Presents WCFO, INC Canine Musical Freestyle

June 8, 2013, 10:00am-5:00pm

Stepping Stones Museum for Children

Mathews Park, 303 West Avenue, Norwalk, CT 06850

TEL: 203 899 0606 | Norwalk, CT 06850 | 203 899 0606         

PRESS CONTACT: WCFO, INC Patie Ventre, wcfodogs@ol.com, 917-859-0984 www.worldcaninefreestyle.org

INFORMATION: www.steppingstonesmuseum.org/caninecarnival

Photos and videos available: press attendance welcome, please contact Patie Ventre for press passes.

WCFO, INC Canine Musical Freestyle is simply dancing with dogs to music. It is a fun sport for the owners and dogs, and the audience. It has also been referred to as the “Tail Waggin’ Sport”! Based on basic obedience training, it adds other dimensions such as music, timing, costuming, routine development, showmanship. Sharing and bonding are the only ingredients you need to dance with your pet! Come join us and learn to dance with your dog at the 3^rd Annual BooZoo’s Canine Carnival event at the Stepping Stones Museum for Children, Mathews Park, 303 West Avenue, Norwalk, CT 06850 TEL: 203 899 0606 | Norwalk, CT 06850 | 203 899 0606         

Meet the dancing dog teams!

Carrie Neri and her Miniature Australian Shepherd Callaway, Australian Shepherd Lyric and Papillon Ortiz, Laurie Sullivan and her Golden Retrievers Bowie, Timber and Georgia, and Laurel Rabschutz and her Newfoundland Dooley and Portuguese Water Dog Iggy are members of the World Canine Freestyle Organization (WCFO, Inc.), which is a non-profit corporation, founded to globally promote the joys and fun of responsible pet ownership through musical canine freestyle, both as a sport and an entertainment medium. They have performed at venues all over New England including various fundraisers, pet expos, fairs, dog shows and nursing homes.  They have also been featured in several books, newspaper articles and television shows.  They have also earned titles and placements in freestyle competitions. 

About the performers:

Carrie Neri is from Salem CT.  Carrie has been involved in the sport of canine musical freestyle for 15 years.  Carrie will be performing with 3 yr old Australian shepherd Lyric, 7 year old Papillon Ortiz and 10 yr old mini aussie Callaway.  Although they compete in Freestyle competitions, most of their performances are for entertainment at fund raisers, rescue events, schools and occasional parties and black tie affairs. Carrie and her dogs have also performed for a few TV stories about musical freestyle including appearances on Animal Planet, Nick@Nite Roadcrew Show, PBS, Rachael Ray, Mike and Juliet Live and The Daily Show on Comedy Central.  They have been featured in books, newspapers and magazines. Carrie and her dogs also compete in flyball and toss and fetch and freestyle frisbee.

Laurel Rabschutz is from Willington, CT.  Laurel will be performing with 4 yr old Newfoundland Dooley and 2 yr old Portuguese water Dog Iggy. Laurel and her dogs have been active in freestyle since 1994.  They have performed across the Northeast, from rural towns to Times Square and have been featured in numerous TV programs and magazine articles.  Dooley & Iggy are both compete at the intermediate level in freestyle, they have titles in rally, obedience and water rescue, and are active pet therapy dogs.

Laurie Sullivan is from Tolland CT.  She will be performing with her 3 year old Golden Retriever, Georgia, and her 8 year old Golden Retriever, Bowie.  Laurie and her Goldens have performed at freestyle events across the country. Georgia is just beginning her competition career, while Laurie and Bowie have earned their Perfect Dance Partner title, the highest title a freestyle team can earn.  Laurie and her dogs have danced their way across a TV screen many times, and have been featured on Animal Planet, the Rachel Ray Show, Fox News, the Today Show, Nick@Nite, and a PBS/Nature program on the relationships between people and their pets.  But what Laurie and her dogs enjoy most about freestyle is the time they spend playing, learning, laughing and wagging together! 

WCFO, INC Founder, Patie Ventre will emcee the show and training sessions (please bring your socialized, vaccinated dog) and explain the sport of canine freestyle. She will work with her new puppy Dapper Dapper Doo who is just starting to learn to be a future famous WCFO dancing dog…..ahhh….hopefully….or….just a fun dog that loves to share and bond with her dancing!  Sassy will also dance with Patie and they have a real fun time…..as long as Patie has those awesome treats ready!

The dance teams will personally demonstrate to local pet owners and their dogs how to have fun and teach their dogs to spin, weave, etc! Bring your own treats or share the teams’ treats the dance teams use with their own dogs! Patie and her dogs have appeared on CNN-Jeanne Moos, Charles Osgood show, ABC, NBC, FOX and CBS for many years. Fun teams appeared with her on the Rachel Ray Show. She has traveled the world, including Japan, Australian, Europe, South Africa and the UK promoting the fun of sharing and bonding with your dog through canine freestyle. Now for Dapper Dapper Doo….this will be his debut!

Come join the fun, maybe win a WCFO prize!

WCFO, INC is a 501(C)(3) public charity that is governing the sport of canine freestyle, dancing with dogs. VISIT WWW.WORLDCANINEFREESTYLE.ORG for information on the WCFO programs, seminars, demonstrations and dancing dog teams biographies.

 

AKC Launches Dog Training Hotline –

Get Advice Quickly through New Telephone Service

 Did your dog eat the remote – again? Are your walks around the block more like pulling matches?

Dog training help is now just a phone call away with the launch of a new American Kennel Club service – the AKC GoodDog! Helpline. Experienced dog trainers staff the hotline and answer owners’ questions about common problems. The trainers only employ positive reinforcement methods.

The service is open 9 a.m. – 9 p.m. EST Monday-Friday and noon to 6 p.m. EST Saturdays. The one-time subscription fee is good for the life of the dog, and there are no limits to number of calls or questions. The service is available to all dog owners in the United States, and it is not required that the dogs be AKC registered.

The American Kennel Club is a not-for-profit organization and the largest and oldest dog registry in the country, having been founded in 1884.

Questions about the trainer hotline may be directed to akcgooddogquestions@akc.org. For more information on the trainer hotline: http://www.akc.org/offer/helpline_yourakc.cfm To enroll now: http://www.akc.org/offer/helpline_yourakc.cfm

Media Contact:

Penny Leigh

AKC GoodDog Helpline Program Manager

Pxl@akc.org

919-816-3749