Dog Dancing is a Real Sport

Much like figure skating or gymnastics, Canine Freestyle is a competitive sport in which dogs dance a routine to music, earning points for 90-second routines performed in tandem with an owner or handler. During most routines, the dog twists and turns, weaves through the handler’s legs, jumps, walks on its hind legs forward and backward, and moves in sync with the handler as much as possible.

As “freestyle” implies, all costuming and props and music and movement choices are acceptable as long as the dog or handler are not endangered. While rules may vary, most competitions are among single dog-and-handler teams, but there are also events with pairs or teams made up of everal dogs and their handlers.

Competition rules vary from group to group, and from country to country, but most are based on a variety of technical and artistic merit points. All routines are done free of training aids or leashes, except in some beginner categories. Competition can be done as a single dog-and-handler team, as a pair of dogs and handlers, or as a full team of three or more dogs and their handlers. Generally, there is only one dog per handler for competition.