Dogged attention at Stratford Festival

Service pups in training attend play

Actors at an esteemed Canadian theatre festival had a chance last week to perform for one of their most memorable crowds yet — a pack of pooches.

The dozen or so dogs, ranging from golden retrievers to poodles, attended a performance of the musical Billy Elliot at the Stratford Festival as part of their training to become service dogs. A photo posted by festival organizers of the dogs sitting patiently in their seats captured the canine- loving internet’s attention.

But attending the musical wasn’t just a walk in the park for the pups. Laura Mackenzie, head trainer of K- 9 Country Inn Working Service Dogs, the organization preparing the dogs, told the CBC that part of their training involves acclimatizing the animals to situations with unusual sounds and lights, and increased density of people.

“The theatre gives us the opportunity to expose the dogs to different stimuli

The dogs must remain relaxed in tight quarters for an extended

period.

such as lights, loud noises and movement of varying degrees,” Mackenzie said. “The dogs must remain relaxed in tight quarters for an extended period of time.”

Mackenzie told CNN that the dogs succeeded at the exercise — they stayed still and quiet during the show. Typically, they’re trained to sit at their handler’s feet or under the seat. She added that some of them peeked their heads through the holes between the seats to watch the performance.

The nascent service dogs attended one of Stratford’s “Relaxed Performances,” which are special performances to accommodate any accessibility issues, designed for “patrons who will benefit from a less restricted audience environment.” Viewers are less restricted on moving around or making noise, and the performance itself tones down the volume and lights.

A Stratford Festival spokesperson told CBC that the festival hosts guests with service dogs several times a week.

“It’s wonderful that going to the theatre is considered one of the things that you want to train a service dog for, rather than thinking that theatre is out of reach for people who require a service animal, because it isn’t,” the spokesperson said.

The dogs have also been taken on trips to an aquarium in Toronto, as well as a day on the beach.