What is canine freestyle?

It’s a choreographed, creative performance, organized with music, illustrating the training and relationship of a dog and handler team.

It’s a very satisfying way to expand on basic Obedience skills by broadening the scope of dog training and adding the artistic elements of music and choreography.

It's a very nice way for "therapy teams" (e.g. The Delta Society's Pet Partners) to create interesting new ways of interacting with their audiences.

Who can enjoy canine freestyle?

Just about anyone! You can be eight years old, or eighty … tall or short … skinny (or not so much!). There’s a video on YouTube of a white-haired woman in a walker having a lovely time with her American Eskimo Dog doing a very nice routine. Children do this too.

Your dog can be a Chihuahua, Bernese Mountain Dog, a spaniel, a Greyhound, a Border Collie, a Poodle, a Schnauzer, a Yorkie, a Dachshund… any size, any breed.

Dogs can begin learning freestyle maneuvers at a very young age – six months – and can continue well into their senior years. Canine freestyle, when approached correctly, is actually excellent exercise for older dogs, helping to maintain flexibility. And learning ways of moving and new “tricks” provides important mental stimulation for dogs of any age: five to ten minutes a day of learning and practice can reduce canine boredom.

Canine freestyle CAN be very athletic and energetic, but can also be very graceful, artistic and flowing. You can incorporate “tricks” and props and costumes, but you don’t have to. The art and sport of canine freestyle is an opportunity for you to create something uniquely suited to your dog's talents.  Most people work as a team with just their own dog, but it’s also a lot of fun to put together a routine with a group of friends.

Are there any pre-requisites?

Your dog should be able and willing to walk nicely on a leash in the presence of other dogs. If your dog also knows “stay” and “come” and can work in "heel position" that will be helpful -- the more accustomed your dog is to taking direction, the easier this will be..

If you and your dog have done significant training in Obedience, Rally or Agility, you will find this less strenuous than Agility, less rigid than Obedience, and more creative than Rally, but your experience as a team will serve you well.

How can I get started?

Call Marcia Barkley at (916) 863-6221 or email musicplusdogs@comcast.net.

For information about classes and workshops, go to the Classes and Workshop of this web site.

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