# Another Great Accomplishment for Havanese - Dancing



## myyuppypuppy (Oct 4, 2007)

While I am sharing......Meet Hattie.... Hattie is a champion Havanese who has made it big in the world of Competitive Dancing. She competes all over the United States with her owner Suzette Wood... She is a Grr/uno daughter.. The litter mate to GoGo.... 

I certainly wish I could hold the pose in this picture... LOL

Janet


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## CacheHavs (Aug 2, 2007)

Cute! Thanks for sharing Janet, it would be fun to watch a video of them dancing


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Yes, yes!!! Video, please!


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## The Laughing Magpie (Aug 20, 2009)

Video!!!!! The pose is great, just look at the attention.


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## pjewel (Apr 11, 2007)

I love that pose! There was a day, many moons ago when I probably could have held a similar pose. ****sigh**** Would love to see the video.


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## morriscsps (Aug 17, 2010)

Wait a sec! Is Hattie pointing her left leg?!?! How did she learn to do that?


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## Becky Chittenden (Feb 4, 2009)

great pic, Janet!


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## Atticus (May 17, 2011)

That is a great move, never seen it (I do freestyle) and so extended!Very impressive,tried to find this dog on youtube but no luck,tho I had fun searching!


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## ivyagogo (Sep 11, 2007)

Exquisite toe point.


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## myyuppypuppy (Oct 4, 2007)

They are coming to lunch on Monday to see about another Havanese :O) I will see if there is any video anywhere.... I dont know much about dancing... only what Suzette has taught me....
Janet


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## motherslittlehelper (Mar 18, 2010)

Oh, I would love to see a video as well! 

And Jody - do you have any video of you doing freestyle? I think it looks like so much fun!


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## charley_brown (Mar 6, 2011)

Oh I just you tube'd dancing dogs because I had never heard of it before. Wild stuff!


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## Thumper (Feb 18, 2007)

That's great! I'd love to see a video as well!!

This breed never ceases to amaze...

Kara


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## Atticus (May 17, 2011)

I did freestyle with my Gordon Setter Scout , it was a while ago. All I have is video on VHS! Remember those! I also taught some classes here in Vt as there was nothing around and I was teaching Tricks classes at the time. Basically you teach moves: spins,weaves, figure 8's, paw lifts,circling around you,backing up etc etc and put it to music. I loved it and will probably do some with Atticus too. I didn't really enjoy competition but loved to do demos and teach.This was maybe 15 years ago,we were just discovering clicker training which is pretty essential in breaking down some of the moves.


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## CarolWCamelo (Feb 15, 2012)

I was looking around for canine freestyle, too - I've only had a cable Internet connection for less than two months - was on dial-up till then. Found this one of Havanese - it's not freestyle, but it's quite nice.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&list=UUVt1XfJWzo-EUHqH9Z4teAA&feature=endscreen&v=Jf6yC-Kf7X4

One from Auckland, I found really, really nice; not Havanese, but a variety of dogs; this one had a very nice feeling about it to me - handlers and dogs having a good time.

[URL="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=HN38ZiLbc0g]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=HN38ZiLbc0g[/URL]

I've been reading around the forum here, spending a LOT of time reading the thread on dog body language (please post, it says) - partly to relax and enjoy myself. Which I'm doing!

And I've been so inspired by you people on the forum that I dragged out my clicker, now that Camellia is feeling better, and began a little fun with her with the clicker. I'm going about it in a very relaxed way, because Camellia stresses easily. Luckily, I have a fair bit of history with the clicker, and was pretty good with it - say, 15 or 20 years ago!

I'm only just beginning to train her anything at all, apart from a very rudimentary recall. (She's pretty good at that, largely, because I NEVER call her to Come unless I'm sure she's actually coming!)

I won't be entering any competitions with Camellia; we're just going to do it for fun, at home!

Fri, 24 Feb 2012 19:47:22 (PST)


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## motherslittlehelper (Mar 18, 2010)

Atticus said:


> I did freestyle with my Gordon Setter Scout , it was a while ago. All I have is video on VHS! Remember those! I also taught some classes here in Vt as there was nothing around and I was teaching Tricks classes at the time. Basically you teach moves: spins,weaves, figure 8's, paw lifts,circling around you,backing up etc etc and put it to music. I loved it and will probably do some with Atticus too. I didn't really enjoy competition but loved to do demos and teach.This was maybe 15 years ago,we were just discovering clicker training which is pretty essential in breaking down some of the moves.


Video on VHS doesn't seem like all that long ago. Things are changing so rapidly! :biggrin1:

I need to do some research and find a book or video on tricks and such. I have a problem breaking things down into small steps. I just want to get from the beginning to the end in ONE step! Does NOT work so well. :biggrin1: Patience is something I need to work harder at - I am not naturally a patient person. Are their freestyle competitions? If so, are they usually held in conjunction with other dog show events? I just have not heard of them around here. I would love to just go and watch. We have one trainer in town and she doesn't do the freestyle. We need to clone her as she is busy just doing basic obedience, Rally and agility.


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## CarolWCamelo (Feb 15, 2012)

I believe there are trainers in the Seattle area; look for somebody really skilled in clicker training - you'll learn how to break down actions into their small components.

It's a whole new ball game; "patience" gets forgotten, as you learn to teach one little part of a behavior, then another little part, and end up putting them together.

Possibly some reading on Karen Pryor's web site would help you out:

http://www.clickertraining.com

I can see how out of touch and distracted I've been for the last however-many years, caring for dogs with knee-repairs, then diabetes, then, my diabetic dog having died of cancer - Camellia! Gosh!

Also, you might join the ClickerSolutions Yahoo group; hang on; I'll get a link for you

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ClickerSolutions/

You can get direct assistance, there, and maybe find a clicker trainer near you. You might even find one who does freestyle.

A caution: ALWAYS WATCH A TRAINER AT WORK before you sign up for anything!

Fri, 24 Feb 2012 21:10:29 (PST) My goodness; it's bedtime! And I have email to catch up with! CAmellia is delightedly sacked out in one of her favorite spots on the sofa - oops - time to give her her Benadryl


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## Atticus (May 17, 2011)

I just posted some freestyle info on a new thread which I think I called dog dancing. About the clicker. I started training dogs in the early 70's like many of us hate to remember with a quick jerk on a choke chain happily saying "heel". Then thank goodness new methods appeared to make training more fun . There is tons of info on the clicker which I won't go into but it is just one more tool in you toolbox. I have found that it is often used incorrectly(for too long),which doesn't hurt the dog (thank god!) but doesn't help training. I do think beginning dog trainers have lots to learn and the clicker can come in later when the trainer is beginning to understand more and able to read their dog. I think it is pretty essential to learn from a live person who can help with the timing!.

Teaching tricks (in my opinion) is all about the training game of watching your dog learn.All dogs are different and some tricks are really hard or easy depending on your dog not so much the trick. Forget about the END goal. Once they have the trick the fun of training it is over and you are onto the next trick anyway haha.


FYI I never say the word of the trick until they have the behavior. It's so funny because people say "but how do they know what to do?' haha If they don't know what "SIT UP" means you can say it but you only get frustrated because they aren't doing it! Better to keep quiet, lure them into position, etc and then when they start to get it you can add a verbal cue. That helped me a lot with patience to keep QUIET when I train except for praise. Dogs need to think when they are learning,shhhhh cheers yikes Carol now you got me going with the long posts GRIN!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

CarolWCamelo said:


> I was looking around for canine freestyle, too - I've only had a cable Internet connection for less than two months - was on dial-up till then. Found this one of Havanese - it's not freestyle, but it's quite nice.


I've seen that before, but it doesn't get old... adorable!

If you want to see the HEIGHT of freestyle, go on YouTube and watch some of the Crufts Freestyle performances. Particularly Tina Humphrey, my VERY favorite!!! Here is my favorite of her routines. Both she AND the dog are AMAZING!!!


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## CarolWCamelo (Feb 15, 2012)

*Tina Humphrey at Crufts (dog-dancing)*



krandall said:


> I've seen that before, but it doesn't get old... adorable!
> 
> If you want to see the HEIGHT of freestyle, go on YouTube and watch some of the Crufts Freestyle performances. Particularly Tina Humphrey, my VERY favorite!!! Here is my favorite of her routines. Both she AND the dog are AMAZING!!!


Playing catch-up here - Karen - when you posted that link, I went and looked, and whooped with joy!

After I'd watched it twice (who could watch that only once?), I sent the link to DogDaddy George, so HE went and watched it, too.

Both human and dog are having fun there.

I was struck by the immensity of physical effort for the dog, and trust the human gives the dog plenty of down-time between shows! I tend to worry about backs when a dog is on its hind legs for so long.

Geez, didn't mean to be a party-pooper! (Go, Ache!)

I'll be passing that link around - such fun!

Sun, 26 Feb 2012 18:11:25 (PST)


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

CarolWCamelo said:


> Playing catch-up here - Karen - when you posted that link, I went and looked, and whooped with joy!
> 
> After I'd watched it twice (who could watch that only once?), I sent the link to DogDaddy George, so HE went and watched it, too.
> 
> ...


She and her dog have done a number of routines over a number of years, so I think she must take pretty good care of him physically as well as mentally. They are definitely not a "flash in the pan" team!

I also suspect there aren't a whole lot of opportunities to compete t this level. Not sure how often she competes each year, but Crufts is, I believe, the biggest dog show in the world.


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## CarolWCamelo (Feb 15, 2012)

krandall said:


> She and her dog have done a number of routines over a number of years, so I think she must take pretty good care of him physically as well as mentally. They are definitely not a "flash in the pan" team!
> 
> I also suspect there aren't a whole lot of opportunities to compete t this level. Not sure how often she competes each year, but Crufts is, I believe, the biggest dog show in the world.


I think you're right about Crufts. Watching the video, it seems to me there's no way to interpret that routine as a flash in the pan. Human and dog are both clearly supremely confident. And having fun!

That's the way it should be - HAVING FUN!

I also think dogs, like humans, really enjoy being ultra-competent, and doing the things they're good at doing. (Kodi looked similarly happy in the video you pointed me to of a Rally session.)

And thanks for your indication that Tina Humphrey takes good care of her dog; I feel very certain she does - and it shows in the performance, too.

Karen - she must have won first for that performance - do you know? The scores were great!

Sun, 26 Feb 2012 20:19:42 (PST)


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

CarolWCamelo said:


> Karen - she must have won first for that performance - do you know? The scores were great!
> 
> Sun, 26 Feb 2012 20:19:42 (PST)


Yes, I believe she did. Here's a lovely one she did dressed for dressage, a couple of years before the ballet routine. She even had the dog doing series of 1 time flying changes. (looks like skipping, and is VERY hard to teach a horse, let alone dog, where you don't have physical contact with them. (I think that HAD to be a "captured" behavior... just can't even imagine how to go about teaching it!)






And here is maybe the cutest of them all, her "jumper" routine:


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## Bluecroft (Mar 27, 2012)

Hello!

Someone just emailed me the link to this forum and I just wanted to write to say thank you for sharing our videos, and to ensure everyone that Chandi does indeed have plenty of 'downtime' in between shows. In fact, we've only ever done a maximum of four shows per year, because it has never been my intention of even slightly overworking my beloved girl.
The one tempis - skipping - wasn't a 'captured' move, I taught Chandi to skip, in the same way that I taught my first pound hound, Pepper to skip...

Thanks again for the lovely comments and your interest.

Tina and Chandi. x
www.tinaandchandi.com


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## Atticus (May 17, 2011)

Wow fun to hear from you Karen posted your videos, I had never seen them and what a joy! Wonderful in every way!


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## CarolWCamelo (Feb 15, 2012)

Bluecroft said:


> Hello!
> 
> Someone just emailed me the link to this forum and I just wanted to write to say thank you for sharing our videos, and to ensure everyone that Chandi does indeed have plenty of 'downtime' in between shows. In fact, we've only ever done a maximum of four shows per year, because it has never been my intention of even slightly overworking my beloved girl.
> The one tempis - skipping - wasn't a 'captured' move, I taught Chandi to skip, in the same way that I taught my first pound hound, Pepper to skip...
> ...


Wow, Tina! Thanks SO MUCH for coming along to talk to us! I was so very much taken by the obvious top-notch relationship you and Chandi have. Do you have any remarks on how you taught that skipping motion?

What I got out of watching your videos was that clarity of communication between you and Chandi - it's a two-way street, and you clearly understand that and use it in your work.

I watched the jumpers one, too; got a huge charge out of it - so very well-conceived. And the dressage one.

Glad you give Chandi plenty of down-time.

To see you and Chandi dancing together is a long-term inspiration. I'll be watching your videos again, just for pure joy!

You'll always be welcome here!

I believe everyone here is as nuts about their dogs as you are about yours!

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 04:43:16 (PDT)


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Bluecroft said:


> Hello!
> 
> Someone just emailed me the link to this forum and I just wanted to write to say thank you for sharing our videos, and to ensure everyone that Chandi does indeed have plenty of 'downtime' in between shows. In fact, we've only ever done a maximum of four shows per year, because it has never been my intention of even slightly overworking my beloved girl.
> The one tempis - skipping - wasn't a 'captured' move, I taught Chandi to skip, in the same way that I taught my first pound hound, Pepper to skip...
> ...


Hi Tina, I am SO honored that you decided to join us here, even for a little while. You and Chandi are absolutely AMAZING!!! I'd love to hear how you taught your dogs the one tempis, if you have the time. Or it may be something that's just too complicated to explain in writing on a forum. In any case, it's fantastic!

I was looking for you in the Crufts footage this year and was disappointed not to see you. Did I just miss you, or did you not compete this year?


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## CarolWCamelo (Feb 15, 2012)

myyuppypuppy said:


> They are coming to lunch on Monday to see about another Havanese :O) I will see if there is any video anywhere.... I dont know much about dancing... only what Suzette has taught me....
> Janet


Love the picture! I know approximately as much about canine freestyle as you do, Janet! If Suzette doesn't have videos (though I hope she does), maybe somebody could make some of Suzette and her Havanese dancing!

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 07:48:52 (PDT)


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## Bluecroft (Mar 27, 2012)

CarolWCamelo said:


> Wow, Tina! Thanks SO MUCH for coming along to talk to us! I was so very much taken by the obvious top-notch relationship you and Chandi have. Do you have any remarks on how you taught that skipping motion?
> 
> What I got out of watching your videos was that clarity of communication between you and Chandi - it's a two-way street, and you clearly understand that and use it in your work.
> 
> ...


It's me that is, and should be, thanking you all for talking about Chandi and me and sharing our videos!
I appreciate the fact that you can clearly see our relationship and the communication between us. You are spot on here - it is all about communication and working as a team. I don't think of Chandi as a dog when we work together; she is my equal and has her own input into our routines as well. The back to back move you may remember, was invented by Chandi. At that point, my imagination was limited in what I could think of to teach her. She opened my eyes one day by reversing up to my back one day when we were working on something else on her hind legs and I gave her the wrong command!
As soon as she touched my back with hers, it was as though a light bulb came on in my head and we then went on to invent many more moves that seem to have inspired other people, as they steal them and use them in their own routines! haha! Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, after all!

Ahhhhh, the skipping move..... the one *everyone* wants to know more about .... okay, I'll tell you .... it's actually quite simple.
Break it down into what movements it consists of:
Lifting alternate legs
A hop on the leg that isn't lifted

That's the easy bit... and so is teaching the leg lifts - use a target to show your partner how high you need each leg to be lifted.
Then, that blasted hop ....you may find that once your dog is super confident lifting the legs and when he/she is truly engaged and trying their hardest, if you raise your hand slightly higher than usual, your partner *may* just put in the hop on the other leg in order to reach your hand. Repeat with the other leg and then work and work and work and work (you get the idea?) until your verbal cue for the leg lift becomes all your dog needs to start skipping and you can stop the target.
Chandi knows that we always have to set off on the same leg and if I try to wrong foot her, she will throw in an extra hop so we are once again on the same leg. Is she a superstar? Yes she is, for sure!

On a different note, I saw someone mention that they get worried about a dog's back if they are on their hind legs. Would just like to say that Chandi has regular McTimoney Chiropractic treatments along with Therapeutic Massage, and she has absolutely no problems with her spine or muscles whatsoever. I attribute this to the BARF diet - totally organic - I feed her, as well as the treatments mentioned above. But above all, maybe it's due to the fact that I don't work her into the ground taking her to a show every weekend - 4 shows per year and minimal training means plenty of downtime for us both to enjoy!

Sorry for rambling for so long.... but before I go, check out our more recent video - I'm posting the same video twice as you *may* not be able to watch one of them in the U.S.A. (cheers YouTube!) but I'm not sure:











Hope you do't mind me posting it... and that you enjoy it!

Tina and Chandi. x


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## Bluecroft (Mar 27, 2012)

Not at Crufts this year - been busy with some other projects... but no-one has yet managed to equal the two records we set at Crufts 2009!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Bluecroft said:


> It's me that is, and should be, thanking you all for talking about Chandi and me and sharing our videos!
> I appreciate the fact that you can clearly see our relationship and the communication between us. You are spot on here - it is all about communication and working as a team. I don't think of Chandi as a dog when we work together; she is my equal and has her own input into our routines as well. The back to back move you may remember, was invented by Chandi. At that point, my imagination was limited in what I could think of to teach her. She opened my eyes one day by reversing up to my back one day when we were working on something else on her hind legs and I gave her the wrong command!
> As soon as she touched my back with hers, it was as though a light bulb came on in my head and we then went on to invent many more moves that seem to have inspired other people, as they steal them and use them in their own routines! haha! Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, after all!
> 
> ...


You and Chandi bring tears to my eyes! And we CERTAINLY don't mind you posting... we LOVE it. (I bet if you wanted to stay around, we'd even make Chandi a "honorary Havanese"!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Bluecroft said:


> Not at Crufts this year - been busy with some other projects... but no-one has yet managed to equal the two records we set at Crufts 2009!


I'm not sure anyone will... At least not with that style!

I'll keep watching for you two. And if you think of it, come back and post when there are videos available of new performances that you two do!


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## Becky Chittenden (Feb 4, 2009)

I'm impressed with those who do freestyle with their dogs. There's a local girl that does that and lots of other venues and her dogs really love it.


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## CarolWCamelo (Feb 15, 2012)

Tina - I was the person who had a little worry about Chandi's back, doing so much work on the hind legs, but you've relieved my anxiety; thanks!

That communication between you two is so magnificent I could watch forever. Let me echo Karen - you're welcome here ANY time you have time to be here, and also, I'd love it if you'd give us links to any more videos you do.

Ahhhh, such joy for me - and I know I'm not the only one!

Thanks for telling us how you taught that - what is it called - one tempis?

Surely you were right about work, work, work! haha! But I know you'd never OVERWORK Chandi! How very lovely! You're a total inspiration - that team - you and Chandi.

You're both having SO much fun - that's the point of it all!

BIG hugs to you both, if I may take the liberty!
Tue, 27 Mar 2012 17:57:46 (PDT)


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

CarolWCamelo said:


> Thanks for telling us how you taught that - what is it called - one tempis?


I think Tina called it "skipping". I called it "one tempis" because we use the term "tempi changes" for flying changes of lead in dressage for horses. all animals that canter or "gallop" (lope is the word for western horses, but they are all names for the same gait) "lead" with one foot in that gait, meaning that that foot extends farther than the other front foot during each stride. (it makes a difference what the back feet are doing too, but I'm trying to keep this simple)

At the middle levels of training in dressage, you teach the horse to "change leads" in the canter while suspended in the air, and without ever breaking from the canter. At first, the horse is only asked to do a single change of lead. As the progress through the upper levels, they are required to do seuqnces of "3 tempis", then "2 tempis", and at the higest level, "one tempis".

This a VERY hard work for a large, heavy, horse who is also carrying a rider on its back, but I suspect it's not easy for a dog either. It's NOT something you would ask of a horse with a long back and short legs, so I'm not sure it's something we'd want to try to teach our Havanese!


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