A Southern Albertan dancer doesn’t need a few daiquiris to hit the dance floor; she just needs one!
Daiquiri, an Australian Shepherd, is the dog that gets the dancing started.
Daiquiri and his trainer, Jennifer Fraser, have danced together for years. But the inseparable duo are finally getting the recognition they deserve.
A new Disney documentary series, The Secret Life of Dancing Dogs, follows Daiquiri and Fraser and six other teams as they prepare to compete at the 2023 Crufts dog show in Birmingham, England.
“They show me practicing, they show me preparing, they show me training,” Fraser told Global News.
Canines at Crufts
Established in 1891, Crufts is the biggest dog show in the world.
Daiquiri and Fraser are no strangers to Crufts.
The pair attended Crufts in 2022 and left quite a mark with their performances.
Daiquiri and Fraser were the only entries from Canada in the heelwork to music competition.
Heelwork to music is where competitors choreograph routines of up to four minutes with their own choice of music and perform these with their dog.
Against ten other competitors, the dancing duo walked away from Crufts with second place! You can see their performance here.
“Once I got on the stage and it was just me and Daiquiri, the routine was just a joy. It was so fun and so easy, and he was so responsive; nothing fazed him. He just wanted to do his job, and he wanted to have fun playing with me,” Fraser told StrathmoreNow.
This year, the pair ranked 7th place in the International Freestyle Final. But Daiquiri and Fraser’s accomplishments aren’t limited to Crufts.
Guinness World Records and Beyond
Daiquiri and Fraser have broken 13 official Guinness World Records, including most tricks performed by a dog in one minute, most toys retrieved in one minute, most coins in a piggy bank in one minute, and many more.
The duo competed in Canada’s Got Talent 2022, and America’s Got Talent 2020. If that wasn’t impressive enough, Daiquiri is also a wrestling superstar (this one is too fun; we dare you not to smile).
Daiquiri and Fraser honed their skills through years of hard work. The pair do most of their training at Paradise Kennels.
Paradise Kennels is a dog boarding facility operated by Fraser and her family on their rural property 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! He’s all about the challenges, and so am I. So this is his dream,” explained Fraser.
When Fraser and Daiquiri aren’t competing, they travel the world to perform in places like Germany, Italy, and Chile. The pair have also performed for seniors and children across North America.
Fraser now has her sights set on Crufts 2024, where she will compete alongside Fabio, a five-year-old Afghan Hound.
“It’s very scary because Afghan Hounds are considered the least intelligent breed. But I want to prove that a good dog trainer can do anything with any dog, and I’m hoping he will do well,” Fraser told the National Post.
Daiquiri, who danced his way to international fame, is now ready for retirement.
The talented pup has set the stage for the other dogs at Paradise Kennel to shine.
