Ashleigh and Pudsey’s Britain’s Got Talent win has inspired dog-lovers to hot-step it over to their local heelwork to music classes to see if they can be the next winning dancing duo.

Figures released from the Kennel Club’s Find A Dog Club website has shown that interest in activities such as heelwork to music and agility has increased by twenty percent since Ashleigh and Pudsey did their first audition in April, compared to the same period in 2011. More than five thousand people have searched for their local dog activity clubs in the last six weeks.

The Kennel Club is encouraging others to try their hand at heelwork to music and agility, as part of its Get Fit With Fido campaign, as both activities can burn around 700 human calories in an hour’s session and are inexpensive sports that are accessible to all. The Kennel Club licenses more than 370 heelwork to music and agility clubs across the UK, where people can learn the skills needed to become the next Ashleigh and Pudsey.

Ashleigh joined the Young Kennel Club (YKC) nine years ago, in February 2003, and started competing with Pudsey in 2006. In five years, their star quickly rose, gaining their first championship award in agility in 2009 and soon started competing in heelwork the music and agility at Crufts.

Caroline Kisko, Kennel Club Secretary, said: “Ashleigh and Pudsey are an inspiration to those who want to spend quality time with their dog, doing something enjoyable but also learning a skill and a sport in the process. The pair are highly talented in heelwork to music and agility, having competed at Crufts, and interest in these sports has already increased with people flooding onto our Find A Dog Club website to find their local clubs.

“This is great news for dogs, as currently one in five dogs don’t get the exercise that they need and many are obese, so in the Olympic year we hope their win will encourage the nation to ‘Get Fit with Fido’.”

Jane Fullbrook, YKC Event Co-Ordinator, said: “Ashleigh joined the Young Kennel Club when she was just eight and all the signs are that their success will encourage many more young people to follow in her footsteps. Heelwork to music and agility are inexpensive and perfect for young people looking to find a fun sport, which keeps them fit in the process.

“We are hosting a YKC camp in July, a fun week where youngsters can enjoy sports with their dog and which Ashleigh attended herself, so we invite other aspiring youngsters to get involved.”

Ashleigh first cut her teeth training in agility at the Wellingborough Dog Training Club when she was a young girl and started heelwork to music training when she was 14. She joined the YKC when she was eight, which helps those aged from 6 to 24 get involved in activities with their dog.

Phyllis Spencer, who is a trainer at the Wellingborough Dog Training Club, where Ashleigh and Pudsey train in agility, said: “We are so proud of Ashleigh and Pudsey and delighted that they won. We saw a 60 percent leap in hits on our Facebook page after the show, and expect that to translate into interest in our sport. We are glad that they’ve put these amazing activities at the forefront of everybody’s mind. Whilst dog training takes patience and dedication it can also give a great deal of satisfaction.”

To find your local dog club, visit the Kennel Club’s Find a Dog Club site: www.findadogclub.org.uk. To find out more about the range of sports that you can compete in with your dog visit www.thekennelclub.org.uk/getfitwithfido. To join the Young Kennel Club, visit www.ykc.org.uk.

ENDS
[154.12]
17th May 2012
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Notes To Editors
 
Kennel Club Guide To Heelwork to Music and Agility

Heelwork to Music

• Human Keep fit score 5/6
• Dog keep fit score: 5/6
• Bank breaker: 1/6. Typical classes will cost £2 - £6 for a group lesson and £10 - £30 for private tuition.
• There are more than 70 Kennel Club licensed Heelwork to Music classes in the UK

What is Heelwork to Music? This is an activity that involves putting a series of dog obedience moves together to a piece of music. Owners devise routines of up to four minutes which they perform with their dogs.  At the competitive level owners and their dogs perform enthralling routines that can be both moving and breathtaking for spectators.

How good is it for me and my dog? This can be very physically demanding and the better you get at it and the more demanding the moves become the more intense the workout. It also allows dog and owner to bond in the context of a creative play environment.

Who is it suitable for? People of all ages love this activity. Dogs require a degree of fitness to take part and in the early stages, you must be careful to choose appropriate moves. Purebreds and crossbreeds can take part, of any size, and just need to be registered on the Kennel Club Activity or Breed register to compete.

Download the free Heelwork to Music Beginner's Guide

Agility

• Human keep fit rating: 6/6
• Dog keep fit rating: 6/6
• Bank breaker: 1/6. Typical classes will cost £2 - £6 for a group lesson and £10 - £30 for private tuition.
• There are more than 300 Kennel Club licensed agility clubs across the UK

What is Agility? Agility – a sport that requires you to get your dog around a course comprising tunnels, jumps and other obstacles – in the fastest possible time with the minimum number of faults, is a fun and thorough work out for you and your dog.

How good is it for me and my dog? Agility is a great cardiovascular work out for both of you and as a fun sport it is also more likely that you will feel motivated to sustain it over a longer period of time. The psychological benefits of being outdoors, exercising and having fun are profound, reducing stress and anxiety, and your dog will love the daily injection of fun into his routine.

Who is it suitable for? Agility is suitable whatever your age, gender, or level of fitness. You can build up the amount of time that you spend on it and the speed that you go, over time, so it is a very progressive sport. Likewise, it is suitable for all dogs, providing that they are over the age of 12 months (or 18 months for competing). If your dog is overweight then you should focus on a new walking regime and diet in order to shift these excess pounds before you begin agility. Your dog should not take part in agility if it has a medical condition that could affect its mobility, and if it is an older dog you should consult with your vet before you start.

What do I need to remember? Make sure your dog has mastered all of the basic obedience commands so that you can be sure that you will have control. You can find your local Good Citizen Dog Training Scheme class, the largest group of dog training classes in the UK, run by the Kennel Club by clicking here.

Getting involved: There are more than 300 Kennel Club registered agility clubs across the country. To experience the fun of taking part in Kennel Club licensed agility competitions make sure that your dog is registered with the Kennel Club.

Download the free Agility Beginner’s Guide

The Kennel Club

The Kennel Club is the largest organisation in the UK devoted to dog health, welfare and training. Its objective is to ensure that dogs live healthy, happy lives with responsible owners.

It runs the country’s largest registration database for both pedigree and crossbreed dogs and the Petlog database, which is the UK’s largest reunification service for microchipped animals. The Kennel Club Assured Breeder Scheme is the only scheme in the UK that monitors and sets standards for breeders, in order to protect the welfare of puppies and breeding bitches. It also runs the UK’s largest dog training programme, the Good Citizen Dog Training Scheme and licenses shows and clubs across a wide range of activities, which help dog owners to bond and enjoy life with their dogs. The Kennel Club runs the world’s greatest dog show, Crufts, and the Discover Dogs event at Earls Court, London, which is a fun family day out that educates people about how to buy responsibly and care for their dog.

The Kennel Club invests the money that it makes from registrations and its Petlog identification database into its dog training and education programmes, welfare campaigns and the Kennel Club Charitable Trust, which supports dog welfare charities and research into dog diseases. The Kennel Club jointly runs health screening schemes with the British Veterinary Association and, through the Charitable Trust, funds the Kennel Club Genetics Centre at the Animal Health Trust, which is at the forefront of
 

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