the human, and multiple dogs. Prior to her passing last May, my Whippet, Pastel, was a team member. Here is her first DCD performance. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9NCF8Hdhg8&list=UUCRNT-SPXFRvk8empMEcJRw&index=33
I hope this opens a door for people looking for fun activities to do with dogs. And, I hope it helps to know that you don’t have to find a local class, group, or private coach, though if you live where such things exist, it adds another fun dimension to the sport.
Freestylers don’t have to compete for titles, either. Two of the groups I used to belong to did demos at pet fairs, nursing homes, and veterans’ facilities. Fun, and camaraderie…
The pictures accompanying this post are of Autumn in a couple of freestyle moves, and one of Autumn & Pastel posing on a training platform.