Dogs Gone Dancin' canine musical freestyle club is a pioneer in canine musical freestyle in the western USA. Begun in 2000 by Julie Flanery in Corvallis, OR along with five students from her tricks and obedience classes, the club has grown to include 40 members spread over the Pacific Northwest.
Canine musical freestyle is a dog sport combining tricks and traditional obedience moves choreographed to music. The sport evolved from traditional obedience and equine dressage. It is a wonderful sport for handlers and dogs of all skill levels and ages. There are several variations of this sport including heelwork to music, freestyle, and dressage.
Heelwork to music is similar to canine musical freestyle but requires the dog to stay closer to the handler and limits certain moves depending on the type of event.
Canine dressage is a relatively new offshoot of canine musical freestyle. In dressage the handler and dog perform a series of set patterns of freestyle and obedience moves but these are not set to music.
Freestyle has grown to be extremely popular because it can be performed in a variety of venues such as demonstrations at nursing homes and hospitals or at fundraising events for humane societies and rescues, competitions or in the privacy of your home or training club. There are several organizations providing competition venues now.
Dogs Gone Dancin' conducts training, workshops, practices, demonstrations and competitions throughout the area.