Issue date: 9/10/07 Section: News

Media Credit: Harrison Brooks

by Kate Murphy

Daily Lobo



Rosalie James makes no bones about the fact that her class is a bit unusual.

"We're going to be asking our dogs to do some strange things that they don't normally do," said James, the instructor of Ballroom Dancing for Dogs.

The class, offered through UNM's Continuing Education, is described in the catalog as "the doggie version of 'Dancing with the Stars.'"

Ballroom Dancing for Dogs, known as canine freestyle, consists of obedience, tricks and dance.

The owner dances around the dog while it spins and jumps on command.

It is an interaction between the dog and its owner, she said.

"Dogs are here to have fun with mama, not with the other dogs," she said.

The six-week course costs $175.

Eight women and their pets are signed up for the class.

They meet Friday at the West Mesa School for Dogs at 4487 Irving Blvd.

Ramsey Lofton, a student in the class, said it combines the two things she loves most - ballroom dancing and dogs.

"I'm totally into 'Dancing with the Stars,'" she said.

James, who runs the canine freestyle club Dancing Paws in Rio Rancho, has been dancing with her dog, Rocky, for about 3 years.

"The goal of this class is to have fun," she said.

James begins and ends each session in the same way - the dogs and their owners circle the room to a song called "Positive Doggone Attitude."

In order to show students how complex and fun canine freestyle can be, she played a few short videos for the class.

In one video, a tall blonde dances to "You're the One that I Want" from the musical "Grease," while her dog spins and leaps.

There are videos of canine freestyle on YouTube.com.

Dancing is not attempted during the first or second class, James said.

Certain tricks have to be learned before the dogs and their owners can try dancing, she said.

One of the most important tricks a dog has to learn is to wait, James said.

That way, a dog's owner can dance alone without being

followed by the dog.

Waiting was taught on the first day, along with simple twists and circles.

James said rewarding a dog is the easiest and best way to train it, so she encourages her students to help their dogs along with treats.

"It's not possible to train a dog to look like it's having fun if it's not," she said.

The last Ballroom Dancing for Dogs class will be a recital.

It will be at the West Mesa School for Dogs on Oct. 12.

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