Trainers put rescued pooches through their paces in show

Scott Houghton hopes that audiences will enjoy the dog tricks and human follies featured in his “Mutts Gone Nuts” show, but he also wants them to learn a serious lesson.

“We’re trying to dispel the myth that shelter dogs are somehow busted,” Houghton said. “They are great dogs.”

Houghton and his wife, Joan, exclusively use dogs they have rescued or obtained from an animal shelter in their show, which will visit the Marion Palace Theatre on Sunday.

The duo performed a comedy juggling-andunicycle act for many years, then switched gears to create a dog-centric show about 10 years ago.

Since then, they have kept busy, performing 238 shows in 2016 alone, Houghton said. They own 10 dogs, which they train on their farm in Damascus, Maryland.

“Growing up, I loved watching dog acts on ‘The Ed Sullivan Show’ or in circuses,” he said. “And I particularly liked acts where the dogs were smarter than the trainer, where they outsmart their handlers.

“So that’s one of the principles of our show. The dogs outsmart me.”

The 75-minute show features dogs doing various flips and tricks, catching flying discs, balancing on tightropes and jumping rope, among other things.

The Houghtons get help from trainer Samantha Valle (whose dog, Geronimo, performs double Dutch rope jumping in the show) and comedian Jonathan Burns.

This past July, “Mutts Gone Nuts” appeared on the TV show “The View,” and Houghton said they’ve been invited back this year.

Whenever possible, Houghton said, the show partners with local rescue or dog-welfare groups, and that will be the case on Sunday in Marion.

Bev Ford, executive director of the Marion Palace Theatre, said a pre-show event in the May Pavilion (adjacent to the theater) will include representatives of the Marion Area Humane Society with several of their dogs.

In addition, local veterinary students will provide grooming demonstrations. Children can complete a dog-related craft and take home a “puppy-chow” snack.

Ford said this is the first animal show the theater has hosted in her 19 years. Ticket sales have been brisk.

“We always try to have one family-oriented show a year,” she said. “I think this one will be fun.”