Dancing

[MafiaPrincess]

Anyone actively competed in freestyle on chaz? We've been starting to think about it, and slowly reading the beginner level ruls for the world canine freestyle organization.

Sadly it seems Cider's dye and groom job may be an immediate DQ.. *sigh*

I'm not sure how much effort I want to go to if we'll be a DQ...

So anyone actively competing?

[Mum2mutts]

I was going to post the same question!!

Have been in one class- now in our second, and preparing a routine!!! Would love to talk about routines, choreography etc with others.
Haven't really read the rules, except the difference between HTM and freestyle, and what collar we can wear- a few things like that.

Are you working on a routine??

[MafiaPrincess]

Amazing!! I know so few people who even think about freestyle, yet in RL we know a ton of agility, rally, ob, flyball, dockdog, etc folk..

Dekka suggested it after Cider got a rally championship title a few weeks ago, she thought our heelwork was good enough to start thinking about it. Currently we are playing with music selections and moves, haven't really started a routine.

I've been looking at the beginner criteria for heelwork to music.

The fact that you have a class is awesome. There is really nothing here. How have you liked your class?

[Mum2mutts]

Congrats on the Rally championship!! We started out in Rally too- did it for a couple years, then I could feel my dog getting bored with it, we wanted to do something a bit more challenging- and she LOVES doing the Freestyle stuff. The first class I took we were the only ones with an "obedience" background- I was suprised- some of the pople in the class kinda thought that the obedience people had a hinderance, as they were too stiff, holding the hand in heeling position etc....they thought that was pretty funny. I think that the obedience experience is a GREAT background though- you've got the heelwork- the backbone of the routine and the focus etc, plus my dog was really fast to pick up new moves etc. We are going to build on what we know- I am going to use a bunch of Rally stuff in my first routine- like moving stand stay - walk (dance) around, shutzhund turns etc
We did neat stuff as well as learn moves, things like pull a piece of paper out of a hat, with say 4 moves on it- and had to join them into a routine in 5 mins- and perform in front of the class

I am super excited- am going to a Michelle Poulliet seminar in 2 weeks

[YellowDiamond]

Congrats to all who won the championship...

[Paige]

I think Bandit would like it. His hip isn't tough enough anymore to go flying over jumps so agility is out but I'd like to do something fun together.

[Fran101]

For my "animal/human bond" class,we had people from dog sports come visit the class.

Well on day we had a bunch of doggy freestyle partners come visit and it looked like A LOT of fun! Dog was having a blast, music was fun, and the people all seemed really nice and just really good sports about it and really in it to have fun! which I think sometimes gets overlooked in dog sports.

Some of them competed in just regular clothes, or wearing a bow tie..

but yea.. lol some of the outfits are kind of out there (for the people especially)


I think it's also a great socializer. If your dog can handle the music, people clapping, other dogs and taking commands with you dancing around lol I think they can handle just about anything

[lizzybeth727]

I think Keegan would be awesome at freestyle. My friend wants to do it but her dogs would be hopeless, LOL, so I'm trying to talk her into doing it with Keegan. Sadly, I'm HORRIBLE at dancing and would just make a fool of both of us.

[Beanie]

It was actually my idea to spend the winter teaching the dogs to line dance...
That idea quickly went by the wayside when I found only about a bajillion other things to teach, haha.

[Taqroy]

Me and Tipper just got out of a freestyle class actually. It was just a beginner class so no real choreography. We learned spin (out in front of me), leg weaves, object work (Tipper got to jump over a crutch because I kept forgetting the prop lol), sidestepping, and we did a lot of heel work. I think the core component of most routines is heel work - the rest is just little tricks that you can throw in to go with the music.

Honestly, freestyle isn't really for me (I don't like being in front of a bunch of people and I'm awful at dancing) but the class was pretty fun. I really just like the trick training. I think it would be a great low impact thing to do with Bandit.