The Canine Stars Stunt Dog Show brought all the impressive tricks and treats to the Luhrs Performing Arts Center on Sunday for a double feature. Families filled the theater and could be heard laughing throughout the 60-minute show.
Dog trainers and their adopted dogs performed outstanding tricks, from jumping through hoops to dancing to racing to catching frisbees. Trading cards were given out to the audience members before the show started so they could enter the giveaway for dog-themed prizes.
Ethan Wilhelm, vice president of The Canine Stars, explained that the dogs are rewarded with freeze dried chicken hearts as a positive reinforcement tactic.
Wilhelm split up the audience into two teams, the yellow and red team, where each team would have a dog representing them and the two dogs battle to determine which one is faster or can jump the highest.
The first challenge was a relay race that became a battle between two Border Collies , Echo and Draco. Echo, representing the yellow team, took the win. Each of the four rounds had two new dogs. The yellow team crushed the red team with a score of 4-0.
The youngest Canine Stars, Kevin and Timone, made their appearance as Wilhelm spoke about the importance of puppies needing cheered for when it comes to training.
The trainers brought out a jump bar obstacle for the dogs to jump over. After each round, Wilhelm had the crowd chant “Raise the bar,” where they added another bar. If any dogs failed to make the jump without knocking down any bars, they were given another chance.
Beegee, an Australian cattledog, failed twice to get over the 40-inch barrier, but she succeeded on the third try.
“The message is there, you can do anything if you never give up,” Wilhelm said after telling the audience how Beegee has come a long way as a rehome and could barely make a 26-inch jump.
Ethan Wilhelm and his 5-year-old Border Collie, Shazam, perform the 9-foot box jump.
The highest bar reached to nine feet. Wilhelm and the 5-year-old Border Collie, Shazam, performed this dangerous stunt on Nickelodeon and America’s Got Talent. Shazam jumps onto a trainer’s back to use as a launch pad over the barrier and lands into Wilhelm’s arms. Shazam seems to be one of the most popular dogs, and trainer Whitney McNatt performed with Shazam during an NFL halftime show.
The Canine Stars mostly are rescue and shelter dogs that the trainer’s adopted and trained. At the end of the show, Wilhelm encouraged the audience to adopt dogs. Many dogs are euthanized every year due to overpopulation of shelters and not enough space or homes to go to.
These top dogs were seen after the event for families to meet. For more information and the latest updates, follow the Canine Stars on Instagram @caninestars.
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