Dancing dogs put best paws forward
A team of doggy dancers are making a fresh bid to take on some of Europe’s best pooches – after an outbreak of kennel cough dashed their hopes of victory last year.
Marie Docherty, from Calderwood, and her dog Erin were all set to travel to Austria as part of Team Scotland for the European Dog Dancing championships.
The discipline is a modern sport that is a mixture of obedience training, tricks, and dance that allows for creative interaction between dogs and their owners and it would have been the first time a team from Scotland competed in the event.
But just days before they were due to travel, three of the dogs, not including Erin, were struck down with kennel cough.
Although Erin was given the all clear, under Kennel Club rules they couldn’t compete or mix with other dogs.
It was bitterly disappointing for Marie, 52, and her team-mates who train in East Kilbride every fortnight.
They had spent months fundraising and perfecting their routines only to have to miss the competition.
But now they are back to show off their moves and have started their latest campaign to travel to Belgium this year.
And to get started they will hold a Valentine cabaret in the Pet Empawrium, College Milton, on February 11.
Marie said: “Erin and I are still dancing and putting our best paws forward. We were all devastated when we had to pull out of Austria.
“We had so much support, not only from family and friends but members of the public who came along to the fundraisers, so it was a real shame we never got to show what we could do. But it’s a case of onwards and upwards as we prepare for this year’s event. Hopefully, everyone will get behind us as much as they did last year.”
Marie, who combines her dog dancing with working in HMRC, went on: “Scotland’s top dancing dogs will be entertaining the audience at the valentines cabaret with a mixture of training, tricks and dancing.”
“We are also looking forward to welcoming Rebecca Kennedy and Izzy, her Border Collie.
“They are worldwide celebrity pole dancing dog dancers. It should be a great afternoon and a fantastic start to the fundraising campaign.”