Heelwork to Music
By Mary Moffat
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These four papillons above were all competing in Novice Freestyle
at the same event near Blackpool in 2007.
They are, from left to right, Carol Scott with Tarka, Pauline Graystock as Snowwhite with Ace and Jet, and Mary Moffat in the beach costume with Rooskie. |
What is Heelwork to Music?
Heelwork to Music is the newest dog activity. It is now structured and competitions are held under Kennel Club regulations. In a nutshell, it is a mixture of tricks and heelwork set to music to make a dance or theatre routine. There are two divisions –– Heelwork to Music and Freestyle. Read on for more details.
See for yourself
But before reading further, you do not need to just read about it. You can easily see it for yourself. There are plenty of clips of both Heelwork to Music and Freestyle on YouTube, from Crufts competitors to people playing and practising with their dogs in the garden. Just go to the home page of YouTube and go to the search box at the top of the page. First type in Heelwork to Music and click and this will bring up a number of clips. Then go back to the search box and type in Canine Freestyle and this will bring up a different set of clips. Then try Papillons freestyle and Papillons heelwork to music.
I have also placed some clips showing how to teach some of the HTM moves along with a clip of one of Rooskie’s routines at the very end of this article.
Heelwork to Music
As the name suggests HTM is rather like Obedience heelwork done to music although with some extra moves added. The dogs are not always in the conventional heel position. They can also move sideways and backwards and such moves as spins, circles and leg weaving may be added. In HTM the bulk of the routine –– about 70% –– should be done either in the heel position or in another close position.
Freestyle
Freestyle almost comes under the heading of Anything Goes. Here the variety of freestyle moves are more important. Heelwork should be kept to a minimum although it is recognised that it is useful for linking up moves and also for helping the handler to make good use of the floor space. In Freestyle credit is given for the dog working at a distance from the handler.
Props and Costume
In both HTM and Freestyle the music should complement the routine. Props and costume can enhance a routine. For example, for Singing in the Rain an umbrella can be used and the dog can jump over it and do circles around it. It is also important to use the music and keep in time to it.
Breeds and people taking part
There are a large number of breeds competing. They range from tiny Pomeranians to Great Danes. Also handlers of all ages compete. So far the youngest in a competition round has been a little girl of five and the oldest has been a woman in her eighties. Disabled handlers also compete –– and on equal terms with the rest. They find they can hold their own and do not need a class of their own. Among the regular competitors are a woman with two crutches and another with a motorised wheel chair. On YouTube I found a clip of an American senior citizen with a walking frame doing a routine. I saved it in my YouTube Favourites folder and you can see it if you go to my pages.
Truly HTM is for everyone.
Advantages of HTM
One of the great advantages of HTM over some of the other canine disciplines is that there are no compulsory moves. This means that a handler can just concentrate on developing the moves a dog does best and there is no need to struggle with an exercise which the dog does not like. Moreover much of HTM comes under the heading of Doing a what comes naturally. Take for example the Play bow or Bend. Watch your dog stretching –– which I am sure he does several times a day. Then he is in the Bend position. As in so many cases with HTM it is just a case of finding a way to get dog to do that on command.
Why do it?
Primarily because it is fun –– for both handler and dog, especially as modern reward based methods are used in training. Also working and playing with your dog increases the bond between dog and owner. It is also a good way of exercising a dog. I was once at a clicker course. There was a man there with a labrador. The dog had something wrong with its legs and could not be exercised in the usual way so the owner had used clicker tricks to exercise his dog. When I saw it the dog was in good shape for a nine-year-old labrador. HTM also helps balance and co-ordination.
HTM and Papillons
HTM is ideal for Papillons with their liveliness, intelligence, showmanship and sense of fun. At present there are some Papillons who take time off from the likes of Agility to make an occasional appearance in the HTM ring. But there are four dogs competing on a regular basis. They are Pauline Graystock’s Ace and Jet, Carol Scott’s Tarka and my own little Rooskie. See photograph at top of page.
Organisation and a brief History
HTM started in the early 1990s. In the UK it was pioneered and promoted by Mary Ray particularly with her demonstrations at Crufts. But there was also a kind of spontaneous combustion as it was also done in different parts of the world and today it is strong in Europe, North America and Japan.
In 2002 the first Events were held in the UK under Kennel Club regulations. This means that HTM now has a similar structure to other canine activities and dogs can win their way through the classes from Starters to Advanced. In 2005 there was an HTM competition held at Crufts for the first time. Now there are three HTM competitions at Crufts. An HTM competition, a freestyle competition and an international freestyle competition. Next year, 2009, there will also be HTM and freestyle competitions for junior handlers held under the auspices of the Young Kennel Club.
But Events held under Kennel Club regulations are not the only HTM Events. Fun Days are also popular. Under KC regulations the dog must work off lead and food and toys may not be taken into the ring. For a Fun Day the rules are made by the organisation putting on the Event and some allow food and toys in the ring. Also, even at a KC regulation Event, the KC allows the club to put on extra classes.
Clubs and Societies
There are two main societies and for anyone interested in taking part in HTM it would be a good idea to join one or both of these societies. They are Paws and Music and Canine Freestyle GB. (Web addresses given at foot of this article). Both these societies host HTM events and also run training days. Schedules and entry forms for events can be downloaded from their web sites.
DVDs
Many of the HTM events are filmed and DVDs produced. Again details can be obtained from the HTM societies.
Training for HTM. Reward based Training. Clicker Training. Bridge and Target.
In training for HTM modern, reward based methods are used instead of the compulsive methods of the past.
There have been a lot of developments in dog training in the last few years. And not just in training. There has been a great deal of serious study in dog psychology and in the way the dog’s mind works. Many of these studies have been done by universities. Many of the older ideas and methods of training are now discredited –– particularly choke chains and the pack theory. Instead of the old idea of the handler dominating the dog emphasis is now on the dog learning to work out for itself what it is expected to do. And even to think creatively.
And how is this done? A lot of this kind of work was pioneered by Karen Pryor in the United States with her clicker training. A clicker is a kind of small box –– about half the size of a matchbox. When the lid is pressed down it makes a very distinctive clicking sound. With clicker training, the instant the dog offers the correct behaviour the handler clicks. This special sound lets the dog know it has done the right thing and a reward is on the way. Usually a food reward but, depending on the dog, perhaps a game of tuggy. Sometimes the older methods of Obedience training could result in a kind of suppressed dog which is not good for HTM but clicker training can result in a more confident dog. Many, many HTM trainers –– although not all –– use clicker training. But clicker training does have one disadvantage. It can sometimes lead to over dependence on food and it can be difficult to wean the dog off food. One way of getting over this is the Jackpot system where the dog is given a substantial reward at the end of the routine.
Then came the Bridge and Target system. This is now being promoted by Kayce Cover with her Syn Alia Training systems. The Intermediate Bridge is a continuous signal which lets the dog know that it is doing the right thing and to keep going. The Terminal Bridge is another signal which lets the dog know that it has completed the exercise successfully. The advantage of this system is that food is not used nearly as much as with clicker training.
How to get started in HTM
How does one get started in HTM? First of all the dog should learn basic control and be able to work off the lead. Here a good dog class can be helpful. Note I stress a good dog class. A bad dog class can do more harm than good. It would be worth while seeing if there is an APDT (Association of Pet Dog Trainers near you.) The APDT uses reward based training and all its trainers are registered.
It is not necessary for the dog to be able to do competition obedience but it does need basic control. And it is very important that the dog should be able to work off the lead. This should be started early when the dog is still a young pup. Unfortunately many dog classes are now going over to pet training and the Kennel Club Good Citizen scheme and this means that off lead work is not emphasised. So make your own secure training area. Fence off a suitable part of your garden and get your dog doing heel free as soon as possible.
For the actual HTM a specialist class is not necessary. There are plenty of instructional DVDs and books available. Also many HTM handlers use clicker training and it would be a good idea to work with a clicker trainer. Most clicker trainers teach ‘clicker tricks' –– which is actually HTM without the music. To find your nearest clicker trainer go to the web site of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers and click on Find a Trainer. It would also be helpful to join some of the main HTM societies in the country. This would provide information and schedules for Events and also information on where to get instructional DVDs. Some of the main societies are given at the end of this article.
Having Fun
Or just play with your Papillon and watch what he likes doing. Then try and see how that can be worked into a routine. For example, my Rooskie likes going through tunnels. I took a child’s play tunnel into the ring and did a routine to Doris Day singing The Tunnel of Love. And use plenty of titbits and praise. Remember that the affectionate little Papillon needs to know that he is doing the right thing and pleasing his master or mistress.
Then find a competition. Or if you do not want to travel then take a few clips with a camcorder and put them on YouTube. Or enter Best Trick at companion dog show.
Useful web sites
YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/
This is where to go to actually see examples of HTM routines. Go to the search box at the top of the home page and type in heelwork to music or canine freestyle and click.
To find my own pages just type in my user name – marysmoffat – my name all lower case letters and don’t forget the s in the middle – and all my clips will come up.
HTM Societies
Paws and Music. http://www.paws-n-music.co.uk/
Canine Freestyle GB. http://www.caninefreestylegb.com/
These are the two main HTM societies in the country. They give details of Events and training days. They both have a comprehensive list of links to other useful sites. Schedules and entry forms can be downloaded from the Paws and Music web site.
Training Sites
The Association of Pet Dog Trainers. http://www.apdt.co.uk/
Where to go to find a class or a trainer.
Mary Ray’s web site. http://www.maryray.co.uk/
The web site of a leading HTM trainer. Go to the frame at the right hand side w and go into Store where you will find an excellent rang of instructional books and DVDs.
The web site of Kayce Cover http://www.synalia.com/
Kayce is promoting the Bridge and Target method of training. In a nutshell, there is an intermediate bridge which tells the dog that it is doing the right thing and to keep on doing it and a terminal bridge which tells the dog that the exercise has been completed. For more details go to her site.
The web site of the Wood Green Animal Shelter. http://www.woodgreen.org.uk/
Kayce is American but she comes over to England at regular intervals and holds seminars at the Wood Green Animal Shelter near Cambridge.
Try it Yourself. A few simple moves for you to try with your Papillon.
The Play Bow
This is a natural action. Most dogs will do it several times a day when stretching. All that is needed for HTM is to get the dog doing it on command. Here is an easy way to achieve that.
Sit on a stool or low sofa and stretch out one of your legs. Then take a titbit and get your dog to crawl under your leg. When he puts his head under he will go naturally into the Bow position. Click or say Good Dog as soon as his paws go flat on the ground. Do not let him go too far under or he will go into the down position. Do this several times until he gets used to it. Then add a command. In HTM the command Bend is preferred to Bow as Bow can sound like Down. Do not hurry any of the stages. After a time your Papillon will be able to do it on command and signal only without the help of your leg.
Circles
Use food and hold it in front of the dog’s nose and move your hand in a circle and say Round. The dog will follow your hand with the food in it. Do the same in the opposite direction but this time use a different command.
Circles with props. When the dog knows the command Round then it can learn to circle the handler and also various props. For example a spade, a bucket (for a seaside routine) or even a hat or a scarf.
Leg Weaving
First get the dog used to going through your legs. You can do this quite simply. Just throw some titbits through your legs and let the dog chase them and eat them.
Then stand with your feet apart and use food to get the dog to do figures-of-eight round your legs. Then start and move forward. You may find it easier to have food in both hands.
If your dog has learnt targeting then you can use a target stick. This will mean that you do not have to bend down.
Targeting
Targeting –– or getting a dog to follow a target stick –– is often used in HTM and has many uses. For a small dog it can mean that the handler does not have to bend down. A target stick can be used to signal to a dog. It can also be used as something for the dog to jump over.
But in a routine it must be something that is relevant to the routine. Like a spade in a beach routine. Or an umbrella. Some Papillons are afraid of sticks and in that case try to find a soft target stick. Like a silk artificial flower. In the video clip I have used a feather duster. I saw this used in a routine to one of Ken Dodds’ songs. The feather duster represented his tickling stick.
To get a dog to follow a target stick just wave it about in front of him and click whenever his nose touches it. Then hold it out to the side and walk and encourage the dog to keep following it. If the target stick is held close to the handler’s body then it can be used to teach heelwork.
