birds chirping
Sharon Page
Who wants to play Frisbees?
Dash barks in response
Sharon Page
Go,
snaps fingers
Sharon Page
take it!
Angela Fitzgerald
Sharon Page's love for dogs started at a young age.
Sharon
Good boy. We got our first family dog when I was just two.
Dash whimpers excitedly
Sharon
Even before that, my first word had been "doggy." I said "doggy" before I said "mama."
Sharon laughs and claps
Sharon
Come on, Dash! I was absolutely enthralled by dogs my entire life.
Sharon snaps fingers, Dash barks
Sharon
It was that early enthusiasm that led Sharon down a tricky path. Nice catch.
snaps fingers, applauds
Sharon
She decided she wanted to become an official circus trick dog trainer, and at the age of twelve, got her first dog. The first tricks that I ever taught were tricks I would never ever recommend anybody teach. Remember that I was twelve.
flipping page
Sharon
I taught my first dog, a Springer Spaniel, to jump up and grab cigarettes out of people's mouths because I really hated smoking. And I taught him to jump up and bite my wrist so that I would drop a toy gun. I thought he'd be great at disarming a criminal someday
laughs
Sharon
if I needed him to do that. I don't recommend that you teach dogs
laughing
Sharon
to bite or jump up into people's faces for their, for their tricks. Sharon's dogs have won 113 titles, certificates, and versatility awards. She's lived and worked all over the world. She even competed on the reality show, Turkey's Got Talent. We auditioned and got onto season one. Of the thirty acts that were on for our week, we won the phone vote with over a million people called in to vote for us and went straight to the semi-finals, where we performed a pirate routine. Although Sharon might be the ringmaster, it's her four-legged stars that steal the show.
opening doors
Sharon
Okay, Dash. Meet Dash, an enthusiastic papillon who loves to entertain. Go in your suitcase.
Dash whimpers
Sharon
He is the Energizer Bunny of dogs. Lie down. Doughnut. Doughnut, doughnut, doughnut. doughnut, doughnut. I could literally train him for hours and he would never give up interest or get bored. That's all he wants to do is work. Good boy! Play the basketball again. Good boy. Come on. Get the phone. Dash is one of Sharon's most honored dogs. Good hold. He has the highest titles in the two governing bodies for the sport of trick dog. He has a "Trick Dog Champion" title, and then, he has the "Trick Dog Elite Performer" title. He's one of only 150 dogs to have the second title and that's from all of the US and Canada. Not to be undone, Copper joined the act in 2017. Copper, jump up. Having been rescued from a local shelter in Wisconsin. Ready? Push. Good girl, push. She had about a 10-second attention span and then she was done. It's okay, come on. Good girl, come on. Luckily, she's also the fastest learning dog I've ever had in my life and she's also very unusual for a dog. She can learn to do tricks by watching another dog do them. Copper, like Dash, is also a "Trick Dog Elite Performer." Copper four in, stay. The highest title you can get from the American Kennel Club. Copper, jump up. She's just spectacular. Although Sharon, Dash, and Copper continue to compete at national competitions, some of their favorite shows are actually booked a little closer to home.
applause
Sharon
Who's ready to meet the first dog? Alright. Bringing their circus to local libraries.
child squeals in delight
Sharon
They are a blast. Yes, attaboy. I grew up in libraries. So, being able to go do a library show and get kids enthusiastic about reading is totally up my alley.
circus music
Sharon
They even add some theatrics to the tricks. So, we did his skit called "Circus Story," which is about a dog that was too little to join the circus. He applied for a job and they said he was too small. So, he decided that he would have to work out and prove to the circus that he was worthy of joining them. And then, in the end, he becomes a tight rope walker. Yay!
applause
Sharon
When she started doing these shows, Sharon didn't know exactly what to expect at first. Oops!
laughing
Sharon
I thought I was gonna be having to corral toddlers all the time and the parents, the librarians, and the kids themselves are just so well-mannered and eager to make the experience fun for everyone. I can't imagine anything not to like about doing a library show. And that is the end of our program. Thank you, guys, for coming. For Sharon, dogs have had a huge impact on her life. Even pushing her to learn a few new tricks of her own. Because of dogs, I've learned how to do so many different things. I was interested in dog behavior so I even went back to graduate school to study animal behavior. And along the way, forming bonds and relationships that you just can't teach otherwise. No matter how friendly and wonderful the other people in your life are, there's something so accepting about a dog. They're so non-judgmental, always happy to see you.
playful music
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