As the dog fans among you will know, border collies are renowned for being a highly intelligent dog breed, having traditionally been bred as highly trainable working dogs. One border collie who arguably exceeds the high expectations attached to his breed, however, is Jessy, who in 2019 won the Dog Dancing World Championships alongside his owner and trainer, Elke Boxoen. The pair performed a routine based around the concept of a mirror, blowing both the judges and audience away in the process.
Starting off on opposite sides of the performance area, Jessy and Elke begin the routine by running towards each other, before performing a number of intricate movements using a mirror frame on wheels. The pair mimic each other’s gestures to perfection, acting as if they are truly reflections of one another. The routine even has its own storyline, with Elke playing a curious (and sometimes naughty) little girl who ends up being ‘trapped’ in the mirror by Jessy after a lengthy dance “battle”.
And while Elke is clearly leading the proceedings, it’s Jessy who steals the show, prompting open-mouthed reactions from those watching on account of his ability to both mimic his owner’s actions and remember an entire routine that requires him to perform some movements on his own. As a result, it comes as no surprise that Elke is a full-time dog trainer with her own training academy, and no doubt she spent a great deal of time perfecting this routine to get it to such a high standard.
And if you can’t get enough of Jessy and Elke, you’ll probably love Jen and her Australian Shepherd Daiquiri too, particularly their freestyle dancing routine filmed at Crufts in 2022. Performing an interpretation of Dolly Parton’s ‘Crackerjack’, the pair playfully rolled, tumbled and jumped their way into both the audience’s and judges’ hearts, with one viewer later confessing that the video made them cry. Unbelievably, Jen and Daiquiri only came in second place that year in the competition.
There are thousands of talented dogs out there, with Jessy and Daiquiri surely being among some of the most talented. But behind every well-trained dog is a deeply devoted and patient owner, and it’s almost impossible to overstate the care, consideration, and most importantly, love, that Elke and Jen must have put into their respective routines.