As usual, it started with a phone call… “Karen it's Kath, fancy a trip to Israel?”

Well we have taught Freestyle in many places, Kath has previously taught abroad in Holland, but Israel was a first for both of us, as we had never even visited the country!

Our contact was Osnat Laster. Osnat is a life long dog lover whose current dog is a black miniature poodle. She has been showing in breed for many years with a lot of success, her current poodle, Tessa, is at the top of the breed showing tree at only 18months old. Osnat became aware of Canine Freestyle as a sport & set herself on a mission to become the first "Dog Dancer" in Israel!

Osnat had been surfing the web and telephoning a variety of trainers, trying to find someone she felt a connection with to learn HTM. She felt that she got along with Kath from the start & after many emails & telephone calls asked Kath to come to Israel & teach both her & Tessa to dance. Kath then asked if Lesley or I would join her as she did not want to travel alone. Unfortunately, Lesley was unable to take time off work, but luckily I was able to juggle my client list & made myself available.

So in the early hours of May 12th we did just wonder how we would cope in a War Zone!! But there was no going back; we were aboard the British Airways flight to Tel Aviv. Osnat, Tessa, & her youngest son were there to meet us as we stepped through arrivals and after a warm welcome we were soon in her car on our journey to Galilee where she lived with her husband Zvi in a beautiful house overlooking the Sea of Galilee.

The hospitality of Osnat & Zvi was wonderful. Nothing was too much trouble & we were soon settled into our rooms.

The days flew by.

In the morning, which was the cooler part of the day, we would work with Osnat, Tessa and Freddy her older terrier cross. Freddy was a godsend, he was so outgoing & eager to please, so we demonstrated with Freddy & Osnat copied with Tessa who was initially a very shy dog for us to handle.

By lunch time as it became hotter, we gave the dogs a well deserved rest & Osnat proudly showed us the sights. What a beautiful place Israel is, and such a welcoming people, almost everyone spoke English! We swam in the Sea of Galilee, paddled in the river Jordan, visited a Kibbutz, shopped and had a wonderful time. In the afternoon Osnat would retire for a siesta while Kath & I sunbathed and totally relaxed in the back garden. As the day became cooler we would work together again before showering and going out for dinner.

What can I say about the food? Sublime! We ate with Jews, Arabs & Iraqis and were treated like VIP’s wherever we travelled and we loved every mouthful of the fabulous food! Happily Kath & I are like Jack Sprat & his wife… Whatever Kath doesn't like I do & vice-versa, so we never offended our hosts!

Osnat’s family meals had to be seen to be believed! She is a famous cook in Israel and boy, did we feel the benefit! We also spent a day at the radio Station with her, where she hosts her own ‘phone in’ programme, playing music & talking food. As a parting gift she gave us each a copy of her book, the pictures of the food look delicious, if only we could read Hebrew!

The education was certainly a 2 way street. Kath & I learnt so much about the history & current affairs of the country & its people. We also came to appreciate how every family is touched by the on-going troubles, Osnat’s son-in-law was called away to do a month of National Service while we were there, having to leave his wife and 4 month old baby at home. Everyone below 55 years is called to do a month’s service every year and some never come back! It is also compulsory that every house has a shelter and a "silent" radio, which flicks into life as soon as there is a national alert! It really made us appreciate the soft life that we lead in this country!

All too soon it was time to return home. Osnat had learnt an amazing amount & we had made notes for her to follow once we had gone. We also choreographed a routine for her, which she has since worked on. A few months later she performed at one of the biggest breed shows in Israel and really showed everyone what a poodle can achieve in Freestyle. This has made her the first person in Israel to perform HTM in public.

We are still in contact and she is continuing to work on her moves and any problems she encounters are soon solved by email or telephone. We met with her at Crufts this year, her tickets and are welcoming her back in June for further training here in Derbyshire. What a reunion that will be!