Playful and attentive, a band of expertly trained dogs put on a show of twirling, sitting, jumping and even barking for some of the patients at the Canberra Hospital on Saturday morning in the spirit of Christmas cheer.
It was a star-studded line up, with veterans of the screen taking to the stage in the courtyard outside aged care ward 11B, eliciting enthusiastic smiles from the crowd.
There was seven-year-old Cardigan Welsh corgi Zim, who might be recognised from car and flea treatment advertisements on television, while Paris, the French bulldog, was another star, able to ring a counter-top bell to receive a treat.
Zim's owner, ACT Dances with Dogs and Trick Dogs co-ordinator Niccola Hardaker, said it was always easy to see how much the dogs enjoyed themselves during performances.
"We do a lot of public demonstrations for Dances with Dogs, partially because people love it. We're very easy to understand and appreciate. You don't need to understand what's going on to be able to see that the dog is doing a cute trick," she said.
"We love to get out and share this with people. And there's something special about getting to share it with people who can't get out to see it normally."
About 20 people actively compete in the ACT in Dances with Dogs competitions, which sees a complete range from tiny Chihuahuas to Irish wolfhounds and Burmese mountain dogs take part, Ms Hardaker said.
"It's so much fun. You can't train tricks in anything but a really positive fun way and so it really means that pretty much everything we do is fun.
"You'll see most of us are carrying treat pouches, we're all going to be rewarding our dogs during this, because we all understand this is a bit of a different environment for our dogs," she said.
