PUDSEY the dancing dog won the nation’s hearts along with Britain’s Got
Talent this year.
But as The Sun told yesterday, the Kennel Club have banned some moves from
their contests as “extreme” or “unnatural”.
Here Pudsey’s dance partner and trainer says she thinks the Club have got
it wrong.
LET ME start by saying I love the Kennel Club and they always have a dog’s
interests at heart.
But what they have said about dog-dancing is nonsense… in a way.
Yes, it is true that some tricks that Pudsey does are unnatural and yes they
are extreme — but it doesn’t mean I am being cruel or that he’s not enjoying
himself.
I can read him like a book. If he doesn’t want to do something then I can
tell. He’ll put his tail between his legs and put in minimal effort.
It’s like a baby really — a mum always knows what is best. I know what’s best
for Pudsey. Just because a dog does a trick that looks extreme does not mean
he is being forced into it or that he is in pain.
You need to know the limits of your dog and build up its stamina and strength
slowly over time.
It took Pudsey three years to be able to walk on his back legs.
And you can’t start training dogs until they are 12 months old and fully grown.
When dogs are puppies I NEVER put them on their back legs or get them
to do any jumping because they are still growing and it could affect that
growth. And don’t forget you can do some tricks that are still impressive
without doing those things.
But you will still need to put in the hours.
Some of the simplest ones are the hardest to teach.
When Pudsey puts his paws on my feet it looks simple but it took us three
months of training to do.
One thing I definitely agree with the Club on is that dogs should look like
dogs. I support their costume ban.
With Pudsey I always make sure he is respected. I never dress him up when he
is performing. On our very first audition Simon Cowell said Pudsey would
look better with an outfit on but that’s not him. He is himself.
I want him to be as happy as possible.
And at the end of the day that is the message I want to get across — dogs
should always be happy.
– Yesterday the Kennel Club insisted it has only outlawed “extreme”
stunts.
Club secretary Caroline Kisko said: “This is a common sense precaution to
prevent novices from trying moves that they are not skilled enough to
perform.”
She added that most dancing is “great for the bond between dog and owner”.