The Difference

[biker girl]

I am looking at doing either or both next year & I know nothing about the two..........

I know it is a simple question & I feel a little dumb asking it............ can someone tell me the difference between the two?????????????

[ness]

HTM to mostly heelwork in any of the 8 positions. DWD is anything goes. Obviously DWD still will have some heelwork but there is more emphasis on other things. I do agree if you watch some of the trials here you will struggle to find a difference.

I tend to like including a prop and more distance work in a DWD routine whereas heelwork to music the dog is mostly in one of the various heel positions.

Edited October 7, 2013 by ness

[Kavik]

I don't do either sport but like watching the Crufts performances.

Here are this years winners:

HTM:

Freestyle:

I haven't seen anything of this standard in Australia yet.

[Tassie]

:laugh: biker girl - are you thinking about going to the dark side :laugh: . New rules are coming in in January - they're up on the ANKC website now.

The bit that will give you the major difference is ...

The dog must:

(a) move parallel to the handler in one of the nominated heelwork positions;

(b) keep the same distance in relation to the handler in all positions;

© move in the same direction as the handler;

(d) move at the same pace as the handler.

At any class level a minimum of 70% of a Heelwork to Music routine must consist of heelwork,

during which the dog’s shoulder should be reasonably close to the handler’s leg; the

percentage of heelwork in a routine is based on the time spent undertaking heelwork

positions. The remainder of the routine may consist of freestyle.

The 70% hw is up from 60% - although many people will include more than that, as if you only have the bare percentage, and the dog is substantially out of position, you haven't satisfied the basic requirement.

And the girls and Jim would definitely LOVE to have a go! :D

[Cleo's Corgwyn]

Yep in HTM, the dog can be on the left or right side of the handler, facing forwards or backwards, or across the front or back of the handler, facing left or right.

For a starters routine, a couple of 'good' heel positions is better than trying to cram too many in. The dogs shoulder should remain level with the handler's leading leg.

In Freestyle, any combination of tricks you can set to music works!