Instructor Certification

CanineFreestyle DogWork® Teaching Certification

CanineFreestyle DogWork® trains dog and human teams to teach a unique and innovative training program incorporating all aspects of canine freestyle to:

  • Execute movement behaviors in a team relationship
  • Express movement as a non-verbal language and an artistic medium with music
  • Illustrate the oneness of the team as a visual relationship with imagination
  • Craft presentations with music to test training and relationships artistically and creatively
  • Train the dog with positive rewards

The Canine Freestyle Federation offers three levels of Certification, Master Instructor for Introductory classes, DogWork Master for Novice levels I, IIA and II B classes and DogWork Mentor Excellent—Advanced Levels III and IV, Champion

Master Instructors

Upon completion of all requirements, are qualified to teach Introduction to CanineFreestyle DogWork®. The competitive sport of Freestyle requires training in 4 different skills.

  • Technically train the dog to execute movement in a team relationship
  • Express movement in an artistic manner to communicate information to spectators
  • Craft a Presentation with music choreographically
  • Perform the Presentation for spectators to illustrate training and relationships

Requirements for Master Instructor

  • Attended a certification seminar
  • Completed lesson plan for 1 Introductory work class- technically, artistically, and creatively
  • Illustrated an artistic phrase based on an introductory class concept
  • Taught an artistic phrase based on a concept
  • Completed an introductory improv based on an intro level concept

Current Master Instructor-Introductory Classes

  1. Gaea Mitchel, August 2015
  2. Barbara Long, November, 2015
  3. Julia Gregory, July 2016
  4. Brenda Jameson, July 2016
  5. Jeanine Brown, January 2017
  6. Trish Koontz, August 2017
  7. Kate Ann Hunter, August 2017

Requirements for DogWork Mentor

  • Taught Introduction and or Novice Canine Freestyle DogWork® classes 3 times
  • Earned a Master Instructor Certification
  • 5 students received Novice level titles
  • Candidate has earned a Level III or IV title
  • Completed a Level II and IV Mentor Certification seminar
  • Completed all requirements to be Certified to teach advanced levels

Current DogWork Mentor-Novice Levels I, IIA and IIB

  1. Janet Dayton, June 2016
  2. Leila Widgren, June 2016

Requirements for Master Excellent Mentor

  • Taught Novice level classes
  • Taught advanced level once
  • 3 students to have earned advanced titles
  • Earned Mentor Certification
  • Titled I through IV

Current DogWork Mentor Excellent-Advanced
Levels III and IV, Champion

  1. Kristen Sicotte, August, 2015