Dancing with the Dogs was created early in 2008, to increase adoptions at pet and other types of expos. Showcasing the joy and fun a dog can bring to a home, Dancing with the Dogs features handler and dog contestants who perform memorable routines in front of celebrity judges. The show includes routines from beginning and intermediate contestants along with demo teams and group performances. Routines are created by the handlers working with their dog in a variety of movements and fancy footwork that is choreographed to music that best matches the dog’s personality.
Watch the past winning performance of experienced team Coach and Angela.
To find or register for an upcoming Dancing with the Dogsclick here.
Four Legged Friends Foundation plans to showcase Dancing with the Dogs demonstrations at retirement homes, nursing facilities, hospitals, kids homes, schools and more.
Four Legged Friends Foundation worked with Judy Gamet, of Dogs Can Dance, in bringing Dancing with the Dogs to Southern California. She has a Bachelor of Science in Dance and has been teaching dance for 36 years. A few years ago she rescued, Bella, a 6 year old obese Rottweiler with an artificial hip. Knowing that Bella needed to lose 20 pounds, Judy began dancing with her and soon noticed Bella had all the right moves. “It’s low impact if you don’t include jumps and it works out the entire body with all-over movement. The movement goes in different directions too, so it’s not a repetitive motion that could hurt joints.” Bella lived until 14 years of age, lost the 20 pounds and danced everyday of her long life!
“When training a team, it is all about the dog” said Judy. “When the handler vanishes into the background and your eyes follow the dog doing his or her routine and beaming, that’s what it’s all about! Believe it or not, the dog picks out the music! Each dog has a natural gating tempo. When the dog likes the music you can see the response. You can’t take your eyes off the dog when the music is right!” Any dog can benefit from dancing, from puppies to seniors. It’s a fantastic exercise for every stage of a dog’s life.
Judy has trained both the competing and demo teams for the dancing competitions and is committed to continue offering workshops for future Dancing with the Dogs shows. All levels are encouraged to participate. It is a great way to have fun with your dog, and dancing with your dog provides him or her exercise, simulation, confidence and more. Beginning teams start with a couple of hours of training. The intermediate teams enroll in experienced workshops.
The best thing about Dancing with the Dogs is that this is the type competition to have fun with your dog. The free-style sport rules don’t apply here…anything your dog loves as they dance can be used for training and competitions, like treats, toys and tennis balls.
This event was well-received by the contestants. “I just wanted to say a heartfelt thank you to both of you again. The Dancing with the Dogs event was executed impeccably and it was such a pleasure to be a part of the special day. Coach, Chris and I couldn't stop smiling all day. Thanks for all of your insight and encouragement. I walked away from our first training session with a skip in my step and feel even closer to my Coachie than ever before.” said Contestant Angela who was teamed with Border Collie Coach.
Four Legged Friends Foundation hopes you participate and join us at an upcoming Dancing with the Dogs competition or showcase. To find or register for an upcoming Dancing with the Dogs click here.
If you would like to find out about Dancing with the Dogs sponsorship opportunities please contact Sandra Lollino at sandra@flff.org or at (310) 441-2888.
