Chris Perondi's Stunt Dogs are Part Pets, Part Performers

When Chris Perondi finds a future star among the nation’s teeming animal shelters, he knows that rescue dog will be treated with the utmost kindness.

That’s because for more than 15 years, across more than 8,000 live performances that have included The Oprah Winfrey Show and the Rose Parade, he and his wife Suhey have treated their performance dogs like family by using positive training methods to ensure the dogs’ happiness and obedience.

“They live with us,” Mr. Perondi said of his high-performance pups. “We do this full time. They’re with us 24-7. They get very bonded to us. They’re like kids to us.”

Sometimes the dogs that are too much work for an average family are the same dogs that make great performers, he said.

“We look for dogs that are playful, maybe a little jumpy, maybe a little neurotic,” he said. “A lot of the dogs have been returned multiple times because of digging and other bad behavior. They need a job to do and someone to train and work with them.”

In a perfect world, he said, dog owners would all get lessons on properly training their dog. One of the most important lessons he would impart is that dogs are animals, and they can’t learn the same way humans can. For instance, if a dog runs away but returns when you call, praise them for returning and save any scolding for the moment they misbehave. Once that moment is gone, the dog won’t associate its behavior with the scolding.

Proper dog training takes a deft hand and a varied approach, he said.

“There’s no magic wand here,” Mr. Perondi said. “The main thing is to be patient, be consistent, always give them the same hand signals, verbal cues, and be repetitious.”

Chris Perondi’s Stunt Dog Experience, Richard and Karen Carpenter Performing Arts Center Nov. 15 1 p.m. & 4 p.m. (562) 985-7000