Dogrobatics. It’s a thing.

Broken down, it has elements of agility, trick dog, obedience, and choreographed free style, but when rolled into one, it’s what creator, Kyra Sundance, calls dogrobatics.

A background in gymnastics makes the human part of dogrobatics easy for Sundance, but not every dog is suited for the sport. Because many of the acrobatic moves involve the dog jumping over one’s entire body, the dog needs to have jump height which is why Greyhounds, Standard Poodles, Great Danes, and Sundance’s dogs, Weimaraners, are good choices.

It’s readily apparent from watching the video that synchronization is key. Sundance says, “Keeping your eye on your dog until she has committed to the jump. Turn your head in the direction of the body part you wish your dog to jump as a cue for her. Develop sequences of three or four movies, and always practice them as a sequence.”

She makes it sound easy. In fact, the basics are fairly black and white. The handler stays in the same spot while the dog runs back and forth executing jumps over the handler with each pass. The dog is taught to run back and forth between two targets – say, cones – played 24′ apart. The distance gets the dog far enough away so that s/he can get enough running speed for a high jump, and the handler has enough time between jumps to change his or her body position.

Sundance and her Weimaraners are appeared on the The Ellen Degeneres Show, the Tonight Show, ABC News, and many other places where they have entertained audiences while giving the breed terrific exposure.

You can follow Sundance and her Weims on her Facebook page, or visit her website where you can learn more about Stunt Dog Titles, Pedestal Training, and more.