Who Needs Stars? Aquidneck Island's Got "Dancing with Your Dog"

Patch came across this unusual dance class with exactly 10 participants-a-leaping as part of our quest to show that right here in Middletown the "12 Days of Christmas" are indeed alive and kicking...And licking...

Five couples from as far away as Bristol and Somerset, MA gathered in the training center at the for Animals last Friday night for a little holiday dancing, but unlike most couples, they had six legs, and yes, some had four "left feet."

Dogs and their owners kicked up their heels for Dancing With Your Dog, a freestyle training class with a fun and furry twist led by Kim Cipolla, a Dog Obedience Trainer at the .

"To emphasize that it's fun, we call it Dancing with Your Dog, but there actually is a whole freestyle community," explained Cipolla.

As it was the holidays, these five pups came decked out in their holiday finest and danced to songs such as "Christmas is Going to the Dogs" and "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch."

Unlike the popular Dancing with the Stars on television, this class does require some prior training, said Cipolla.

"You should have taken at least the basic obedience class so your dog has experience with listening to you, focusing on you, following your lead," says Cipolla. "You want them to have some degree of recall and loose leash walking so they aren't pulling you in every direction."

The dancers who showed up on this latest Friday evening class demonstrated varying skill levels, mixed in with a few first timers and others who had attended at least four other Dancing With Your Dog classes.

Ami, a first timer who accompanied owner Shana Gaines of Newport preferred to be a wallflower and take in all the activity from afar, while Jackie and her owner Sandy Sheehan of Somerset jumped right in and put on quite a performance of spins and more.

"She likes it. I like it," said Sheehan. "We practice at home, but it's easier here because there's so much more space."

Cipolla directed the class, suggesting tricks to work on and giving tips on how to best achieve the desired results with the dogs.

Soon afterwards, music filled the room and the students and masters were breaking out their new moves. In this freestyle training, the dogs follow their masters closely so as the master moves forward or back, twirls or swings their arms, the dogs move with them, making it appear like a well choreographed dance partnership on their way to becoming the next Fred and Ginger.

So where does one even begin to train a dog in modern dance?

The first trick, explained Cipolla, it to get the dog to make eye-contact with the master and to reward the dog immediately when this happens.

Like most animal tricks, rewards are a huge part of motivating dogs into making the desired moves, she noted. 

Here are more of Cipolla's doggie-dance "tricks" folks can try at home:

• To get the dog to go under the master's leg, get the dog to focus on a treat and then toss it under the leg of the master. After a few repetitions, the dogs are quick to pick up on the move.

• To encourage the dogs to walk backward (not a natural movement for them) Cipolla suggests taking baby steps towards them with food right in front of their nose. The dogs don't want to move away from the food, but they also know they need to be moving out of the master's way, and this allows them to become more comfortable with the movement of going backwards.

• At home, dog owners can set up an alley with furniture or other objects so that moving backwards is the only way for the dog to move from where they are.

"Even with just a handful of tricks, you can have a lot of fun with it," said Cipolla.

Dancing with Your Dog is offered one Friday evening per month at the . The next three classes will be offered on January 14, February 25, and March 18. The March class will focus on the Irish Jig and you can bet that Patch will be there for that one.

For more information, go to www.potterleague.org.