The old idiomatic expression ‘It does two to tango’ best describes what canine freestyle is.
The origins of this sport date back to the late 1980s in the United States, Canada, England and the Netherlands. What began as training and obedience training gradually grew into freestyle. In this sport, the handler and the dog perform a series of interactions set to music. Here the dog works on both sides of the handler’s body as opposed to the ‘left side only’ in obedience training. The main objective of the performance is to put up an exhibition of teamwork, artistry, athleticism and style. While American events emphasize on tricks and costumes, the English look to heelwork and the dog.
The event consists of two techniques, freestyle heeling and musical freestyle.
In freestyle heeling as the name itself suggests, what matters is the ability of the dog to maintain different heel positions when the handler is moving to music. At all times, the dog and the handler are required to be close together. Both the handler and the dog move about forward, backwards and diagonally matching step for step. Tricks like jumping, rolling or weaving are not allowed in this technique.
Musical freestyle however requires a dog to perform a series of tricks to the accompaniment of music. Different tricks like jumping, weaving, rolling, spinning, rolling over etc in combination with heelwork make it a viewer’s delight. Unlike freestyle heeling where the dog is invisibly tethered to the side of the handler, here the dog is allowed to be away from the handler at times. The dog also jumps on the back or into the arms of the handler and this happens to one of the popular finishing moves of the performance.
There are many competitions across the globe and the rules vary from country to country. All routines performed are without leashes or other training aids. Although some competitions involve multiple dogs and their handlers, routine competition events feature a dog and its handler. In all events and competitions, the synchronization of movements of both the dog and the handler to the music is utmost importance.
Dancing to music is fun. Apart from releasing the stress, it also provides a great way to burn of those extra calories and stay fit. Freestyle requires both the handler and dog to synchronize movements to the beat of music. This is possible only with patience and practice. Consistent practice also results in establishing a great bonding between the handler and the dog.