World Canine Freestyle Organization Proficiency Tests

The WCFO Proficiency Tests have been created to give canine freestylers an opportunity to continually train and test to achieve a standard of excellence in the development of their abilities.

The tests are designed by the Advisory Board of WCFO and invited freestyle, obedience, dance and skating experts. Each may be judged by a member of the test designing team or a top freestyler from one’s own country. The tests may be taken live, when being given at an event, or by video submitted to WCFO at any time during the year.

Everyone is eligible to take the Bronze Bar level tests which are designed to have 5 specific behaviors presented within a routine, lasting between 1:15 and 1:45, using the music of your choice. The tests are available for both divisions within WCFO, musical freestyle and heelwork to music, requiring different behaviors. The judging for the Bronze Bar is weighted toward evaluating technical precision. Bronze Metal level tests are available under the similar criteria, but the judging is weighted toward evaluating artistic impression and creativity and different behaviors are used. The proficiency test when combined with a title results in the awarding of the title of Dancing Dog.

I am proud to announce that as of this past weekend, my Kerry, Gaylic Saxony I Am I Said, CGC (Hummie), is now also W-DD MF, and W-DD HTM, which means that he has passed the technically precise bronze bar tests for both musical freestyle AND heelwork to music within the World Canine Freestyle Organization!

Also, WCFO has acquired the rights to Sandra Davis’ Canine Dressage which will allow new freestylers, especially those with obedience backgrounds to make their transition into freestyle by using a platform derived from freestyle and horse dressage to familiarize teams with the elements of freestyle. It is especially focused on the technical use of flow and transition and uses prestructured segments which can be put together in different order when designing an event. The event is run in a 30′ by 60′ space and points within the space are identified by letters.

An example of a segment might be to left heel from point A to point D, spin CCW (dog), heel backward to point C, segment finished. There is no music or costuming and no time limit, but, like freestyle, you can give as many commands as you need, praise whenever necessary, and enjoy the experience. The judge reads the description of the segment before it is performed and scores it as it is performed. The team then moves on to the next segment. A title is awarded when the team has passed at three different events under three different judges, and WCFO titling is set to begin in January of 2005. (MORE INFO TO COME!)

Gay Stahley