Heelwork To Music

Heelwork to music or HTM was developed primarily by Mary Ray in the early nineties. The name is a bit misleading as originally HTM meant dogs doing fairly complex heelwork to music and very little else. The sport has moved on considerably and nowadays it is divided into two sections. One section is for heelwork but with some extra moves and without the dog necessarily being in the heel position all the time. The other section is freestyle and it's this that some people regard as dancing with a dog. However, people who take part in the sport are reluctant to see HTM described as doggy dancing as they feel it isn't an accurate description.

The moves that dogs learn to carry out vary from the simple circles to much more complex manoeuvres such as leg weaving and reverse circles or reversing around objects.

HTM now has a similar structure to activities such as agility and obedience. Events are generally held under Kennel Club regulations and there are classes for starters through to advanced.

As with other dog sports, if you want to get started with HTM you will need a good level of basic training and obedience and your dog will need to enjoy this type of activity and be capable of doing it. Many local dog clubs hold classes in obedience and members will probably be able to put you in touch with a local HTM trainer. Some clubs may hold classes themselves as part of their activities.
Good luck and have fun.