A couple of hardworking southern Albertans are getting some well-deserved recognition this week.
Veteran dog trainer Jennifer Fraser and her Australian Shepherd named Daquiri are dancing their way into the international spotlight.
They’re both featured in The Secret Life of Dancing Dogs, a new documentary series.
“They show me practicing, they show me preparing, they show me training,” said Fraser.
The series follows Fraser and Daquiri, along with six other trainers and their dogs, as they prepare for and compete at the 2023 Crufts dog show in Birmingham, England.
The annual event has been held since 1891.
“It’s the biggest dog show in the world,” explained Fraser.
Fraser and Daiquiri do much of their training at Paradise Kennels, a dog boarding facility she and her family operate on their rural property located about an hour east of Calgary.
“Daiquiri is a working dog, so when I come into a training facility he’s like ‘yes, we’re working, let’s go!’” Fraser said. “He’s all about the challenges and so am I. So this is his dream.”
They’ve been training together since Daiquiri came to Fraser as a young puppy.
“It was love at first sight,” said Fraser, “and he was perfect from day one.”
Fraser and Daiquiri have performed together for several years.
“We visit a lot of nursing homes and we do a lot of performances for children, all over the States, all over Canada,” Fraser said. “Also in Germany, Chile, Italy – we did a Guinness World Records show there.”
Daiquiri has been recognized several times for his superior skills in performing dog tricks.
“He has 13 Guinness World Records, all for dog tricks,” beamed Fraser. “He learns tricks at a phenomenal rate. He’s definitely one-of-a-kind.”
After those accomplishments, Fraser feels The Secret Life of Dancing Dogs is a good step forward.
“I love the fact that Disney did a show on this, because it can show the world what can happen if you have an amazing bond with your dog. It really opens up the doors to the world of dog dancing and hopefully gets more people more involved with doing things with their dogs.”
