Fun Way To Exercise

[MaryK]

I love to exercise but hate gyms and all that stuff. As I LOVE to dance, have developed a 'new' way to exercise. Nothing new in dance?

Well it is if you also have your dog 'dancing'. No it's not yet 'dances with dogs' but to get Ra Kismet used to Mom doing 'strange moves' he now sits in on my dance session.

Starting with stretches *YAWN FROM RA KISMET IT'S A BIT BORING MOM * I then 'move' onto a slowish number *NOW THAT'S MORE INTERESTING" says Ra Kismet and goes into 'close dance smooch mode" Which means he puts his paws around my waist and we 'sway and move' a little - he ADORES that it's a "Mommy son time thing".

Upbeat tempo next - dance like you're the only one around - Ra Kismet DID get a bit excited and carried away but now he just lies down and I can 'shimmer' over him, do developes (sorry no French accents on this computer) over him and various other moves. He LOVES it. Do 'head banger' moves like flinging my hair up and down in FRONT OR OVER HIS HEAD and he just lies there, doesn't get antsy or anything.

I am starting to get him, when he DOES MOVE, to 'go between my legs' as I shimmer over him. No fear about that at all - just thinks it's all fun

Basically at this stage it's exercise for me. A chance to 'check' music with future choreography in mind for Ra Kismet and myself when we start 'formal' training and to generally get him to 'accept' odd moves etc.

We do a 'slow down' number of course and he'll do the 'smooch with Mom' again He's better at that than a lot of the human males, NO groping paws to contend with.

We both LOVE that time together and Ra Kismet is SOOOOOOOO good at accepting all the moves. May have to 'wake him up' a bit when we start to actually 'dance together' - anyone know a good sleepy time number

Will make it more 'formal' soon, then there will be click/treats of course. And 'proper' choreography

 

[jackienmutts]

Ohh, sounds like such fun that you're having - and any time you're having fun with you dog, it's a good thing!! So are you going to be taking a musical freestyle class with Ra Kismet? Sounds like maybe you are. I did one with Makena a few years ago, it was pretty fun. There's an ongoing class at our training facility, and I LOVE watching others .. but I'm not too good at the choreography part myself. I LOVED fooling around here with Makena and working with her, it was really fun, altho sometimes she'd look at me like what on earth are you doing??? And you want me to do what??? Keep having fun!!

 

[MaryK]

Ra Kismet is a great dog to have fun with as he JUST LOVES LIFE He's a game little chap, always ready, willing and able to try any new thing Mom wants to try

Depends on where the classes are located, as I don't drive, it will need to be close so we can walk there. It's pretty new here, so far the only classes are too far away Dogs are NOT allowed on public transport here unlike home But influential people are trying to remedy that situation For the time being we'll work alone.

Oh I do get "those looks" at times too I think Makena and Ra Kismet have something in common there. Or I get the HUGE kinda YOOOOOWWWLLLLL or maybe more AAAARRRULLLL it's Ra's own sound

I would LOVE though to go to musical freestyle with Ra because I ADORE RA KISMET AND DANCING so what could be better?

Choreography shouldn't be too hard, I always enjoyed that for humans, so dogs will not be any different really Just easier as dogs learn faster than humans

 

[Dogster]

Haha, LOVE the post!!!! You know, you can start to do freestyle/doggie dancing at home, as Tigerlily and other members are doing it. You can make up your own routine, with the help of internet videos. Here are the threads...
http://www.dogtrickacademy.com/members/forums/threads/doggie-dancing-is-fun.4713/
http://www.dogtrickacademy.com/members/forums/threads/dancing-with-dogs.4723/

 

[jackienmutts]

I'm really looking forward to a seminar I'll be attending. Our training seminar is hosting this seminar, take a look:
http://www.gentlepets.com/Seminars2012/Michele Pouliot/MichelePouliotSemInfo.html

And take a look at her home page and watch her video of her winning freestyle with her dog Listo to Smile (one of my fav songs). I've watched this this over and over and think it's so beautiful. The relationship, friendship, bond, trust, just everything .. between Michele and Listo is so obvious, they're just spectacular to watch. I can't wait to hear her in person.
http://cdf-freestyle.com/

Perhaps my all-time fav freestyle video is Carolyn Scott and Rookie, you've probably seen it, but if not, here it is, just had to watch it AGAIN (for the zillionth time - cuz I can't share it with anyone without watching it ). My heart just goes ping every time I see it. Rookie was just the happiest dog when he was working, and I actually cried when I heard he died (from cancer). Watching them was what inspired me to try it with Makena ( "our song" in class was Pretty Woman, each dog/handler team of course had their own song, depending on which song the dog responded too - figures, Makena responded to Pretty Woman , her nickname is Diva Girl ). I could watch them all day, they're just so happy having fun together....

 

[Anneke]

Ooooh Rookie!! I ADORE that video!! I have watched this a million times!!! I just LOVE his wagging tail!

If you google/youtube for dog dance you'll find a million great videos to watch.
Tina Humphrey, Mary Ray, Richard Curtis, Attila Szkukalek, Brigitte van Gestel(dutch)

I also do some dancing and my dogs look at me, like.. what ARE you doing???? Ok I'm not a great dancer But it is fun, especially when you can get your dog to join in. And they both know some dogdance moves, like weave between legs and so on!

 

[MaryK]

Haha, LOVE the post!!!! You know, you can start to do freestyle/doggie dancing at home, as Tigerlily and other members are doing it. You can make up your own routine, with the help of internet videos. Here are the threads...
http://www.dogtrickacademy.com/members/forums/threads/doggie-dancing-is-fun.4713/
http://www.dogtrickacademy.com/members/forums/threads/dancing-with-dogs.4723/

Sorry for delay in replying everyone but my ISP is having a 'hissy' fit

Still trying again this morning to watch/download videos will keep on until I can!

Thank you Dogster will start with Ra Kismet at home, he's still got a couple of things to work on before he's ready to 'hit the boards' professionally Could be a bit chaotic if he went to class at present it maybe a 'corpe due ballet' dancing with dogs' to Wild Thing So working at home is a VERY good option. And with all the help from this forum it will not belong before it's 'camera, lights, action'

Space is going to be a bit of an issue this place is just too small for any 'real' dancing. Hey maybe we'll be doing 'Dancing in the Streets" - literally or "Mad Dogs and Englishmen etc." as it's so darned hot here

One thing is for sure, RA KISMET LOVES anything I try with him, so we are SURE to have fun. And the way he picks up new things is so fast, won't be long before he'd be ready to go to a formal class, if one opens near enough - or better WE MOVE

 

[MaryK]

I'm really looking forward to a seminar I'll be attending. Our training seminar is hosting this seminar, take a look:
http://www.gentlepets.com/Seminars2012/Michele Pouliot/MichelePouliotSemInfo.html

And take a look at her home page and watch her video of her winning freestyle with her dog Listo to Smile (one of my fav songs). I've watched this this over and over and think it's so beautiful. The relationship, friendship, bond, trust, just everything .. between Michele and Listo is so obvious, they're just spectacular to watch. I can't wait to hear her in person.
http://cdf-freestyle.com/

Perhaps my all-time fav freestyle video is Carolyn Scott and Rookie, you've probably seen it, but if not, here it is, just had to watch it AGAIN (for the zillionth time - cuz I can't share it with anyone without watching it ). My heart just goes ping every time I see it. Rookie was just the happiest dog when he was working, and I actually cried when I heard he died (from cancer). Watching them was what inspired me to try it with Makena ( "our song" in class was Pretty Woman, each dog/handler team of course had their own song, depending on which song the dog responded too - figures, Makena responded to Pretty Woman , her nickname is Diva Girl ). I could watch them all day, they're just so happy having fun together....

Finally got the video down, had a thought got sneaky and went over to YouTube and got it from there, don't know why it wouldn't play here though.

Yes, watched Carolyn Scott and Rookie between laughter and tears, it has to rankup there as one of the BEST the bond Rookie has with her is beyond words. Also loved the fact Carolyn kept her costume simple, nothing fancy, which SHOWED OFF ROOKIE even more - as if he needed thatChoice of music fantastic, I think that's the kind of number Ra Kismet would respond too very well because a slower number would have him either in 'smoochy mode' or asleep
Listo and Smile made me cry, the song has a very special meaning and to see it performed with such grace and also comic/sad was a bit too much a PAWFECT routine, 10/10. Again costume so appropriate for the number

I've also bookmarked the urls and will read through them, when I can stop crying

 

[MaryK]

Ooooh Rookie!! I ADORE that video!! I have watched this a million times!!! I just LOVE his wagging tail!

If you google/youtube for dog dance you'll find a million great videos to watch.
Tina Humphrey, Mary Ray, Richard Curtis, Attila Szkukalek, Brigitte van Gestel(dutch)

I also do some dancing and my dogs look at me, like.. what ARE you doing???? Ok I'm not a great dancer But it is fun, especially when you can get your dog to join in. And they both know some dogdance moves, like weave between legs and so on!

I can see googling dog dance routines is going to take over - oh to NEVER have to work again so I can SPEND ALL MY TIME working with Ra Kismet, especially in the Dog/Dance. That combines two of my greatest loves DOGS AND DANCING and also music/costume/choreography/performing well EVERYTHING really Now all I need is a horse (they're 'natural dancers') and we'd have a Hollywood act

Yep Ra Kismet has the WHAT ARE YOU DOING LOOK - then it's followed by MIND IF I JOIN IN or if he considers my dancing boring, music too slow he'll just lie and 'nod off'Maybe a new way to 'calm an excitable dog' - play the soft slow music