Nw Profiles - Dancing with the dogs

>>Say hello to Anna, Scout, Murungu, Dezzi, Schuyler, Oliver, Mia Cinderella and Aspen... In terms of their color, breed and personality these furry friends are all different... Yet, what makes these dogs special isn't their individual differences but rather, it's what they share in common as a group... A passion to perform, as a member of Spokane's very own dog dance troupe called... Ruff Revue... (Diane)The Ruff Revue was born to nurture that human animal bond within our community and within our own group, and within all the lives that we touch. We're all about what dogs and people can do to enhance each others lives, and we love sharing our dogs with the community. (Karen) I'm Karen Jurasin and this is my dog Scout. Scout is 3 years old his mother was a border collie and his father was a traveling salesman. And actually I got Scout just to be a hiking companion but every class we took at Diamonds in the Ruff he excelled, he learned every trick in the book and quickly. But we found out about Ruff Revue and it was a nice way to get out and show off what he could do. (Diana) My name is Diana Roberts and this is Murungu which is an Afican word that means big chief, and we joined the ruff revue about 5 years ago. Murungu I adopted him when he was about 6 months old and he was a real handful. But once we got into the Canine Dog Free Style the dog dancing that was a lot more fun for both of us. (Pam) Hi I'm Pam Reeff and this is Cinderella this little white one here she's the American Eskimo, she was a rescue. And this big black one here is Mina short for willamina. She's a Wrottwieller and this was something she really seemed to like to do and it was challenging for her and so it kept her interest. (Alida) Hi there I'm Alida King and this is my dog Dezzi. She is a check Sheppard. And we got involved with the Ruff Revue when she was just a puppy but originally I have another German Sheppard who is now 9 years old and I started with her. Both of them are search and rescue dogs. Very hi energy so I got involved with the Ruff Revue in order to teach them how to behave them selves, to be good citizens. (Karen) Hi my name is Karen and this is Aspen and she's a cattle dog mix that I got from the County shelter and we joined Ruff Revue because we were looking for something fun to do with my dog that was positive reinforcement and I just really enjoy taking her places with me. (Lizza) My name is Lizza Osborne and this is Mia and we joined the Ruff Revue because it's just a way for us to bond together do something together. I love dancing and she seems to enjoy dancing so it's something we're trying out. (Nancy) My name is Nancy Zietlow and I've been with the Ruff Revue since it started. This is Schuyler and he's a 2 year old Australian Sheppard. We joined the Ruff Revue because its just kind of an extension of what we do with good pet dog training. And it's fun! >>The Ruff Revue's long run of success began just over a decade ago when fellow Diamonds in the Ruff dog trainers Diane Baker and Teri Beeman discovered the joy of canine musical free-style. (Diane) We heard about a seminar in Corvallis, Oregon, who were offering this canine musical free-style, but we really didn't know anything about it. So we packed up and decided we'd go down there and check it out and perhaps get some ideas for our tricks class. (Teri) The thing that impressed us most when we went was that all the dogs were having so much fun. And we got hooked and we came home and we decided to start teaching other people to dance with their dogs. (Diane) Free-style offers you a chance to do a lot of inventive moves, the dogs can jump, they can weave through your legs, they can be up on their hind legs a bit. So, possibilities are endless and you do get hooked on it. >>Now, if your dog owner you might be wondering, could my dog learn to dance? Well, according to Diane, anything's possible, with a little training. Any dog can do free-style, they just need to start with the basics. That's where Diamonds in the Ruff comes in. All of our members have taken classes there to help get their dogs down with the basics and with positive training techniques, which means the dog performs a behavior, is told that's the behavior I like, and you get your paycheck with a little bit of food. But for free-style, I think you just need a dog that is willing to work with you. There's some dogs that are just really so shy that they really wouldn't enjoy the kind of outings we do, but if your dog is, enjoys people, is good around other dogs, they're a pretty good candidate for this. >>On average the Ruff Review is on stage up to twenty two times a year and whether they're performing at a retirement center, a care facility or a larger community event the payoff is the same, treats and plenty of love for the dogs while for the handlers and those in the crowd it's proof of the old adage that dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole. (Diane) When we go to retirement centers, often times the people there have had to give up their dogs. In their past they have lots of stories about dogs theyíve had as they were growing up or through their adult lives and what those dogs meant to them. We enjoy hearing those stories and we love offering them a chance to get their hands on our dogs. Get a little doggie kiss. And its very meaningful to us to have the opportunity to do this. (Diana) The best part of it is strengthening the human animal bond and reaching out to people in facilities that don't have dogs and it's amazing to see what joy the dogs bring to people. (Teri) For me my dog Anna here had a lot of issues with fear aggression. And this whole dance thing with her being around people and the fact that she would go into retirement centers and say hello to people was just amazing to me. And then we just bring so much joy to everybody it's just amazing to watch their faces and see how much they are enjoying it. And when the ooh and ah and catch their breath its just really, really rewarding. (Diane) Thanks again everybody we hope we're back to see you in the fall.