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 "Heelwork to Music” is the generic name for the whole sport but there are 2 divisions within this which are Heelwork to music and Freestyle, a fairly recent innovation it started in 1990 when one of the worlds best known dog trainers performed a demonstration of obedience heelwork with music playing at a “ Canine Cabaret Night “ in Bedford, many of the 200 audience went away and said they had seen Heelwork to Music and that’s how the name came about !!. 

The famous trainer who started it all was Mary Ray, yes one of our own trainers and when she is not flying round the country she still trains and teaches at the club on a weekly basis. 

 After Cabaret Nights in 1990 & 1992 Mary was invited to demonstrate at Crufts and she has done so every year since then. In 1996 Rugby Dog Training Club held the first ever Kennel Club licensed HTM show at the Sports Connexions at Ryton, this has been the UK’s leading show since then and has now moved to the new Kennel Club building at Stoneleigh Park, Kenilworth, Warwickshire. 

There are now many competitive HTM shows throughout the UK and following in the steps of the other British invention Agility the sport has spread throughout the world, competitions and training now happen in USA, Australia, NZ, Japan, Brazil, South Africa, all Europe to name just a few countries. 

The main event for us Brits is the finals in the main arena at Crufts. 

It’s a great sport and you can train for fun or work towards entering a show and perhaps even qualifying for the big finals at Crufts !!!