If you have done obedience with your dog and looking for something more, take a look at heelwork to music, a combination of obedience and dance. Its also known as Musical freestyle which started out as "Heel work to music" which is simply putting a little twist on traditional heeling exercises by setting it to music and adding some variations to add interest and challenge. Musical Freestyle takes the theory 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 favourite. The activity can be sport focused, accuracy focused, or performance focused. There is no "best" focus. What is right for you and your dog depends upon your personalities, goals and teamwork.

History

Musical freestyle started around about 1989, to demonstrat the talent of heeling to music were shown in Canada, England, United States and Netherlands within three years of each other. The very first musical freestyle group was founded in British Columbia, Canada in 1991, and soon other groups followed in the United States and England.

There are several organizations regulating competitive freestyle, such as the World Canine Freestyle Organization, Canine Freestyle Federation, Musical Dog Sport Association in the United States. Paws 2 Dance Canine FreestYle Organization in BC and Canada, Canine Freestyle GB, and Pawfect K9 Freestyle Club (Japan) internationally.

Competition

Competiton rules vary from country to country and group to group, but most of them are based on a variety of technical and artistic merit points. What ever the style or routine that is being performed all are done free of training aids or leashes (sometime there are exceptions in some beginners categories). Competiton can be done as a single dog and handler team, as a pair of dogs and their handlers or as a full team of three or more dogs and their handlers.

Freestyle Heeling

In heelwork to music the dog and trainer remain close to each other at all times. Pivots, moving diagonally, backward, forwards or back to front are important to the routine, all these to a suitabel musical theme. Jumping, weaving, rolling, passing through the trainer's legs and anything else not heeling is not allowed.

 Musical Freestyle

In musical freestyle heelwork can be combined with other moves such as leg weaving, sending the dog away, moving together at a distance, and more dramatic tricks such as jumps, spins, bows, rolling over, dancing in place and other innovative actions where the dog plays off of the dance moves of their partner are encouaged.

 Freestyle in the UK

In the UK the sport is called Heelwork to Music and is an offcially recognised sport of the Kennel Club.

Freestyle in the USA

In the USA  many humans and their canine friends dance to music.

Links

Canine Freesyle GB
 
Heelwork to Music GB