Obedience Handlers

Gina Graham - Dogs Do Dance

DOGS DO DANCE with Gina Graham

Gina is just 20 years old and became hooked on heelwork to music after seeing a display at Crufts 2000. She started putting a routine together with her 8 month old rescued German Shepherd cross, Dizzy, that same summer.

Dizzy:

In April 2001 Gina and Dizzy were in their first competition and came 5^th in a very big class (in those days the classes weren’t split into canine freestyle and heelwork to music). They were invited into the YKC (Young Kennel Club) ring at Crufts 2002 and were talent spotted for a display at the Pets N People event that summer.

 

Dizzy became a media star – appearing on ‘Midlands Today’, ‘Today with Des and Mel’ and ‘Test Your Pet 2004’ with her repertoire of tricks such as saying prayers, laying the table, playing basketball, skateboarding and tucking herself up in bed!

 

 

She also won the first ever Pup Idol competition at Discover Dogs 2002 and was a runner-up in 2003, along with being a finalist in the UK’s Coolest Canine 2004/2005 competition run by K9 magazine.

 

Cassie:

 

Dog number two, Cassie - another rescue, arrived in September 2000 as company for Dizzy.

Cassie was a very troubled and unwell dog and for at least six months Gina couldn’t do anything with her until they started agility, which Cassie took to "like a duck to water and really came out of her shell."

 

After discovering the ‘clicker’ training method Gina and Cassie progressed with canine freestyle, since Cassie had decided heelwork to music was just too boring.

 

At Pets N People 2002 Gina decided to take the plunge and use Cass instead of Dizzy as it was a scorching day and Dizzy wasn’t very happy in the heat – she needn’t have worried as Cassie wasn’t fazed by any of it and did really well.

 

But it was in 2003, having been invited to Crufts again, that Gina realized how much people enjoyed watching her and Cassie, who, she says, "Always puts her heart and soul into it, gives 100% and really enjoys herself."

 

2004 was another busy year, performing several displays including Discover Dogs (and winning Best Trick Class) and the Battersea Annual Reunion, which was attended by over 10,000 people. They also had the great achievement of winning the canine freestyle competition at the Wag and Bone Show.

 

In true Dogs Do Dance tradition, Cassie has also stepped into the media limelight and been featured on ‘Blue Peter’ and ‘Midlands Today’, been filmed for Japanese television and voted for by the public in the UK’s Coolest Canine 2004/2005 competition.

Don’t miss seeing the video of Cassie’s story (the story of a rescue) on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HaOESU2w5pU and a routine at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xFQuHceKhc

 

Ember:

 

Ember, a one year old Sheltie is the newest team member.

 

Ember’s training is coming along well and she was at Discover Dogs 2004 – taking part in a YKC group display of a routine set to Abba’s ‘Money, Money, Money’.

• Cas won Combined 4-5 Jumping taking her to Grade 6.
• Rum won Grade 3 Jumping (already on Grade 4 after winning 2 week-ends ago)
• Ember won Combined 1-7 Jumping (she’s Grade 5 and this is her first win!)

 

Update at 24^th February 2008:
Gina and Cassie have qualified for the Crufts Freestyle Final and will be in the main ring on Tursday the 6^th!

Gina and the Dogs Do Dance canine gang are available for displays at your events and can be contacted at tel: 07730 682986 email: Displays@dogsdodance.co.uk or via www.dogsdodance.co.uk

"So much dog food on the market is full of rubbish, but CSJ is brilliant and is really good quality. My Collie is allergic to additives so it is perfect for her." Gina Graham