Stuck at the Ritz Theatre

The show on Sunday went great with the Ritz Theatre selling 35% more tickets than they originally expected. We performed for a huge crowd of over 850 people. Our sound and light technition John, did a decent job hitting all our music cues considering we only had one day of rehearsal. This made up for him giving me a faulty rechargable 9 volt battery which died in the middle of our show. I was able to quickly change out my battery while Samantha took the center stage pulling off some wicked back flips and stunts with her star “Super Freak”.  This was a challenging show with a stage size of around 30 feet by 24 feet. The dogs did incredible considering the tighter than usual space and the new performance surface.

Yesterday was extremely hectic!  I woke up to my truck not wanting to start again.  I thought the hard starts were being caused by the cold weather. However, I didn’t want to take a chance breaking down on my way down to Florida, so after it finally started I took it into the shop. After a couple hours of evaluation in the service department, it appeared to be something a bit more serious. So I’m currently stuck on the road waiting for my truck to be repaired.

The rest of the morning was spent picking up flooring, dog crates, and cleaning up. Samantha and Usman decided to stay and wait so we could all caravaan down to Florida together. So at least I have some company while I’m stuck here on the road.  We all went to the park yesterday to get some fresh air and exercise the dogs. We finished up the day relaxing in my RV, eating pizza, and playing games. I’m not stressing yet as we don’t need to be down to Florida until Thursday afternoon. If all goes well we should be heading south by later this afternoon!

Here are a few pictures from yesterdays practice session at the park:

My dogs promote their upcoming show

This week has been full of adventure! We have been extremely busy promoting our show that is scheduled for this Sunday March 15th, in Tiffin, OH. Sonic decided to do another radio spot on Friday morning.  The radio interview took place only a couple blocks from where we are staying. Sonic and I enjoyed the walk down to the studio. Sonic was a big hit and everyone loved her. Quite honestly, I was still a little bitter about her chewing up my truck seat the day before.  She is lucky to be so cute!

Later that day, we made an appearance at the local mall to promote our upcoming show. This was a lot of fun for all of us. Sam brought her new six month old cattle dog puppy and showed off some pretty neat tricks she can already do. Diggy, my official show mascot decided to come as he heard Subway was in the mall eatery. I decided to bring Acrobatic Abby for the mall promotion. We helped pass out flyers to let everyone know we were in town performing on Sunday. Julia Zimmerman from Germany joined us and helped snap a few photos; as did Sam. All in all, it was a dog gone fun time!

In the newspaper on my birthday

It’s not everyday you walk into a restaurant restroom and see yourself on a newspaper posted above the urinal; let alone this happening on your birthday. On Thursday March 12th, I was waiting for my hamburger to arrive when I needed to make a quick stop in the bathroom. As I walked in, I couldn’t believe my eyes after seeing the newspaper posted on the wall. There was a photo of me, my dad, my dogs, and the rest of my team on the front of the local newspaper. This is what I saw on the wall:

The paper was advertising the story they were doing tomorrow, Thursday March 12th. I was thinking “you’ve got to be kidding me”. I immediately went out to ask the waiter if they had today’s newspaper (March 12th), in which they did! I opened the paper to the entertainment section and there I was along with team member Samantha Valle.  This was very exciting for Sam as it was her first time ever appearing in the newspaper. I was equally excited to be featured in a newspaper on my exact birthday.What are the odds?

Click this image to read the full article.

The rest of my day ended up being quite the challenge, as Sonic decided to chew up the passenger seat of my truck. Next Jackson stubbed is toenail while playing at the park. So it looks like he will have another small part in my show this weekend. No pun intended for my little Jack Russell terror — opps; I mean Terrier. Finally, my truck wouldn’t start and with not having cell phone service I was really being tested. My birthday this year taught me that with everything good in life comes challenges.

In a land with no iPhone on my birthday!

I never thought I’d be celebrating my birthday in a small little town in Ohio called Tiffon, with a population of about 17,000. I don’t know anyone for miles, my cell phone has no service (no AT&T here). I’m calling it the land of no iPhones. Some would gasp!  It’s quite surreal since we live in a country today that is so dependent on technology. I also find it ironic that my cell phone doesn’t work on my birthday, yet has worked in every other place I’ve traveled in the past 364 days. Today, I’m reminded to enjoy everything that is good in my life. And Yes, I am lucky enough to have found WIFI at least.  But instead I think I’ll enjoy the finer things in life, like this quaint little town. It’s a bit chilly here today, but I’m happy to be alive and I appreciate being able to do what I love!

I was scheduled this morning, on my birthday, for a live radio interview. The mission was to promote my upcoming theater show set to take place in Tiffin, OH this weekend.  It’s pretty rural out here and we had to travel about 30 minutes to Findlay for the interview. I decided to take Super Sonic for the segment.  The on-air radio personalities, Keith Hodkinson and Beth Wilson loved her. She was such a good girl; barking on cue and doing a few tricks in the radio booth.

Live radio segments are the best! I think it’s because they are more casual with less pressure than live TV interviews. They always leave me smiling and laughing. Being able to sit down, joke around on the air, and promote the show in this setting is always a blast for me. I forgot my camera this morning, but tomorrow I’m scheduled for another live radio segment with a different station. I’ll see if I can get a few pictures in the studio of Super Sonic and me on the air.

Stunt Dogs going for a jog in Ohio

Acrobatic Abby and Action Jackson

It’s a little chilly up here in the north and I felt so bad for Abby and Jackson the last time we were in cold weather. So the other day at Petmart, I decided to pick them up something warm to wear. These outfits were in my show colors; red and black, so I thought they would look cool. Once I put them on the dogs I noticed they looked like jogging outfits. Haha! What do you think?

A comical dog gone fun mural

Today’s blog is a blast from the past!  I thought it would be appropriate to showcase this mural as I’m on my way to peform in Ohio for the first time in many years. This mural was crafted in 2004 while I was performing in the historic downtown area of Columbus, Ohio. I met an artist while I was there who specialized in designing murals. I was so impressed that I asked him create a custom one for my show. The above pictured mural is what the designer came up with. I used it during my 2005 nationwide season tour.  This kids loved putting their face in the holes for photographic memories. Unfortunately, it was destroyed during the same year, by a nasty thunderstorm at the end of the summer. It only survived one season, but it was fun while it lasted!

My stunt dogs appeared on Oprah Winfrey

My dogs appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show on August 26th, 2008. A production manager from Harpo Studios called me in August last year.  They had caught word of my stunt dogs performing across the country and wanted to discuss a possible appearance on the Oprah Winfrey Show. I was honored to be given the opportunity to appear on the #1 day time talk show. The request was for their follow up  puppy mill episode. In 2007, Oprah ran an episode bringing awareness to Americans about puppy mills and the horror stories behind them. This episode was a follow up to see what had happened with all the dogs saved from the puppy mills from the previous year. Harpo Studios was also introducing a new set for the Oprah Winfrey Show and this episode was going to be the first time using the new set.

After many talks on the phone, they decided on having Action Jackson come to do his “paw stand” and Flashy Ferrari to jump rope. It was very exciting to bring my two newest stars.  This was Ferrari’s first time appearing on national television.  When I was first contacted they just wanted one dog for the episode.  However, after seeing the talents of my dogs they decided they wanted more than one!

The set was designed in a way where each dog would come out from a different hallway. Therefore, I wasn’t able to perform with both dogs due to the logistics of television. I decided I would perform with Action Jackson and have my assistant handler run Flashy Ferrari. We were scheduled to perform our tricks at the top of the hour. First up was a very talented dog and handler from Sweden, who performed a dog dancing routine. Next out was Flashy Ferrari with my assistant trainer named Jessica Ritchie. They did a few tricks, then Jessica handed one end of the rope to Oprah.  Ferrari proceeded to jump rope between them as they turned it under her.  Oprah was amazed and seemed to be elated helping Ferrari do her trick!  Action Jackson was called out last. His little ears flopped as he jogged onto the set. After a dozen rehearsals that morning and the day before, he knew exactly where he was supposed to go. Jackson was the little show stopper and finale. His “paw stand” had Oprah’s mouth wide open as she couldn’t believe her eyes. Both of my dogs performed flawlessly. I was so proud them!

The hour long episode was full of surprises as my new friend Jesse and her dog Maggie showed off her amazing “paw tapping” counting ability. Maggie counts, adds, and subtracts by tapping her paw.  They also had guest appearances with the puppy mill rescue, a two legged dog, along with the worlds tiniest dog.  It was a full episode dedicated to dogs and we had the honor of kicking it off!

Jackson and Ferrari in the limousine after the show with their gift bags from Oprah.

SAD FACT: The jump rope Flashy Ferrari used on the Oprah Winfrey Show was stolen on Saturday March 7th, 2009 from the North Carolina State Fairgrounds. I left it on the ground outside my RV for only a few minutes. I was inside giving my dogs water after a very productive training session. When I went back outside to pick up my flying discs and rope I noticed it was gone. Someone in the nearby parking lot must have ran over and grabbed it while I was inside taking care of my dogs. This was also a very special jump rope to me because it was the last rope Jumping Jaz used in a show.

Training your dog to “come” when called

One of the most important things every dog should know is “come” when they are called. This can mean life or death in many situations.  If you are on a busy street your dog could get hit by a car. They could run away, end up in the pound, get bit by a snake, or get seriously injured all by not listening when you call them. Therefore, this is the most important behavior to teach your dog!

With a behavior like “come” I use the balance training method. The balance method is using a positive reward when you dog does a behavior correctly and a correction method when your dog doesn’t do what you ask. Either one of these methods can be used as the sole approach to training the recall. I always choose the positive reward method over the correction first.  But when it comes to a behavior like “come” it is very important that your dog knows that you are absolutely serious when you call them, as their safety and well being could be in danger.

In order to start training your dog to “come” you need to have control over your dog first. You do this by putting them on a long line leash.  I recommend a leash that will give them a good amount of space away from you.  Around 15 feet or more should be plenty. Your dog needs to feel as though they are not under your control. I start my dogs on a long line leash allowing them to walk around freely in front of me. Sometimes I even give them a lot of slack. Then I call my dog to come to me, like “Abby, COME”!  Be sure you are consistent and say it the same way every time. Remember constancy is one of the four keys to dog training. As soon as your dog is called they should turn and start coming to you. If they do, say the power word “yes” and/or use your clicker. When they get to you, give them their reward (food or toy). Follow up with a lot of love and praise!  Don’t be afraid to get a little excited in your voice and behavior. Make it fun and rewarding for your dog and they will pick up on their recall faster.

If your dog does not turn and come to you when you call them, DO NOT click the clicker or say “YES”. Instead, say “NO” and at the same time jerk the leash giving your dog a correction. Call them again and if they start to come towards you, say “YES” or click the clicker, then reward them when they get to you. If they stop coming towards you and turn another way, say “NO” and immediately give them a jerk on the leash. Then call them again. Keep repeating these steps over and over; correct your dog with a jerk of the leash and say “NO” when they don’t come towards you and positively reward them by saying “YES” or click the clicker when they do come towards you. Give them their favorite reward when they get to you along with a lot of love and praise. Follow these steps in short training sessions a few times every day. If you are consistant you will have a great recall on your dog in no time!

PAWSITIVE NOTE: If your dog runs away from you and won’t come back, NEVER discipline them when you finally catch them. Its a natural frustration to get angry with your dog and want to get mad. Instead, you need to reward your dog and praise them at that moment. If you don’t, next time they will try harder to run away and each time it will make the matter worse.

Doggie Juggling (Photo)

Jumping Jaz and Chris Perondi by Bobby Thompson (2005)

This image captures the bond between me and Jumping Jaz.  She was focused and a real crowd pleaser.  Jaz was bouncy with a fun loving personality that really shined while on stage. Her three minute trick dog routine was uniquely entertaining, comical, and was fun to watch for all ages. This photo was captured on a beautiful day in Kansas City, MO during the summer of 2005.  Jaz was a star performer in the Extreme Canines Stunt Dog Show from 1999 to 2007.

Read more about Jumping Jaz — Click here!

40% of U.S. dog owners don’t do this!

So the question is: Do you pick up after your dog when you walk them in public?

Did you know that we as Americans own more than 74 million dogs. Four out of 10 U.S. households now have at least one dog, according to the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association. That is a lot of dogs, and that is a lot of poop. This would not matter if everyone just regularly picked up after their dogs. Several studies have shown that about 40 percent of dog owners in the U.S. admit they do not pick up after their dog when it poops away from their own property.

I know it’s a chore picking up when you take them on a walk or hike. But if I can pick up after all my dogs while traveling across the country, you can pick up after yours too. I know its a hassle to carry baggies around with you, but I’ve found the cheapest and easiest bags to use. The great news is, you can buy them at your local Wal-Mart or grocery store. I have a paper towel style roller in my RV that contains these baggies at all times. I always pick up after my dogs in public places and my motto is, “No poop left behind”!

So next time you are out walking your “one” dog, remember I have to pick up after my six dogs at least two times a day while on the road. I did some calculations for last year — I picked up over 3,000 poops! Ummm yeah… that puts things into perspective. I swear someone should take stock in these baggies as I’m looking to adopt a seventh dog here soon.

The bottom line is: If you care about the environment and care about your dogs freedom, please clean up after your dog!

Cost effective poop baggies found at Wal-Mart.

Soaring Sierra: Puppy shy to pet star

Soaring Sierra was about 12 weeks old when she was adopted in 1998. She was covered in sap along with over 40 fleas crawling on her body. After a long flea bath, she turned into the cutest little fur ball ever seen. It didn’t take long before I fell in love with this little girl. She was anwry, silly, goofy, playful, and loving all at the same time.  It wasn’t uncommon for her to vocalize herself when she wanted a toy or attention. To this day she still growls the moment she snatches a flying disc out of the air. Sierra is definitely the most talkative of the pack. She is the type of dog that won’t let you get a word in as you walk in the door. The “woo, woo, woos” won’t stop until you give her the attention she demands.

Sierra wasn’t the most driven Border Collie as a young pup. In fact, she would regularly loose focus and just not want to play. This was discouraging because my first Extreme Canine Stunt Dog (“Extreme Pepper”) had the most insane toy drive ever seen.  Sierra just loved to receive attention more than playing.  Her drive was built by keeping the training sessions short and always ending when she still wanted more. The use of treats helped keep her focused when teaching fun tricks like dancing on her hind legs, rolling over, spinning, shake, and play dead.  But the lack of toy drive was a serious concern as I don’t like to rely on treats when performing with my dogs.

Sierra regularly went to disc dog play dates, competitions, pet stores, and trips. She always had her tail tucked between her legs. This extremely shy border collie lacked confidence in herself outside of her own environment. Things changed at the end of 1999 when I was called to perform in Los Angeles. At the time, I only had three dogs: Extreme Pepper, Soaring Sierra, and Jumping Jaz. The two main stars were, of course Pepper and Jaz, since Sierra still wouldn’t perform in front of an audience. I decided to take Sierra for the experience and exposure. There was no pressure as I was keeping her as a pet even if she would never perform. My dogs have and always will be my pets first and performers second.

When we arrived in Los Angeles, Sierra was nervous as usual. The convention center was bustling with people. Pepper and Jaz were as cool as could be and were ready to perform. Poor little Sierra had her tail tucked in so far, you couldn’t even see she had one! Nobody could tell because both of the other dogs had stubs as tails. Everybody probably assumed Sierra had a stub too.

It wasn’t until the end of the show when the magical moment took place. I started to end the show, when the lady who was holding Sierra’s leash, tapped me on the shoulder and asked, “When is it her turn”? With sad eyes I said, “She doesn’t have a turn”. She responded, “But she looks like she is ready to go”!   I looked down and what I saw was simply unbelievable. Sierra had been pulling on the leash the whole time trying to get out to play. After watching the other dogs perform and hearing the audience reaction, she was ready to go! I decided to let her off the leash and see what she would do. Sierra flew into the performance ring with vigor, picked up a Frisbee, and ran right back to me. Her eyes had finally transformed and she was ready to perform. I introduced Sierra as my newest star then proceeded to take her through the motions of doing all her tricks, just like she did at home. To my amazement she didn’t miss a beat! She was soaring, spinning, jumping, and flying; and the crowd loved her! It took everything for me to hold back the tears of joy.  Sierra performed the whole next season, but only if her buddies Pepper and Jaz were with her. It wasn’t until almost a year later when she finally gained the confidence to perform solo.

Missouri State Fair 2003 (Photo by Bobby Thompson)

Soaring Sierra will be 11 years old this July and is currently still performing. She has starred in more shows than any other Extreme Canine Stunt Dog in history.  However, last September Sierra was diagnosed with cancer and had a large tumor removed from under her tail. She is currently in good health with only minor complications along with being on a special diet. I’m not sure how many more shows she has left in her, so I’ve been cherishing every moment we have together.

Soaring Sierra’s most memorable career moments include winning an episode of the first season of Animal Planets Pet Stars with Mario Lopez; with a perfect 30 score. Sierra has also starred in two commercials, has been featured in Dogs for Kids magazine, and was the poster dog for the “K9 Sport” dog supplement by Pet Max Naturals.

Kong Dog Toy vs Extreme Canine

Action Jackson with a Puppy Kong

PRODUCT REVIEW: EXTREME KONG

My stunt dogs love to play with dog toys! One of their favorite toys is the “Kong” by the Kong Company (http://www.kongcompany.com).  However, keep in mind that no matter how tough a toy appears to be; it still can be destroyed. Flashy Ferrari my newest “Extreme Canines Show” star proved this fact!

Here is the story….. It was a rainy day on the Northern California coast in mid-December. Ferrari was presented with a new challenge, the EXTREME KONG. She wasted no time snagging it out of mid-air, then hording it from the rest of the pack. After destroying all of her other toys, I thought this would be literally indestructible.  I mean it was titled “EXTREME” and sounded perfectly suited for her.  The Kong gave her a good run for her money for an hour or more.  I inspected the Kong and it appeared to be holding up quite well. So I figured it would be safe to leave her with it while I ran some errands around town. Big mistake!

To my horror, when I returned after only a few hours, the Kong  had been defeated. Ferrari had somehow managed the near impossible. I was astonished!  The EXTREME KONG had met its match and lost horribly. She literally ate half of it with no stuffing ever put inside. I could hear her quoting the big fat guy from Austin Powers; “It’s in my belly”! She seemed so proud of herself. I told her next time I should just throw her a twenty dollar bill and save myself the misery. At least that is just paper and will pass easily.

The EXTREME KONG is still one of the toughest toys out there. Most dogs won’t be able to chew this up at all or so quickly. If your dog is a serious power chewer, my advice is to never leave your dog unattended with any toy. For if there is a will, there is a way. Ferrari is up for her next challenge. Who dares bring forth a toy worthy enough to challenge her?

Extreme Kong vs Ferrari

Canine entrepreneur herds for cash

Sierra will herd for Cash (1999) Copyright by Chris Perondi

This photo was captured on my front porch in Stockton, CA when Sierra was about a year old. This was right before I started the “Extreme Canines Stunt Dog Show”. Sierra and I were brainstorming on what we could do for a living to be able to work together. She came up with this idea all by herself. I had nothing to do with this at all. Seriously! What, you don’t believe me?  Ha ha!  Okay maybe not, but Sierra is a Border Collie.  They are one of the smartest breeds.

Dogs almost frozen solid on tour

Raleigh, NC

I’m currently in the middle of my winter tour and I decided to make my layover in Raleigh, NC. I’ve been here for almost two weeks now and the weather has been a little chilly. But this morning, the dogs and I woke up to snow!  After only a few of minutes outside, a couple of my dogs looked as though they were frozen solid. It’s only about 30 degrees out right now. So I told them to “dog up”, because it’s supposed to be in the mid teens tonight. Jackson my little Jack Russell gave me this look of total disgust and went right back inside. He was adopted from southern California — need I say more?  The rest of my pack quickly decided it was gonna be play time in the snow!

When I first woke up, I had flashbacks from being on the moon last winter. Last year, I was in the frostbitten state of Michigan during this time of the year. I got snowed in, my RV pipes froze up, and went a couple days without water. I had to construct a special heated hose so the water would work.  Once it warmed up, I found leaky pipes inside my storage compartment which had to be fixed. It’s not always fun and games while traveling on the road. But I’m learning the importance of making the best of every situation. So today… we embraced the snow! I have one more week until I head to Ohio and beyond for a slew of theater productions on the east coast. The dogs are getting antsy and are as ready to perform; as am I!

(Click the image to watch the video)