ESCONDIDO, Calif. — The California Center for the Arts is a great place to watch a concert or if you'd like watch dogs jump through hoops.
Chris Perondi’s Stunt Dog Experience performed in Escondido last weekend and I was lucky enough to meet stars of the show. I've seen a lot of things in my life, but never dogs jumping for joy. "This is amazing," I said while participating with a dog skipping rope.
Chris Perondi’s Stunt Dog Experience produces the world’s #1 “Stunt Dog Show” starring dogs that have been rescued from pounds and shelters. The show has been seen on the Tonight Show, Ellen DeGeneres, Oprah Winfrey, the Queen Latifah Show, and now, even the Zevely Zone.
"Hey Vinny, it's going to be so fun, yes, that's a good boy it's going to be so fun," said Chris. He has performed 10,000 live shows in the past 20 years. Chris Perondi loves all 13 of his dogs but someone has to be the star. "Which one is your favorite dog?" I asked. Chris told me, "Well, I really do not want to get the other dogs jealous but one of my favorite s is probably Vinny Valentino."
Vinny started dancing on Chris' feet, "This is the footsies trick. It's a doggy dancing move actually but I've been working on the shuffle, this is the shuffle." Chris says when he was a kid, he wanted to teach his dog how to catch a frisbee and the idea took off. After 20 twenty years on the road the show is a success and so is the concept. Chris adopts every one of these dogs from pounds and shelters.
"There are so many great dogs out there and people don't realize that these dogs are just stuck in unforeseen circumstances they are not bad dogs. Sometimes they are puppies sometimes they are a year or two years old and you can train any dog doesn't matter the age, breed or size," said Chris.
Chris travels and performs with his wife, Suhey, and they sleep with their dogs.
"Normally we will have three or four on the bed sometimes five if they can squeeze in. It's kind of tough when a Golden Doodle gets into bed with you and he's like 65 pounds, he spreads out and takes up all of the space," said Chris.
Stay positive and patient with your pets, Chris says they can learn any trick. Chris Perondi’s Stunt Dog Experience has also starred in commercials for Animal Planet and performed for millions in the 2014 annual “Rose Parade”. They have also been featured in Sports Illustrated Magazine, Dog Fancy, Dogs for Kids, National Geographic Kids, and in USA Today!
Make sure to follow the California Center for the Arts, Escondido on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter by searching for TheCCAE. The Center's unique campus includes a 1,523-seat concert hall, a 404-seat theater, a contemporary art museum, art and dance studios, and a full-service conference center with meeting and banquet facilities.
For more information about The Perondi’s Stunt Dog, visit www.stuntdogshow.com.