Doggie Dancing Is Fun!!

tigerlily46514

Honored Member
Just wanted to post,
how much FUN i am having working on some amateur doggie dancing routines with Buddy.
I think i was getting in a lil rut, after years of almost daily training:confused: , i was starting to zone out a bit..........and this has helped make it sort of new again. Maybe it's not for everyone,:ROFLMAO: but, it's something to consider trying, just for your own self, and for your dog.

It's really jazzed up training for me, (my dog is ALWAYS ready to train, always, 24/7)
cuz i do love dancing and music so so much anyway.

I have been studying up doggie "freestyle" dancing videos, and feel really super proud of Buddy's heelwork, :D his turns, doing circles with me, his spins, he compares very very well to the pro's heelwork, imo. And a few, i felt Buddy does even better than a few of the pro's heelwork, cuz someone here on DTA taught me to try to avoid having the dog "forging" while doing heelwork...
but, i might be biased.:ROFLMAO:

I first made a list of songs, that i think are okay for doggie dancing, right speed for me, :rolleyes: and words i like, etc. Making this list was fun for me, cuz i love so many kinds of music. It was fun to think of lyrics that go with dogs.:LOL:

then, i watched tons of videos, to make list of tricks the pro's use. I kept hitting pause on the videos, and jotting down names of tricks i saw used.
I SAW SOME GREAT STUFF online. (y) Really great stuff..such a variety of doggie dancing, from funny stuff to wow stuff.

Then i took the song we are working on,
and copied the lyrics onto a page, and inserted a few ideas of good moves for each line. and went from there.

Over past few weeks, i am still tweaking the tricks being included for *this* song, (it's our first one)
cuz
some moves take longer or faster than i'd thought, compared to the beat of the music, etc, etc etc. Some tricks that i thought went great with the lyric but, don't seem to fit, or too similar to last move, etc. I keep having to remove tricks off the list i began with,:( to get a more smoother routine going......
I'M ENJOYING THE WHOLE PROCESS, anyway. I'm sort of making it up as i go along...no idea what i'm doing really. I am not following any "rules", cuz this is just something fun to do, and i don't much know the rules anyway.:LOL:

BUDDY LOVES IT, but, he loves anything to do with tricks anyway. :D I am learning a lot, doing this, more new stuff to learn.;)
For example, some cues, i am teaching to do TWO cues back to back, for ONE signal, to help the transitions, so there isn't a pause.

I'm also learning, teaching Buddy to add in a left-side stance at end of most of these trick, really helps keep the whole thing moving nicely...imo.
downside----i am having to take tricks he DOES know, and try to get him to now add in a "left side" finish as final step of trick. ..i am still figuring it all out anyway...
but, i find this all fun to do all over again!!:love:

I am having to develop some signals for some cues that Buddy only has a verbal cue for, which is not that hard to do at all. Most of Buddy's tricks DO have a signal, but, i am changing some to be less obvious or MORE obvious signals for freestyle work.

I'm also developing an appreciation for how it's not as easy as it looks to transition from doing Trick#1,
to doing Trick #2!!:ROFLMAO:
without looking obviously clumsy...
Figuring out a nice transition between two tricks, is almost a whole "extra" trick right there!!:rolleyes:


ANYWAY, it's lots of fun!! imo, anyway.
Buddy's trick list is so long, i may have to make several routines to use up even half of his tricks. O_o
Buddy already knows enough tricks now,
to do a whole routine, :eek: for a whole song!!:D
but, i want to teach a few new tricks for this one song we are working on, to make it even cuter.

I THINK SEVERAL MEMBERS HERE ON DTA WOULD PROBABLY ENJOY TRYING THIS OUT, TOO.
 

tigerlily46514

Honored Member
I think, a good way to get started,
is teaching heelwork.
I sort of made up how to teach this to Buddy all by myself, too, here is thread i wrote http://www.dogtrickacademy.com/members/forums/threads/easy-cheesy-way-to-teach-heelwork.4339/
on how i taught Buddy to stay in exact correct position, with his eyes up on me. Nope, i did not teach that "elephant trick" like everyone else often does;)


still, our turns are lovely, and Buddy can do circles in a heel,
or "S" shapes, forwards or backwards, all done in a perfect lil heel position.:D


this heelwork did not seem "hard to teach".:D I thought it WOULD be hard,
but, it wasn't, imo.




BE SURE TO READ REPLY #34
ON THAT "EASY CHEESY WAY TO HEELWORK" thread...since i was just making it up how to teach a dog to do that kind of heelwork,
turns out, my very first idea on it,:rolleyes:
was NOT best way!! :ROFLMAO::LOL:

^so DO read "Reply #34" for when i DID get idea right..:ROFLMAO:
 

tigerlily46514

Honored Member



Right now, Buddy and i are working on a lil routine for THIS song, "Stand By Me" by Ben E. King. Nothing too fast for me anymore!:ROFLMAO: Plus, me and Buddy are just rookies at this stuff.
One part will be very cute, as for the chorus, "stand by me" i am doing heelwork for those parts, mostly, but i am considering a few other "stand by me" moves as well....
Another part, might be cute,
for the lyrics, "No, I won't be afraid, no I won't be afraid"
i am having Buddy shake his head no, for that part.
Another part, "I won't cry, I won't shed a tear"
I am having Buddy hold his paw over his face, while sitting up. I may try to advance to doing that to during a beg position, but, haven't decided yet...
For the part, "should tumble and fall" i am having Buddy fall, and then rollover and over. I am trying to train that as ONE cue, i think.........like 3 tricks for one cue...but, not sure yet.
So far, after whittling the my original list of trick ideas down to fit into a 3 minute song, besides heelwork fwd/backward,
there is some sidestepping with matching feet kicks,:D
some leg weaves, some circling around my bent knee,
some figure 8s, circling around me, both of us spin at same time,:D two kinds of cross paws,
and a few jumps. Buddy's not the world's greatest jumper, though.

oh, and he crawls to the line " the mountains should crumble to the sea" .
so mostly now, i am mostly working on replacing cues to be less obvious, or MORE obvious,:ROFLMAO: signals for Buddy.
 

Dogster

Honored Member
WOW!!!!:eek::eek: It sounds like you and Buddy are doing an AMAZING job!!!!:D LOOOOVE the song choice!!!! (Listening to it now...:p) PLEEEEEEASE post a video when you're done!!!! (I SOOO want to see it!!!!):)
 

tigerlily46514

Honored Member
still, the idea of back chaining a whole THREE MINUTES OF TRICKS, is daunting!! but wow!! and wow!!

ALSO, i had not yet figured out the last moments, i have been focusing on the beginning of the song,
but, this idea of back-chaining makes perfect sense to me. I'm glad you posted this, before i got too far into the song!

THIS will solve that problem of trying to think up "transition" moves, too.....to make moving from Trick#1 to Trick #2 appear smooth without gaps, or needing super-obvious signalling....whew!! THANK YOU SO SO MUCH!! for this video!!

Now, i have to figure out moves for the END of the song!:ROFLMAO: which i had not decided on yet...lol. Prior to seeing THIS video, i was working on song from beginning to end, now i will have to reverse it...

moves for LAST lyrics of song...hmm. I know for sure, i will NOT be trying to catch my 50 lb dog, though!!:ROFLMAO:
still, i am finding this fun to do!
 

tigerlily46514

Honored Member
Yeah, Dogster, don't you think that song
is good song for a dog??:ROFLMAO:

don't you think it will be so so cute, about Buddy shaking his head "no" to the part "No, I won't be afraid, No, i won't be afraid" rofl.

Plus, the speed is just right for me.:LOL:
 

tigerlily46514

Honored Member
Missy, i have not 100% decided which video camera to go for, and right now, this month, i can't afford one this month anyway.
 

tigerlily46514

Honored Member
That is a cool song, Tif. The piano-cover of that song is pretty, too. It's probably not too fast for YOU, you young thing, Tif!!:ROFLMAO: I can easily picture a really cool doggie dance session being done to Titanium, sure can! Especially with a high energy dog, with some of those distance cues where dog runs laps around the floor as part of the 'dance'.

For the lyric, "you shoot me down" come on, you'd have to throw in one "bang" trick for THAT part!!!:ROFLMAO:

me, i just love soul music, all kinds really, but soul is my favorite.
 

tigerlily46514

Honored Member
EVERYONE SHOULD POST WHAT SONG *THEY'D* use,
for a doggie dance routine!!



just for the fun of dreaming!

And post any tricks or cues you'd like your dog to do,
for certain lines or parts of the song.(kinda like i did above, certain tricks for certain lyrics)

it'd be okay, too, to post link to the specific version of the song YOU like.
 
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