A Star is Born

Alli loves the stage!  I would have never guessed she would love this experience so very much!  I have a new appreciation of my sweet collie girl and her abilities.  Alli, as you know, is a therapy dog.  She is so laid back with everyone from the very small to the very tall and everyone in between.  It doesn't faze her when someone mistakenly steps on her or accidentally pokes, pulls or pushes her, wheel chairs come really close to her and people who walk differently or with canes pass right by her. Nothing fazes her and I suppose this is why I thought we might try the theater when this opportunity arose.  I did wonder what she would think of the bright lights, big stage and all the people in the audience.  I have trained two dogs for other theater productions and enjoyed the process and the challenge behind the scenes.  This was my third opportunity and this time I had the happy privilege to use one of my dogs.  Alli fit the part of "Wolfe" the dog perfectly.  From the start Alli seem to enjoy herself; I wonder if she thought it was one big therapy session; helping the actors where she was needed whether it be on stage or in the Green Room.  She brought me to tears many times throughout this process and they were very happy tears.  The heart of a collie was so evident to me again; that sweet, gentle and kind spirit, trying her very best to figure out what was needed and meeting those needs.

I wanted to share a few of my favorite moments....

We practiced our scenes in a smallish room at another building for months leading up to the play.  We were only in the large theater on the big stage three nights prior to opening night.  I wondered how Alli would react to this new place.  The surround sound and new lighting. She seem to adapt immediately and didn't skip a beat.

Alli was in the first two scenes of the play and in order for us to be on stage timely, we had to stand behind the curtains on stage quietly and calmly well before the play started - almost 20 minutes. The reason...there is only so much room and the actors were standing on the stairs and in the small area off the stage waiting for their turn on stage. Also, a choir sang before our performance started and they also needed room to get to their places and off the stage before our music started.  The music for our play was a long intro as well. There simply wasn't enough room for us to come on stage at the last minute we had to wait in line and we were first in line.  I was amazed at how Alli led me to the stage each and every one of the three performances...she wanted to be there.  While we waited quietly in a very small area between two curtains right on the stage with the scenes all set to go; Alli just relaxed and watched the stage and listened. No panting, no whining, no signs whatsoever she wanted to leave...she knew this was her part and she relished it.  I stood there amazed at her...she kept me calm. And when it was her time to go on the stage; she very happily trotted by my side to her place each and every time.  Amazing!

There were three performances.  The first performance was spectacular and was more than I could have hoped for...Alli was very thoughtful and it was evident she was trying her best to do her part. One of Alli's lines was to bark on my cue when a young actor walked on stage.  Alli is very aware that barking isn't usually something I ask her to do; being quiet and reserved when we visit schools and hospitals is the order of the day.  Alli picked up the cue to bark very quickly but seemed to be a bit inconsistent while on stage during practice.  I wasn't worried about her barking; she learned to bark on a visual cue and we practiced but the director had a dog barking on the audio ready to go if Alli didn't bark.  We were prepared.  The first and second performances Alli didn't bark.  I did wonder if Alli could quite see me give her the cue to bark with the dim lighting of the scene; as I saw her looking for me when the actors spoke the lines that she had heard many times before she was asked to bark.  She seem to know; I suspect it might have been lighting or perhaps because it was her first time on stage and she sensed all the people now in the theater she thought it would be rude to bark, but she made that decision and I respect her for it as it is really something way outside her comfort zone.  I might add Alli is completely off lead for the first scene, stayed in her down stay (even when two young people run over by her to talk to another actor...so cool!) AND she was on the other side of the stage from me as well...Alli arose when she heard the familiar line of the lady who enters onto the stage and started heading for me, right on cue. The 2nd scene is a dreamy kinda scene - this is when she is to bark and the lighting is way different; kind of darker and bluish...she walks out on stage off lead with the character that owns her in the play and stays with him while he has a little exchange with her.   There is a part where the country dutchman do a bowling sequence and she just watches. She was engaged and did so well...way to go Alli!

Our second performance was in the afternoon. When we practiced our scenes it had always been in the evening.  Repetition is so important to dogs and everything matters; time of day; place etc etc. So our 2nd performance was a matinee.  I had a busy morning and our time to leave for the stage came very quickly.  In all fairness I did not drain Alli's energy and in retrospect that was my mistake.  Alli was very energetic very up and happy on stage.  She came up on her down stay...uh-oh...but she stayed on stage and then proceeded to visit with all the actors.  The second scene she was a bit eager to receive her treats on stage and wandered over where I couldn't see her when the actor came on stage she is to bark at...I thought for a minute she was going to leave...but she did not, she got back on track and everything else went rather well.  Just not quite as planned.  Everyone said it was great...a dog milling around is what dogs do...we even got very good reviews after that performance while in line greeting the people who attended.  Most didn't know anything went wrong.  Alli and I knew...I let her know I was a bit disappointed and we practiced our down stay on stage between performances, took a walk and went home to rest.

Alli's third performance...well gee, I get teary eyed just thinking about it, she was excellent.  She seemed to say Mom, I lost my head a bit...I enjoyed myself a bit too much...I am on it this time.  She did her down stay, she slowly walked over the stage to me, stopping and waiting until I asked her to come off when the line was spoken "Wolfe head for the hills boy!"!  She followed her owner actor and even peered out over the audience when he walked to the very front of the stage as if to say HI good to see you all and then went right back to her script. I almost laughed out loud, I would love to know what was going through her mind as she peered out at the people looking back at her!   And then her moment came, the one we had practiced for months and months; I gave her the visual cue while standing back between the dark curtains to bark and she barked!!!! YES!! She sniffed her owner actor at the end of the scene before walking off stage to me...she nailed it!!!

We had a few actors in place to help keep Alli on task and I have to give a shout out to her owner/actor of the play Rip Van Winkle aka Robert Calabretta, Canine Officer Mike for giving her a well timed treat and pat and to Country Dutchman Abbey (pictured below) who helped her as well to stay on task, Abbey's timing was perfect!!

What a relief...we did it!  I think of all the times she could have chosen to say, "I'm outta here" but she did not. It truly was a choice of her will to stay on stage and do her part.  I could not ask for more, each time she tried her very best.  I was thinking of how very important this experience was for Alli...it broaden her concept of the world around her.  It gave her confidence, allowed her to think and problem solve...  All dogs need these opportunities.  It doesn't have to be on a big stage...but the more we get our dogs out and work with them and ask of them through new and different experiences; the more they learn and think and grow!

I have to give another shout out to our friend Ping (pictured below).  Ping was a country Dutchman bowler and walked Alli out on stage for her curtain call.  All the clapping, whistling and yelling can be a bit daunting for dogs I learned from previous experience. I thought that perhaps Alli's owner actor would get quite a bit of applause as he had a very big part and wasn't sure how she would enjoy that. So I made the decision to have Alli go out with someone she already knew.  Alli has known Ping for years and Ping is a wonderful dog handler in her own right. I knew she would be perfect to give Alli the confidence she might need to face all the applause and it worked perfectly!!  Thank you Ping!

I will end this extremely long post with the most important part of this experience that warmed my heart...Alli's interaction with all the actors during our practices and in the Green Room between scenes.  I had quite a few tell me they were glad Alli was there with them.  And I had the lucky privilege to see many, many smiles.  I observed over these many weeks and months Alli doing her real work behind the scenes, bringing peace and calm and happy smiles...and that is what truly makes her a bright and shining Star!!

Thank you Michele Bayko and Orange Barrel Productions Co. for allowing Alli and I join you for The Legends of Sleepy Hollow!

The light is always brightest before it goes out

So, this is it in a nutshell, the challenge of training a dog for live theater.  I am working with a creature, a dog, who for the most part doesn't know English.  Mind you Alli knows sit, down, stay and some other behaviors and is able to do them when I ask her to do so.  But generally when we do this type of work, I am right by her side giving her the cues, both verbally and visually.  Now transfer this to the stage.  Remember, I don't have the privilege to simply tell her or explain to her that she should go out and sit with the kids after walking on stage with the man (even though he may forget to ask you to "let's walk" with him) while the curtain is going up.  Oh, and when you get to center stage have a seat and stay there.  Please don't mind the balls that the kids will be rolling right in front of you.  And when the girl comes out with the keg in hand, bark at her and then go and sit down until the man falls off his chair...then sniff him before you slowly walk off stage to me.  Got that Alli!

So, this is what I did...I transferred the cue "go to your place" and put a lid with a few treats on the spot that Alli needed to go to as the humans were walking out to center stage.  This was a fail proof so if the human forgot to ask Alli to "let's walk" she could get on stage without help from said human.  Good, she picked it up as if she had been doing it all her life.  With my cue "go to your place" Alli happily runs out on stage 10 feet away from me, takes her treats and turns to face me and I ask her to sit and stay...done. The kids that are playing the bowling ball game, never fazed Alli as I told her to "leave it" (the balls, that is, the first time one rolled by her long pointy nose) and she did so from the start.  Although, I did have to remind the kids not to roll the balls over Alli's feet and I had to insure that Alli's "place" was back far enough so that she could lie down and not be in the way.  During our practices I reminded the actors to please remember Alli is either sitting or lying down and don't step on her...it actually happened once, a hard cowboy boot heel too, which would be enough for any sensitive type dog to say forget this I'm out of here.  But with one reassuring look from me and a cue to stay...Alli didn't take offense and stayed like a champ.  Alli was staying at her place well and lying down on cue and sitting back up on cue.  AND I was giving her these cues from 8 to10 feet away...GREAT.  We had the cue for bark down when the girl with the keg came on stage...but then a  problem arose that the girl with the keg missed her cue a few times and then I lost eye contact with Alli because there was no room for me on the side lines and several people, including said girl with keg, walked in front of my line of vision with Alli and by the time I saw Alli again we missed our cue to bark completely.  This happened a few times right in a row and wha la...the behavior is extinguished before we ever got it marked and set. Ok, well...perhaps they will have to put the bark on tape. After all, repetition and well timed treats are the only way Alli, who remember doesn't understand English, knows that she did what we wanted her to do. 

But then this night came...I thought maybe we would be able to circumvent it and ignore it all together...maybe it wouldn't happened...not to Alli, she's been wonderful and making it all look so easy... wishful thinking.  Maybe I became too comfortable, too complacent?  But it came, we were visited tonight like an unwanted visit from Eddie (you know from the movie Vacation)!  Alli wandered around the stage...the man got in the way of Alli and her "place" so she turned back to me off stage, she forgot how to sit and stay... It happened...  It's a phenomenon that trainers talk about.  It happens during a 6 week obedience class...the dogs are all doing great and catching on and learning all the behaviors and then that 3 week time period inevitably arrives and the dogs act as IF they don't have a clue what you want them to do...they acquire selective hearing. It's amazing and can be very discouraging to the human part of the equation.  I've seen it happen over and over again.  It reminds me when a light bulb becomes very, very bright just before it burns out.  Just like the "I don't know what you are saying" is extinguished for ever and the dog gets it...they understand what you want and consistently perform the behaviors you are asking for.  I had to remind myself of this phenomenon tonight...as I felt discouragement creeping around me like a cloud. 

I have done this three times now...trained three dogs for live theater.  The first two times we had a great deal of time to work, on the stage.  But we don't have that luxury this time, another challenge for a dog who again, doesn't understand language. Oh, Alli by the way...you will be doing all of this on a very big stage, with very bright lights and lots and lots of people sitting in the audience looking at you.  I am asking a great deal of Alli and I trust she will do what I have asked her to do.  But, I have to remember it's not easy what I am asking of her.  I have to remember that she is doing this all out of the goodness of her heart and in honor of the relationship we have built. No failures here...just outcomes...and if we have to tweak outcomes...so be it.  I believe tomorrow night will be better and we will be able to practice our two little scenes and create some understanding with the humans on stage to be thoughtful of Alli and help her out, as they can.

I was thinking tonight on my long drive home that perhaps I should prefer training dogs for film...I am increasingly liking the phrase "cut".  I like the thought of working only a couple feet away and doing as many "takes" as we need to get the behavior we want...such as "bark".  But on the other hand, where is the challenge in that...huh, Lassie? I am glad I took on the challenge...and I remember being at this very point when training with the previous two dogs.  We'll see what tomorrow holds...and I will remember to continue to thank Alli for trying her best.  IF only she could talk, I would love to have her write a post to my blog!  It might start out something like this..."can you believe what these silly humans had me doing tonight"!  Perspective is a good thing!

  

Photo Shoot!

Ezra and Alli were invited by good friend Scott Swingle, owner and videographer of www.westieproductions.com, to be in a local video of the Top 25 things to do in Knox County. One of the things to do in our county is to visit Wolfe Run Dog Park which boasts a very nice agility course for all dogs to enjoy.  Scott is doing this work for I-Conn Productions and asked if I would be willing to be involved...I jumped at the chance, pun intended. Ezra was very much in his element, loved every minute of it as he lives for agility.  He took the camera positioned, at times, on the equipment in stride.  I can always count on Ezra.  Alli was very good as well.  She seemed to pick up on Ezra's enthusiasm and enjoyed the shoot.  Alli noticed the camera and it did take her back a bit, but with encouragement she did her part very well.

Picard, a star in her own right, also joined us for the shoot.  Picard, a westie, is Scott's dog and is the reason that Scott and I met.  Picard played the part of Toto in MTVart's production of the Wizard of Oz which played live on stage in 2009.  I had been asked to be the trainer for Picard, my first attempt at training for live theater.  It went really well, thanks in great part to Scott's enthusiastic support and help in teaching and training Picard for her role!

We had a great deal of fun, always great to work with Scott as he puts both humans and canines at ease.  Scott does his job so well that we didn't do many takes, he seemed to get the shot he wanted the first time which was really nice for the dogs.  The dogs simply had fun and Scott worked his magic!

I am thankful to be a part of such a great community of people.  I am thrilled to have been asked to be a part of this video and look forward to seeing the end result!  Stay tuned...

"It's not the destination...it's the Journey!"

What a nice week!  I just finished up a very successful Canine Good Citizen's Class and am starting two new classes; AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy class and a basic education class in Columbus Ohio.  Happy comments from my students and friends inspire me to continue to do what I love!

I was speaking to my new class today and what a great group!  So enthusiastic and knowledgeable.  I am really looking forward to our class!  As I was sharing with them something struck me and very strongly.  I can not guarantee they will have the perfect dog after our 6 weeks together but I can hope that they will have a better understanding of how to communicate and build a strong relationship through mutual respect with their canine.  

I was speaking with one of my best childhood friends the other day by phone.  She had just purchased a dachshund puppy and was telling me all about him.  So cute!  I then asked her how her older lab mix dog was doing and she said, "oh, well Boo is perfect!"  Boo is 11 or 12 years old now.  I laughed and a shed a tear all at once, as I remembered the phone conversation about Boo when she was a very young dog.  She jumped on people, she barked and she would get out of any fence they constructed and run the neighborhood.  The neighbors knew Boo quite well.  And now..."Boo is the perfect dog!"  And I would agree.  But the point here is that Boo was allowed to develop and grow into the perfect dog.  I commend my friend for sticking through the rough periods and building relationship, allowing for Boo to "grow into the perfect dog"!  We are such a throw away society and we want things right now.  We want the perfect life, house, job and kids.  But, life isn't always just how we planned. Life is a journey and we all grow and change and mature...or at least, we hope we do.  Right?  Isn't it wonderful that our parents allowed for our growth and change and helped us along the way to become the person we are today.  I am so glad I am not the person I use to be.  It is the very same concept with our dogs.  It is a journey and a joy to watch the transformation of puppy energy to a mature and just about "perfect" dog.  So many dogs in our society never get the opportunity to become that well loved, "perfect" member of the family.

Dogs learn when they learn...at their own pace.  They are as individual as you and I.  I have found training both dogs, horses and ponies to be a wonderful journey.  I have enjoyed each and every furry family member and am thankful for the wonderful life's concepts I have learned from each one of them.  I was reminded again, why I named my business what I did... Pawsitive Journey.  I hope my students laugh along the way and can view any training issue for what it is...a solvable problem that will go away as the dog, horse or pony matures, learns and grows.  And the journey...life is a wonderful journey...full and promising!