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Freestyle is a relatively new sport that combines dog obedience and dance in a way that is totally unique and exciting. By blending dog obedience with music a visually exciting display of handler and canine teamwork is created. The handler and dog perform dance-oriented footwork in time to the music, rather than displaying the traditional walking pace of obedience.
Although heeling is an important component of freestyle it is the nonstandard movements displayed by the dog along with attention and enthusiasm that makes freestyle so exciting. A variety of handler upper body movements are also encouraged to lend interpretation to the music.
Freestyle enables the dog to move out of the heel position to perform a variety of movements and tricks not found in a traditional obedience performance. The handler freely uses the body, arms, and legs to interpret the music. Footwork is a mixture of dance-related steps and traditional movements at different speeds. Because of the freedom for both the canine and human partners, musical freestyle routines incorporate creativity and diversity of movement. Emphasis is placed on the teamwork between the handler and dog; neither partner is "showcased," since both are judged equally.
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