Freestyle is a sport where the dog and handler bond in a fun and exciting way while dancing to a piece of music.

Canine freestyle had its North American beginning in the early 1990's right here in the lower mainland of British Columbia, Canada. Since that time the sport has spread throughout the world with many different freestyle clubs being formed. Each club has its own rules and interpretation of the sport.

The local club (Paws 2 Dance - P2D), with members in Canada and the United States, is the group that will be performing demonstrations of the sport at the show.

In P2D, the focus is equally on both dog and handler, with concentration being placed on teamwork. In this form of freestyle the handler is required to do dance steps along with their dog in rhythm to a choreographed piece of music. The handler is also encouraged to dress in a costume to suit the music while the dog is only allowed a fancy collar and ankle bands.

A dog of any breed, purebred or mixed, may do Freestyle. To be successful in the sport the dog should know basic obedience. Dance lessons for the handler are not required. A good sense of rhythm along with stylish body is important though.

P2D holds competitions where teams may compete to earn titles, from novice to masters. The performance is usually judged by three judges. Each judge scores on a 10 point basis and is looking at different aspects of the performance - Artistic Impression, Technical Merit or the Over All Impression. The three scores are then combined and divided by three to give the average score for the routine.

For those that do not want to compete in competition, P2D does several non-competitive demonstrations throughout the lower mainland during the year. The demos are a lot of fun and are a much more relaxed atmosphere. Unlike competitions, treats may be used during demos and many handlers find this to be a big help.

In Freestyle, you are allowed to talk to your dog throughout the routine so a close bond develops between the handler and the dog. This sport allows you to combine your love of music, and dance while having fun with your canine partner.

Below are some recorded routines that were performed during the LMDF show in 2006:

Gail and Pepsi
Bonnie and Kyak
Paws 2 Dance Team Routine
Marilyn and Blitzen
Annette and Odie
Lydia and Ali

Paws 2 Dance has recently added a new division called "Canine Musical Dressage". It differs from Canine Musical Freestyle in that the main focus is on the dogs heeling and the handler does not have to do dance steps. Tricks may be included but they will mainly be used for transition purposes with 90% of the routine done in heeling position. Precise heeling and good use of the music tempo to make the routine interesting will be the key to a well executed routine.