Pawsitive Journey: 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!!