Man’s best friend took center stage at Mount Baker Theatre Thursday night during Chris Perondi’s Stunt Dog Experience, where a team of trainers and much fluffier trainees showed off feats of speed and agility.
Energized pop music played behind Perondi and his wife, Suhey, as they introduced their show, which travels across the country to showcase their stunt dogs.
Five challenges tested the dogs’ abilities, and the audience of children, parents and grandparents were tasked with cheering on one of the teams of dogs, clad either in blue or red.
Three kids were asked onstage, then a real stunt dog jumped over their backs, as well as the back of a dog-suited mascot. The real stunt dog flew in the air and seemed to hover there as it caught a Frisbee in its mouth.
“I wanted to come since dogs are my favorite animal in the entire world!” said 10-year-old Sable Snowlee, who added she is constantly talking, and even singing, about dogs.
Snowlee and her friend, 10-year-old Pheobe Mann, love playing with their dogs at home, and Snowlee even set up an agility station for her dog, Wagner.
Some of the most impressive skills shown by the stunt dogs were jump roping, riding a rolling barrel and doing a handstand on their trainer’s hand. One dog, a floppy golden doodle named Coda, danced on the feet of Suhey Perondi.
Chris Perondi began his career when he adopted a puppy named Extreme Pepper and wanted to teach him to catch a Frisbee.
“By the time he was about 5 and a half months old, he could catch them as far as I could throw them,” Chris Perondi said in an interview with Cascadia Daily News.
In 2000, Extreme Pepper became the national champion Frisbee dog. Perondi and his pups began performing at festivals, playing halftime shows for the 49ers and have since appeared on “The Queen Latifa Show,” “The Tonight Show,” “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” “Ellen” and more.
“They’ve taken us to places we’ve never dreamed,” Chris Perondi said.
Traveling with dogs has challenges, but it’s been a dream come true, and he enjoys being able to make a living while essentially playing with his dogs.
The Perondis’ mission is to help the nearly 3 million dogs in American shelters and pounds. They hope their show encourages those looking for a pet to adopt, not shop “because there are so many great dogs out there,” Suhey Perondi told the audience.
She cited their dogs — all of which were rescued — as an example. The Perondis believe all dogs can be trained — with the right methods — no matter age, size or breed.
Chris Perondi remembered his dog Soaring Sierra who had difficulty performing onstage.
“It was very frustrating and made me step up as a trainer to realize not all dogs learn the same way,” he said.
Perondi figured out she was more comfortable onstage with another dog. Soaring Sierra eventually inspired the Perondis to do their multiple dog shows.
The Perondis also want to help people become better dog owners.
“We want (the audience) to see us playing and having fun with our dogs because we want them to do more with their dogs when they go home,” Chris Perondi said.
The couple sells dog training DVDs as well as “The Big Book of Tricks for the Best Dog Ever.” Perondi loves to show his dogs affection on stage and wants the audience to know the dogs are loved.
“The love we have, as Americans, for animals, and dogs specifically, is what really makes our shows something special because people can relate to them,” he said.
More information about the Perondi’s shows and mission is on their website.
A previous version of this story misidentified where the photos were taken. The story was updated to reflect these changes at 4:19 p.m. on Nov. 8. The Cascadia Daily News regrets the error.