Well, I've made the commitment! *L* It's hard for me to make commitments these days because I never know when I'll flare up with this joint disease. But I NEED to get out and DO things more, so after much consideration I decided we should do this.

We went to the first vocal rehearsal on Saturday. Khana wasn't needed there but I wanted her to go and just get acquainted with the people, the noise, the singing, etc. It wasn't on stage, just in a choral room at the same place the performances will be. Khana was SO excited to be there. She is a true "people dog" - she loves everyone and loves to be the center of attention. We went in and sat through the first couple of hours of practice and when there was a break, kids gathered around her and petted her, asking questions and just loving on her. She was on leash but I told her "go ahead" and she was out at the end of it, kids all around her, and she was in HEAVEN! *LOL* She would glance over at me and I'd smile at her, and she'd turn back to the kids, kissing any face that got close enough. The kids were thrilled with her and loved petting her furry back, playing with her curly tail, and Khana just basked in it all.

When the break was over, I called her back to me and she happily came back and laid down at my feet, just watching everyone. During every little break, kids would sneak over and pet her more. This is the most attention Khana has had since I've been sick! I had complete confidence in her, though - like I said, she LOVES people.

When the "orphans" were dismissed, I went out into the hallway with them and they played with her some more. She got to meet "Annie" and only Annie was allowed to give her treats (I want a definite bonding between them). There are something like 30 orphans in this group, so it's a LOT of kids! I had her do some of her tricks for them, and they thought she was wonderful.

So step one is completed - introduce Khana to everyone!

There are 10 weeks of rehearsals coming up, then nine performances. I read through the Annie libretto to find out what exactly was expected of her. I had been told that they would work around whatever we could do, but I'd never actually seen Annie so I wasn't sure what was typically done! I know, crazy to say "yes" to something before you know exactly what it is, but I know the woman who is setting this all up and she thought I was the best person to do this training, and I know my dog and my training abilities, so I wasn't really worried about it. Chris (the woman setting it all up) has taken her dog through my classes in the past, and knows me well. The request for a Sandy dog went out to the training groups, but I was the first to respond and Chris was happy to have me on board.

I went online and watched numerous video clips of Annie/Sandy performances. Even the ones with "real" trainers were fairly basic. Sandy has to come to Annie when called (in the script it says he crawls to her), has to stay with her while she sings "Tomorrow" (in almost every performance I saw, there was a leash on the dog that she held onto - the one performance where the dog was off-leash it left her and went off-stage ..*L* .. and Annie had treats with her for most of the performances), has to respond to her when she calls it away from the dog catcher (in the script, Sandy ignores her the first couple of calls and then comes on the last call, but in the performances the dogs came right away and most of the time the dog catcher was holding the leash until she called - oh, and in the script, Sandy runs to her and then jumps up and puts his front paws on her chest, but none of the dogs in the performances did that), and then in the finale, while the entire cast sings, Sandy is brought out in a big box - like a Christmas present - and the box is opened to show the special present.

SO - Khana doesn't know how to crawl, so we started working on that. I don't know if I can get the girl playing Annie to work with her enough to get all the signals down, but it would be darn cute if we could get Khana to crawl to her at first! I will design a short, fairly invisible leash to put on her so that Annie can keep her with her ... even if we build a good bond between them, expecting the dog to stay with her while she's singing an entire song is a lot to ask. In one performance I saw, she had the dog lay down and she kneeled beside him and petted him the entire time. That seemed to work well, but I don't know what the choreographer has in mind yet. So I think a short leash (maybe like a frayed rope, like the dog chewed through it - Sandy is supposed to be a stray) will be best. And getting Khana to ride in the box should be easy enough - I've had her ride in a wagon before. Oh - there is one point where Sandy is supposed to wander across the stage by himself. I'm pondering that. It's right after Annie is carried away, and if we could get her to drop something (a glove, or a scarf, handkerchief, whatever) then I could send Khana out to retrieve it. That would give her some focus. Either that, or I could put a piece of tape on the ground and have her go to the target (baiting it most of the time). What will be hard is trying to mimic the audience noises during rehearsals. It's one thing to do the behaviors when it's just the regular people, but you add an auditorium full of audience members and everything will be different.

So my dog training mind is spinning .. *L* .. this is the kind of thing I lived for, back when I was training. We didn't have many opportunities to do this kind of thing, though. Trick, one of my GSDs (the world's most perfect dog), did a commercial once. And my dogs and I did lots of performances over the years, at talent shows and at the local fair. In fact, we performed at the fair every year for maybe 8-10 years. But it was different from this, as I was WITH my dogs for every trick. This will be a fairly new challenge!

I'll take pictures along the way. Khana is not exactly a scruffy, Sandy-looking terrier-type mutt dog, but at least she's a reddish brown so the "Sandy" part will work! *LOL* She's actually a very beautiful dog, but it won't matter. In the performances I watched, there was everything from mixed breed terrier types to golden retrievers and labs and other light-colored dogs. The golden retriever was the one that left the stage during the song!

It will be fun. Exhausting too, I think, but just because I get tired too easily. I have a few health things to deal with (have dental work to get done, but have to go off of at least one of my meds first so I don't know how I will feel) but the director already knows this and understands. I hope to get that done soon and out of the way, and then I can concentrate on the musical.

I'll keep you all updated!

Melanie and the girls in Alaska
(for those of you who don't know, Khana is a Chow)

Congratulations! It sounds as if you are excited about this challenge. And your head is spinning but your mind is already working on how to do the training. lol

Treats by Annie only was a good place to start.

it will be good for Khana, too, getting so much attention from so many people.

Have fun and keep us posted.

Congrats, have fun!

Melanie,

Well I'm thrilled! Mostly, I want to you post updates during rehersals so we can enjoy your training and Khana's acting. It's clear that you have other, less pleasant things that also require your attention-but this is such a natural thing for you.

Anyway, it's a great story and I want to hear all of it (pictures from the ads would also be nice).

MJ

That's awesome. And I'm so happy to hear Khana was on Cloud 9 hanging out with all the kids. That will certainly make things a lot easier!

That is so awesome!!!!! We are going to HAVE to have pictures!!!!!

Melanie that is great.

Just a thought could you take some hair spray or gel and make some clumps of hair on the beautiful Khana? I am trying to think of things that would stick the hair together but not hurt her pretty coat. I don't think you would need much just some on the ends of the fur.

Sounds great - sounds like Khana has the perfect temperament for this. What a blast!

YAY!! I am so very excited and thrilled for you and Khana, Melanie! She will do wonderfully, and you will have stories about this to cherish forever.

Pictures? Pretty Pleeeeeeease??

How cool is that?! I can't wait to read all about your training and the experience. Khana is going to be a star!

WOW! Will there be pics?

Melanie, you have probably already thought of this, but you might want to get Khana used to working with applause.

Perhaps first just having the actors start quietly and getting louder over time. Just letting Khana hear it, then later do some of you ob or tricks while the applause is ongoing.

You could probably even record applause or laugh tracks for this, too.

I am so excited for you!

Ooh! Yes! Kramer was not in anything big like this - at the school I worked at they did a Christmas concert and had one song about dogs and asked staff to bring dogs to bark at a certain point in the song, a few times. So just a few barks in one thing but - when we got on stage I realized how dark it was and how you could not really see into the audience, so he didn't see there were people there.

They got to the bark part and he spoke really loudly - and the audience laughed - also really loudly and that shut some of the other dogs down - what the heck! Where are these people! But Kramer (who would do anything for a laugh) was like oh yeah...here we go...and kept barking throughout the song. Which - more laughter - more barking. The second night he pushed to the top of the stairs and didn't want to let the other dogs on stage. Yeee-ikes. Aren't dogs great???

So the darkness and the surprise of the audience WERE really big. Good thinking Bonnie!

There will definitely be pictures along the way - I plan to take my camera for several rehearsals and I'm sure there will be people taking photos during the actual performances. So I will share photos when I get them!

Getting used to the applause is a good idea - I figured I would try to get the cast to make "audience noises" and clapping should be part of that. It will be difficult to imitate the sound of a full auditorium, though. The performance group putting this on does a musical every winter, plus other performances throughout the year, and they are well-rehearsed and well done. The community really turns out for them, which is why there are nine performances! So I know that there will be a lot more audience noise than we can probably make during rehearsals, but any amount will help. Khana has competed in obedience and rally trials as well as conformation shows, but there really isn't much applause for that .. *L* .. but so far she has always gotten a little amped up with applause. I don't anticipate her being scared, but you don't know until you try it ...

Val, I thought about some mousse or something, like you mentioned. I haven't had a talk with the director about it yet, though - I did say we could do something to make her look scruffier, but I got the impression that it didn't matter to them. The biggest thing is that the dog performs! *L* Since training a dog for this is something beyond their experiences, they are just happy to have someone with training experience with a dog that has a good temperament and prior training. But I won't mind if they want to spike her hair. I will ABSOLUTELY get pictures of her up close if we do that!! (I draw the line at coloring her fur, though ... no purple and green stripes allowed!).

I practiced a bit of crawling with Khana again tonight. She's kind of a natural at it, so now she will probably crawl all over when I tell her "down" (I have a story about my first GSD who I taught to crawl, and how he would crawl around on the down-stays in open level competition - the handlers are out of the ring for five minutes and the dogs are supposed to stay in place, but Dawson got bored and crawled around eating clover .. *L*). I have to do the signal/command up close to her right now, but we've just started this week so I can't expect to be too far away from her. My plan is to put it on physical cues and to teach the kid to give the proper cues, but it will really depend on the consistency of the girl playing Annie.

The next rehearsal for the vocals should be this Saturday, but I may not make it. I had a doctor appointment today to discuss meds and my dental stuff, and I may end up getting teeth pulled by Friday - which means I may not be feeling so great on Saturday! But luckily it looks like I'll be able to get this stuff taken care of quickly, so I won't miss anything important if I do miss this week or even next. I don't think they actually NEED Khana for a long time, but there's a lot I can be doing to get her ready in the meantime.

I'll keep things updated on how her training goes, and how little Annie works out with her. I'm glad I have a background in working with children, too, and I get along with kids great. Most kids have a blast learning to get dogs to do behaviors, and hopefully this girl will too. I'm looking forward to it, and crossing my fingers that my health won't sideline me at any point. I kind of pushed myself to do this because I really do miss the training stuff, and I tend to be rather reclusive because of my health problems. Getting out and interacting with humans will be good for me, right?? *LOL*

Melanie and the girls

We had another rehearsal on Saturday. Khana wasn't required to be there, as they're still working on the basics (music and choreography), but I went to let her acclimate some more.

Her excitement level was much more controlled this time - she liked being there but wasn't frantically trying to get to everyone. She gladly accepted petting but relaxed, laid down and just watched as the orphans practiced their "Hard Knock Life" dance.

While the entire cast did warm-ups with the choreographer, I had Khana off to the side doing our own warm-ups. I had her heel forward and backwards, and do some "twists", which is what I call it when I have her in heel position, and as we're moving forward I give her the "twist" command and she does a half-turn at the same time I do a half-turn and we end up going the opposite way (with her on the opposite side of me - we start out with her on my left and then when we both do the half-turn at the same time and head back the way we came, she's heeling on the right). After several steps I give another "twist" command and we do the half-turn and are back going the original way, with Khana back on my left. When she does the turns, she turns out away from me and then directly back against my leg.

I threw in some spins, which are very basic - as I'm heeling forward, I give her the "spin" signal and command, and she does a full spin at my side and then right back into heeling. She can do this on the left or right.

I had her drop and then crawl forward, which is a new behavior for her. I use the visual cue of bending down and wiggling my fingers, which is how I'll have Annie call her initially. I'm hoping that Annie can give her the cues needed to get the right behaviors on stage. I can send Khana onto the stage, but she has to fully interact with the girl playing Annie, so the cues need to come from her.

Before I left I had an opportunity to talk to the director a bit about what he had in mind for Sandy's performance. He wants the scene where the dog catcher tells Annie to call Sandy (to prove that Sandy is her dog) to be done off-leash, and for Khana to ignore the first couple of calls and then come to Annie on the last call. I told him we'd work on that. If I have Annie use a pleading, "asking" voice for the first two "Sandy, come here?" requests, and then a louder, firmer "SANDY, COME!" along with clapping hands or slapping her hands on her legs as the visual cue for the actual recall behavior, I think it will work out. I'll practice having Khana stay while I say "Sandy, come here?" and then transfer that over to Annie when we get together.

I mentioned to the director that, in the video clips I saw, nearly all the dogs were held back by the dog catcher and then let go when Annie called louder to Sandy. His thoughts are that, IF the dog catcher had a hold on the dog, he wouldn't let go! So he really wants it to be done without any constraint on Khana. She will be dragging a rope so Annie can hold onto her during the "Tomorrow" song, but he really doesn't want the dog catcher to hold onto sandy at all.

So there are a few challenges. I'm really pleased at how relaxed Khana is already in the whole "busy, noisy, orphan atmosphere". When the little girls cluster around her to pet her, she's absolutely thrilled and her fuzzy little ears tip back, her body wiggles, and she's completely relaxed. So I don't have any fears of her reacting adversely if the kids surround her on stage.

The director made a comment about having to "scruff her up" a bit. He thinks she's too pretty. So he started talking about using vaseline to make her fur look matted in places, and I about had a heart attack. I couldn't imagine trying to get VASELINE out of her coat!! *LOL* So I suggested mousse, which will brush out to a certain extent. She will have nine performances, and if I can use mousse and then brush her well between performances, and plan to have a full grooming done after the last performance I think it will work out well. But vaseline in her fur for nine performances? I think NOT! She sleeps with me! *LOL* And bathing her every day would be ridiculous. Not only would it be very difficult for me to do, but it takes so long for her coat to dry. We're talking January/February in ALASKA, and it's really cold. I'm not taking a chance on having her walk around with a wet body for days. Even if she had a short coat that dried quickly, bathing her every day would strip her coat of oils that she really needs during the cold weather. We have enough problem with dry skin and static electricity during Jan/Feb without scrubbing all the good stuff out of her skin.

So that's the update. I came home from the rehearsal on Saturday and slept for four hours. I have so little stamina and things exhaust me so easily. It sucks. My landlord has a treadmill that is up in MY entryway, so I might see if I can get it to work and then start on a walking program. It would be good for me anyhow, and if it helps build a bit more stamina that would be great. It's just so hard to exercise when movement hurts, you know? But maybe movement won't hurt so much if I exercise ...

Melanie

Sounds like things are going great for you and Khana. How exciting!

khana is gonna be a superstar :)) I had to laugh at the part where ya gotta rough her up some LOL..

You hang in there,

Howzabout a showdog brand of mousse? (can use it *just* at the tips of her coat, to create "scruffy" without getting down to her skin nor even much undercoat) Cherrybrook has a catalog, not sure what you can order, but stuff for show dogs is safer than for people.

As for removing it from her coat withOUT a bath: Miracle Coat brand Waterless Shampoo, and a bath towel! Easy! It doesn't drench the dog (unless you want it to and spray on a lot), and it pulls out even gooey, stickey, horrific European wild boar poop Grimm has rolled in. Just spray it on, foam it a bit with your fingers, rub out dry immediately with your clean bath towel, and the dog never gets wet. NO sticky residue!

Three cheers for Melanie and superstar Khana! Thanks for the update!

Melanie I know that you and Khana will be successful at this.

If you can't find any thing else, you might want to try this, take some hair spray in a pump, not spray can, dilute with some water. Mist a section of coat, then spray your hands and make tufts in her coat. You could try with just the hair spray on your hands and see if it works first.

I demand to see before and after pics of the lovely Khana!

I think this will be a great role for her!

Some great suggestions on how to make her look scruffy - thanks! I think I need to play with some different ideas beforehand so I know what I'm getting into. *L*

Patti, thanks for the recommendation on the Miracle Coat waterless shampoo - if it can get out wild boar poop it should do wonders on mousse .. *LOL*

Val - thanks for the idea on watering down the hair spray! I'd like to use as little as necessary to get the job done.

I need to just collect a bunch of Tazer spit. When Khana and Tazer play, and Tazer has her nicely slimed, her fur sticks up all over the place! And it brushes out afterward. But I'm not sure how well it would keep.

I can't believe the director suggested vaseline .. not only would it be a mess on her, but the actors have to interact with Khana, petting her, throughout the show. Everyone would have slick vaselined hands! *LOL* Imagine the mess!

No rehearsal this week, so today we went to a movie instead (Breaking Dawn). The last Twilight Saga movie we went to, Khana got excited at the wolves and barked. She is NOT a typical barky dog, so it really surprised me. Today she didn't pay much attention. I'm going to try to get her out and exposed to things as much as possible this next two months. Maybe a band concert or two, where people are clapping a lot. We should have rehearsal next weekend, and hopefully I'll get an email back from "Annie's" mom so that we can set up some specific training times with Khana and Annie. Khana is crawling pretty well now, but some of the other stuff will go better when I have Annie there to work with too.

I'll keep you all posted, and get some photos when I can!

Melanie and the girls

Khana and I went to another rehearsal Saturday, and things went perfectly - for the most part. It was at a different location from our other rehearsals, which was good. The more places you train, the better your dog generalizes the behaviors. This time we met at a big church. I stayed in the main room with the "orphans", who were practicing some of their group songs. There was an open area at the back, so while the kids were singing I practiced different behaviors with Khana. We did heeling, retrieving, stays/recalls/drops on recall, etc. along with most of her tricks (spinning, covering her face, backing up, walking through my legs, backing around me, lifting her front paws in a prance, and her newest behavior - crawling (which is coming along very nicely). The people in the back were enjoying the show!

When the orphans had a break, I took Khana over to the kid playing Annie and handed her the leash and some treats. She did a little practice with Khana, having her sit and down for treats. From this point on she's the only one allowed to give Khana treats (other than me, of course). Hunter (the little girl's name) has a good strong personality, and when she told Khana to sit it was a definite command, NOT a request! And Khana responded to that. I don't know how old Hunter is - 10, 12 maybe? - but she's going to do well with Khana, I think.

While Hunter had Khana, the other orphans gathered around and were petting Khana. She was completely surrounded, with hands all over her (there were probably a good dozen kids touching her) and she was SO accepting. I could tell when it got a tad bit overwhelming, though - she looked up at me with this "OMG, this is a LOT of kids!" look on her face. But she stayed relaxed and happy. We only did this for a few minutes and the kids had to go back to singing, but it was enough for that time.

I took her into the back area again and did a few more behaviors with her, and then just let her wander loose. She visited with all the people in the back, but came back to me to check in frequently. At one point she was trotting away from me and I whistled (briefly) and she locked up her legs so fast that she skidded forward before turning to run back to me! People were impressed by that, too. I didn't let her go up to bother the kids while they were singing, but I allowed her to wander around the back area for quite a while. I watched her the entire time, of course. She has such a wonderful personality and charms everyone.

The director talked to me a bit, and he wants to add in a couple more cameo appearances by Khana. Just having her cross the stage after Annie goes off-stage, so it shows that "Sandy" is always looking for Annie. I'll need to teach her a "go to Hunter!" command so I can be off-stage on one side, and send her across to Hunter who will be off-stage on the other side.

The director also suggested having their cast out in the audience during rehearsals, to clap and make noise while Khana's onstage. I was glad to hear that, because the laughter/applause factor is not one I can simulate! I did ask about camera flashes and they don't allow cameras, because the flash can disrupt a dancer too. I can mark that off the "list of concerns" .. *L*

They also want Khana to do some local appearances, at various events (from what I gather), to help promote the Annie musical. I suggested a little vest with the "ANNIE" logo on it for her to wear. I think that they'll also do photo shoots with Hunter (in the appropriate red wig!) and Khana as promotion. My understanding is that 9000 people usually come to these performances, so they do a lot of advertisement.

There haven't been any practices that actually require Khana yet - it's all vocal and dance routines. After the holidays they will swing into fuller practices and on the actual stage, which will be nice. We haven't been on the stage yet.

I've been in contact with Hunter's Mom about setting up some practice times, and I think over Christmas break we'll be able to work on getting them bonded and working well together.

No photos yet - I'll post when I get some!

Melanie and Khana
Oh - forgot to mention - poor Khana got home and evidently she'd had too many treats, because she threw them all up! So I need to be more careful with the treats. She wasn't very happy with me because I didn't let her re-eat them. Geez, I figure if you throw something up, you DON'T get it back! *L*

It sounds like everything is going quite well! Khana sounds like she was born to be a star.

We had our first practice on the "big stage" last night. Khana had no problems with the feel of the stage, even walking across the orchestra pit didn't phase her (one of the benefits of practicing lots of different surfaces when she was a puppy). Hunter, the girl playing Annie, showed up and we were able to practice the scene where Annie first spots Sandy.

I started off with some warm-ups - basically recalls between Hunter and I, so I could teach Khana the "Go to Hunter" command. Khana did really well, galloping to Hunter with enthusiasm. She was always eager to come back to me, though, and as the rehearsal progressed I could see her getting a bit tired and wanting more and more to be with me. But that will ease as the practices continue and she becomes more comfortable.

Because Khana needs to have some sort of leash on (for Hunter to hold onto her while on stage, because Hunter will be busy saying her lines and singing her song, and during those 5-6 minutes Khana would naturally leave and go back to me if she had an option! *L*). But Sandy is supposed to be a stray dog, and the director had a hard time accepting that she would be dragging a leash. The script has the dog catcher saying "there was another dog, but it got away" so we are going to have Khana dragging a catch-pole so it will look like she escaped from the dog catcher. This will not only give Hunter something to hold onto, but when the dog catcher later says "I want to see that dog with a leash AND a license!" it will make sense as she won't already have a leash on.

So I made a mock catch pole out of a piece of dowling and a disposable-type leash, and have had Khana dragging it today. The director was concerned that she'd have touble with it and I assured him she wouldn't. He's kind of amazed at how accepting and easy-going Khana has been, and I think he's thankful that I have enough background to work out any problem areas.

Hunter seems to be a really sweet kid and she's kind of a natural with dogs, so Khana gets along with her well. It's hard, though, to think of your lines AND where to stand AND how to properly angle toward the audience AND pet the dog .. *L* .. luckily we have a lot of practice time scheduled on the stage between now and the end of February.

Our rehearsal schedule kind of caught me off-guard. I didn't go to try-outs for this .. the news went out that they were looking for a dog to play Sandy, I contacted the woman setting it up (she'd taken classes from me previously, so knew my training ability) and she immediately wanted me to cover it. So I accepted. Now I receive this schedule and basically from January 15th on, there are DAILY rehearsals. Opening night is February 17th. I'm glad I don't have much of a life .. *LOL* .. but I'm hoping I don't get overloaded and flare up in the RA. If I do, I'll just have to push through it because once I've committed to something, I don't want to let anyone down (and how would they find another dog to cover the part of Sandy??). But I'm not looking forward to driving to Kenai in the dark and cold, every night for the next month. I really didn't expect quite that much commitment when it comes to schedule .. *sigh* .. but I'll do it, of course. I have to leave in about an hour to go to tonight's rehearsal, which is mostly for the dancers but has a small part that Khana is supposed to be in.

I saw a moose right on the side of the road while driving home last night. In the dark, you don't see them until you're right up to them. The worst part of the drive is that I go right past the spot where my older brother hit a moose and was killed in 1981. Hard to believe it's been 30 years. So moose are definitely on my mind when I drive to and from rehearsals.

But, on to more cheerful thoughts! Khana will be wonderful, and her enthusiasm and sweetness will please the audience, so I'm glad we're doing this. I can't think of another local dog that would fit the role as well as she does. Of course, I MAY be a tad bit prejudiced .. *grin*

Melanie and the RISING STAR, Miss Khana (Clos de Lion Red Hot Khana CD RE SD)
.. and her silly sister, Tazer, who is currently disenboweling a toy.

Melanie, thank you for the updated! I am so proud of you and impressed by both you and Khana! I am sure your commitment will bear through and you will be so glad you did this. Pace yourself as much as you can during the day, take whatever supplements you can to boost yourself, drink lots of water to flush the cortisol and stress chemicals from your body, and be sure to breathe well. As for the moose situation, I hear ya. Sometimes old memories hurt so, and with what happened with your dogs and the moose, that doesn't help. Re-framing moose, just when driving to rehersals, as your sign of how far you have come & how strong a lady you are to have handled all the tough things you've handled, might empower you. They may be seen during this drive only, perhaps--as a sign for you that you're now a far stronger lady than ever before. You've met a lotta challenges, emotionally, physically-- and here you are, rising to the challenge of training some unusual behaviors, in a novel and unique setting for your dog. Then, you are choosing to climb up, over, and through the difficulties this schedule has for you. Toldja you were amazing!

Please get enough rest and drive safely! I AM SO VERY PROUD OF YOU AND KHANA!

Awww, Patti .. you always make me blush! Thank you!

I did view this as something that would be GOOD for me to do, when I first considered it. I truly miss the training and I'm hesitant to take on a class situation, in part because I don't know if I have the strength (physically) to take on a problem if one arose. The "old" me had no problem wading into a dog fight or stopping a strong dog from yanking an owner around, but the "new" me is more trepidatious and unsure of herself. But I'm not in the least worried about working with my OWN dogs, so I thought this would be a good way to test my ability at this point.

I'm learning I have no stamina .. *L* .. I just got back from rehearsal and I'm exhausted! Took some pain meds and waiting for them to kick in. I can't take pain meds before I go because I won't take them if I'm going to drive, so by mid-rehearsal I had a lot of pain in my shoulders, hands, back, hips, feet - you know how it goes. I'm glad to be home BUT I had a good time and I'm very proud of Khana.

From around 7, when I got there, to 9 (with one short break), Khana was on stage with Hunter. I could see when she started to get overwhelmed and I was the one that called a break (and the director called a break for everyone at that point - it was time). I gave her water, took her out to pee (we were out VERY briefly - it was COLD and the wind had picked up a bit!) and when we came in I dropped the leash and she galloped down the auditorium aisle ahead of me, wiggling her tail and stopping to say hi to people. It was good to see that just a little break rejuvenated her so much.

Hunter is having to drag Khana around a bit, because Khana is looking for me. I keep a flat collar on her and told Hunter that she could tug her lightly toward her, which is not painful in any way. It's hard for Hunter, too. She's 11 or 12 years old, really nice kid, but she has all these lines and songs and movements and now a dog to handle! It's a lot to ask of any kid. I thought she did really well for her first time handling Khana in a big dance/song routine (she wasn't dancing, but the people all around her were). And Khana really likes her, but gets anxious if I'm not where she can see me. I'm asking a lot of Khana to go out into the middle of a bunch of screeching, stomping people with a stranger on the other end of the leash! But she trusts me, and I keep Hunter well-supplied with good treats. I watch constantly to make sure that nothing is being done that I object to, and the director has already given a lecture to the group about not disturbing the dog.

Speaking of the director, he's talking about maybe a THIRD cameo for Khana! He wants to have her cross the empty stage a few times, as if she's looking for Annie. It's written into the script once, but he thinks there are two other places he'd like her to do it. He told the cast today that Khana was going to steal the show .. *LOL* .. we still have to work out exactly HOW we're going to do that. It may be that I leave Khana with someone and I circle around to the other side, so she can cross over to me. He'd like her to stop and look around, but I suggested that maybe we can leave some treats out for her to sniff for, which will make it look to the audience like she's sniffing for Annie - and then she can exit off the side of the stage where Annie last exited.

The rest of this week is primarily scenes that Khana isn't in, so I'm not sure yet if we have another rehearsal before next week. I'm going to try to take a camera one of these rehearsals to see if I can get some photos. I have to ask if that's okay first - they don't like flashes going off that could distract a dancer. But I think they'll okay it especially if I promise to send the photos to everyone.

I'm going to sleep well tonight, I think, and so will Khana. Tazer, on the other hand, spent the evening sleeping so she would like to play now. Maybe I'll give her another toy to destroy .. *LOL*

Melanie and the wonderful and beautiful Khana, aka Sandy

We've started into the more committed time frame for rehearsals. Today's rehearsal started at noon and was scheduled to run to 5, but we were able to cut out about 2:30 as we'd already had a chance to work on the bit that Khana was to do. Basically it was just crossing the stage, but that means that I either have to send her across to Hunter, or have someone else hold her and send her over to 0me. For now we just practiced with Hunter - as Hunter crossed the stage, she dropped treats and Khana went across, sniffing for the treats as she went. This allowed her to look as if she was tracking Hunter.

When Hunter had to leave for another commitment, I spent a little time just putting Khana on a stay and crossing in front of her, dropping treats and then releasing her to come across (eating treats as she went) until she reached me. She did really well, especially after a couple times across. She relaxed and just wandered along, sniffing out the treats, and then off-stage right where she's supposed to go.

The director is trying to find other places to put her in as a cameo, but it's looking a bit unsure now as they don't have any street scenes past Act 1. The other scenes are all "indoor" scenes, and he didn't think it would make sense to have her cross indoors. So I suggested maybe she could push open the door into Warbuck's office, go in and sniff around, and then go back out the door. That would make it look like she (he, as Sandy .. *L*) was still looking for Annie. I'm wondering, too, if we can't get a cross in right before Act II starts - maybe in front of the curtain? I'm not sure how the orchestra will be set up. Right now the pit is covered so there's lots of space.

I talked to our director about possibly using Tazer, too. There's a scene with a dog catcher, who talks about the dog that "got away" (Sandy) and then Annie finds Sandy right after that. The dog catcher comes back and sees her with Sandy, and questions her on whether it's her dog or not. The director had thought about having the dog catcher with a pretend dog, but to me that would be fake, so I suggested that I bring Tazer as the "caught" dog. Basically she would be in a wire crate (I also take that .. *L*) that's in a cart, and rides across the stage. Sounds like something Tazer could handle! *LOL* So we'll see how it goes. I may take her tomorrow and let her get a feel for it all. The only thing I worry about is that she'll be noisy backstage, but since I'll be there most of the time it shouldn't be too bad. And she could actually be put out in the hallway, I think, once her scene is done.

So, if I can get the back hatch door to open tomorrow, I'll take the wire crate, the utility cart and Tazer as well as Khana. Rehearsal is from 3-7 tomorrow, then 6-9 all weekdays, and noon to 6 or so on Saturdays. Performances start mid-February and go through the first weekend of March. So it's a busy time! It doesn't help that the weather has been going back and forth from snowstorm (Got a couple feet of snow this week) to bitterly cold (22 below zero this morning!). Add to that the short winter days - it's pretty dark by 4 or so - and it's not the time of year I would have preferred to do this. But summers are busy for everyone so these major performances are always in the winter.

Still no photos. We haven't been doing real performance-type practices yet. Still working out blocking and basics, but today Hunter wore the "Annie" wig for the first time, so it's starting to look like the musical! *L*

I'm sure I'll have more to add over the next few days, especially if Tazer is going too. I have mixed feelings about having both dogs there, but what the heck!

Melanie and the girls

Melanie, Grimmi and I are cheering you and Khana on! You're being so dedicated and doing the best you can. I'm so eager to see pictures of the performances with Khana!

You're such a phenomenal trainer, no doubt you can help Khana learn many behaviors. I can imagine that one unassisted cross of the stage is a lot for a dog, not sure why the director is adding more unassisted time on stage for Khana. I hope that it all goes very smoothly and easily for Khana and you-- and Tazer too, if she is involved.

I'm grateful for the updates! We are cheering you on!

it sounds like sooo much fun !!! and Kudo's to you both !

WIsh you could video this I would LOVE to see it !!!

Was thinking of you when I saw on the news the TONS of snow up that way! Stay safe and have a great time..CHeers to you and Khana!

I enjoy these updates and read every one of them. Things are really falling into place and Khana is a natural! Well...or at least your training of her will make it look that way.

Enjoy every minute of this - it is something you will look back on with so many great memories!

Will you go on stage with Khana when they ask for an encore bow?

Thanks for posting, all of you! I never know if people are actually reading these, but figure I'll keep posting anyhow just in case.

The rehearsals are long and drawn-out, unfortunately, but that's the way they go. Yesterday I grabbed some time onstage as soon as we got there, and ran Khana through some obedience while all the others were talking and laughing and visiting, so it gave us some good distractions. Khana has become really used to all the noises, so that's no problem. The feel of the stage doesn't bother her, either, even when we're on the covering to the orchestra pit. If you're standing on it, and someone else walks across, it shakes .. *L* .. I kind of jumped when I felt it, but Khana didn't even seem to notice. Score one for all the practice on the boogie board when she was a puppy!

The orphans all wore their costumes last night for the first time, which was really neat to see. Old-fashioned dresses with white aprons and rags in their pockets.

Other than the initial practice we did, and a few minutes during a break, we basically sat and waited the whole time. Finally the director came over and told me that they weren't going to get to the section they wanted to, so we could leave. He apologized, and I told him that "waiting" is part of what Khana has to learn, too, so it was all good. He appreciated my positive look on things! *L* I think he gets griped at by a lot of people.

I'm just heading out to start the van so it can warm up, and then we'll head to tonight's practice. It's been SO cold - sub-zero for days - and I'm really tired of it. It's miserable driving in this kind of cold, because the van is chilly even with the heater on.

Patti - the director wanted to make Khana (Sandy) as a more major part of the performance by having her cross the stage multiple times looking for Annie. It would feed into a kind of comic routine. He said she'd probably steal the show .. *L* .. and it would certainly be cute, but finding areas to put her in is difficult. Meanwhile, I'm having Khana practice riding in a cart, as she will be taken onstage in a big box on a cart for the final scene (the box will be wrapped like a Christmas present - the director thought that would be too much for her, but I said if we leave the back part open partway so that she can see out but the audience can't see, I think it would work fine). Now I need to find a really big box .. *L*

Melanie

Melanie,

I have enjoyed reading all of your updates! Thanks so much for sharing. I think it's amazing what you and Khana are doing and I realize it's a big stretch for you physically but am very glad you have this opportunity.

Stay safe and warm (as possible) driving!

And you can send 20 degrees of your cold down here--it's raining right now.

Ruth, if I could send you some of our cold weather I would gladly do it! It's currently 15 below zero and only 10:30 p.m. I got home from rehearsal about an hour ago.

Rehearsal went well. We did all of Act I, so Khana was onstage three times. First is the scene where Annie discovers Sandy, and the dogcatcher questions whether he's her dog or not; second is where Annie - with Sandy - wanders into the group of street people, asking if anyone left her at the orphanage 11 years before; and the third is where Khana crosses the stage on her own, looking for Annie. Khana did pretty well. I need to get Annie a bit more situated on how to handle her, and how to place the treats appropriately to get the best performance. We're having a little communication problem, but I think it's because the girl playing Annie is nearly overwhelmed with all she has to do. She's in nearly every scene.

Khana wore her "catch pole" today. She's supposed to have gotten away from the dogcatcher, so the director wanted her to drag a catch pole, and then Annie can use that to hold onto her. Khana is fine with dragging it around. Now I need to find a big box and practice having her ride in a box on a moving cart. I'm trying to figure out how the top half of the sides of the box can flip down to show Sandy as the Christmas present at the end. I don't know if having a smaller box, where she has to actually lay down in it, and then pop up into a sit when the top is taken off, will work. I don't want her to feel trapped and be scared (especially since I won't be going onstage with her). So I was thinking about having the sides flip down enough to show her. I'm still considering the options.

I come home really tired from these rehearsals, even though I don't do that much. But I ache so much, especially with this damn weather we're having lately, and just standing for 15 minutes will make me hurt more. But I think that the musical will be really cute when it's all done. There are 70 people in the cast! It's really a big production, and they expect around 9000 people to come see it. I have to write up Khana's bio, as the "leads" all get a write-up in the program .. *L* .. so I need to do that this week. I guess I'll mention her qualifications - titles, etc. - and that she works as a Service Dog as her "regular" job. What else do I put on her bio??

"Khana was born in Ontario, Canada in 2004, and came to Alaska as an eight week old puppy. She was mostly raised by a German shepherd, Trick, who taught her how to enjoy life while still being a good girl. Khana has earned four titles - CD, RN, RA, RE - and was nationally ranked #1 in her obedience level on more than one occasion. She was also registered as a Pet Partner with Delta Society (therapy dog), and now works daily as a Service Dog. Khana is owned/trained by Melanie Kipp, a local dog trainer who has taught in the area for more than 20 years, and has earned more than 35 performance titles with her dogs."

That's too many words .. need to keep it under 110, I think, and preferably between 90-100. But there's SO much to be said about Khana! *LOL* Feel free to give me your thoughts on a bio for her. I'd like to have it done by this weekend.

I'm going to go to bed early tonight - which means before 2 a.m. One good thing about these rehearsals is that I come home tired and it will push me into sleeping earlier. But first I need to feed dogs, and take Charles (the upstairs dog, who is currently sleeping on Tazer's bed) back to his people. I can't believe they let him out in this kind of weather, and don't stand there waiting to bring him back in! He comes rushing up to my door when I go out and runs right in. Yesterday he was really cold when I let him in, and SO excited to see us. Maybe I'll give him a warm snack (a bit of Honest Kitchen food) before I send him home. His people feed him crap grocery store food, just opening a bag and leaving it on the floor for him to eat whenever. He never gets people food at all from them, and never warm food. In fact I'm not sure they have a water bowl for him, because he comes in and goes right to the bowl here and drinks like crazy. Some people think that dogs that go outside can just eat snow, but that doesn't work. They still need water.

Okay, enough about Charles .. *L* .. Khana is curled up next to me, worn out. She sleeps well after rehearsal too!

Melanie

I love reading about Khana's experiences in show business. This sounds like such a fun thing to get involved in. I cannot wait to hear more.

To shorten Khana's bio, maybe leave out the part about being brought up by Trick and maybe be less specific about her OB and rally titles. Just a thought. I love the bio as is.

It was in the single digits here over the weekend and I couldn't stand it. I certainly don't miss the negative digit temperatures we had in Montana. . .which were probably like a heat wave compared to what you guys have!

Rehearsals continue to get better and better! The guy who plays the cop is only able to be there on occasion as his work keeps him away from a lot of the rehearsals, so tonight just a few of us showed up to run certain scenes. After Annie discovers Sandy, and calls Sandy to her, she sings her "Tomorrow" song and then a cop comes out and questions as to whether or not the dog belongs to her. That's when she comes up with the "Sandy" name ("umm .. I call him Sandy because of his nice sandy color!"). Then the cop wants her to prove it, so he holds onto Sandy and Annie calls him. On the last call (the loudest, with her clapping her hands) the cop lets Sandy pull the catch pole out of his hands and Sandy runs to Annie.

Now that we're stringing scenes together, I've found that I have to get to the other side of the stage quickly and will have to leave Khana onstage while I circle around behind the stage to show up on the other side. So I send her onstage when Annie calls her, then during the song I go around to the other side so that I can be ready to change the catch pole for a raggedy piece of leather tied around her neck as a collar/leash. The director wanted a frayed rope, but I pushed for the leather as it's much easier on Annie's hands when she's having to hold Khana onstage.

As I change the collar quickly, the Hooverville people start their scene and then Annie walks on with Sandy and asks if anyone left a child at the orphanage 11 years before. After some dialogue, Annie goes to one side (away from me) and sits on the floor with Sandy while the others do a song/dance. Then she circles around behind them, and the cop comes back and tells them all to leave. He has a bit of a confrontation with Annie, and she drops the leash when she runs from the cop (he chases her). They go off stage right, and Khana runs to me stage left - so it shows that there's a definite separation of Annie and Sandy.

So those are the scenes we practiced tonight. At the very end, Sandy shows up again. The servants wheel in the big Christmas present, Annie opens it and there's Khana - whoops, Sandy! *L* I got a big box today to practice with. I just need to cut it to fit, and put some little windows in the back area so Khana can look out. I don't want her closed into a dark box where she can't see. She'd go in the first few times and then she'd say "NO WAY" .. *LOL*. I don't blame her! So we've practiced going in and out of the box (I throw a treat in, she goes and gets it, etc.).

The director really liked my idea of having Khana peek out of the curtain just as the second Act starts, but we haven't had the curtain closed yet so we haven't practiced it. And until we get the set put up, he's not sure if we can incorporate the "Sandy sneaks into Warbuck's office to look around" routine. He likes it, just isn't sure it will work into the set construction. I told him it would be easy to do if he decides that later, so we'll see.

Tonight I took Tazer for the first time. She was excited and a bit unsure about things when we first got there. So I turned her loose and she ran around checking things out (I like doing this any time I can - let the dog figure things out on their own). Then she and Khana played a bit before I handed Khana over to Hunter for a bit and I played retrieve games with Tazer until her tongue hung way out (in fact, Hunter was in hysterics at how long Tazer's tongue was! *LOL*). The aisles in the auditorium make great places to throw a toy - the dog has to run up an incline! *L* Then I set up the old wire crate I brought and put Tazer in it to wait as scenes were run. She got a bit whiny but other than that did well. She also was really good - friendly but not overly friendly - with the people that greeted her. And on the trip home she didn't whine ONCE, which is amazing. One of the reasons I tend not to take her with me much is because she's whiny in the car and it drives me crazy. If I could get her to be quiet, I'd take her everywhere with me like I do Khana.

So it looks like Tazer may be the "caught" dog in the dog catcher scene. There are two dog catchers, and one is pushing a cart with a cage on it. They have a little stuffed chihuahua they're using as a prop, but I thought a REAL dog in the cage would give it more authenticity. The only thing I worry about is if we can keep Tazer quiet backstage during the rest of the show, but there will be people - actors as well as stage people, make-up people, etc. - backstage and in the green room, so it seems like we should be able to keep her quiet.

So that's the latest on Khana's new acting career! *L* I don't have any action photos yet, but I did get a snapshot of the "main" orphans with Khana the other day. They're not in costume, darn it (they'd worn costumes the day before, AND the day after but I didn't have my camera either day!). The little dark-haired girl with her arm around Khana is Hunter, who plays Annie.



Melanie and the girls

Thanks for the update!!!!! Sounds like you guys are having a great time adn Khana is a wonderful star!

This is so awesome! Great photo, too. Khana looks like she's really enjoying herself.

It is so interesting hearing how this plays out (no pun intended.)

Khana is going to be amazing and it sounds like you are having a good time, too.

Is the play just one night or several? Will they allow someone to video the parts of the play with Khana?

The kids and Khana all look very happy in the picture.

HOORAAAAYYYY! I love the photo, Melanie-- thank you! Thank you also for the update. I am cheering you and Khana on. This is so complicated, but you are making it work, and putting limits up for the safety of your dogs, too. Great job! I look forward to more updates when you are able.

Great update, great picture.

The kids are all cute but..............
it's clear who the star is.

Love the pic!! kids are cute and Khana looks soooo happy to be a star:)

Thanks, you guys! Khanas LOVES her time with the kids - she loves everyone, but her idea of heaven is to be in the middle of a zillion little kids. She can be completely surrounded, with a dozen sets of hands petting her, and she'll look up at me with this big grin. But there's a limit too .. after five minutes or so, she gets a bit overloaded and comes looking for me. I've given her a lot of freedom to choose the amount of time she interacts, and I think that really helps her stay grounded.

She has a real "star" quality about her, and the director has commented more than once that she may steal the show, especially if we manage to add in the cameos. I'm really glad she's having a good time, because I'd feel bad if she hated this. But knowing Khana's personality, I really thought she'd handle this well.

I'm having a good time too, although I really underestimated the amount of time this would take. I don't like driving to Kenai in the dark, on the snowy/icy roads. When I go to early rehearsals I often see moose along the roads, back by the trees - so when I drive at night, I'm always looking and praying that no moose come out onto the road. I do a little "request" to my guardian angels every time I start down the road: "I request a most benevolent outcome for my trip to Kenai tonight, and may the outcome be better than I could have hope for or expected - thank you!" This is something I picked up from a personal development forum. I don't know if I truly have guardian angels, but I picture this little group hovering over me, watching for moose and making sure all the other drivers stay in their own lane.

I'm exhausted every night when I get home, even though I really don't DO that much. But just the amount of time standing in the sidelines, getting Khana ready for the different scenes and encouraging her to "go with Hunter" (which is her command now) - well, I just am plain worn out from that! It's mental stress as much as anything. My RA has been flaring some and my hands/wrists/shoulders have been sore, but I'm pushing through this anyhow. It's not like they can suddenly find another appropriate dog to play Sandy! And besides, I WANT Khana to be in this. It makes me feel productive, but it also makes me realize that my dreams of working again aren't going to happen any time soon. If I can barely handle this, there's no way I could handle a real job.

Khana is tired by the time we get home, too. She sleeps really soundly these days!

There will be a total of NINE performances, running Friday night/Saturday night/Sunday matinee for three weekends. Our first performance is February 17th. I think someone will probably video it, although I don't know for sure. I don't have a video camera. I KNOW there will be still photos, and Khana is one of the "leads" so her photo (I think) and her bio will be printed in the program. The auditorium holds nearly 1000 people and they often have sold-out performances (the Kenai Performers is a well-established group in the area - I actually participated in some of their performances back in high school, playing in the orchestra and helping Mom with sets and make-up). We're 150 miles from Anchorage, where the "big" performances tend to be, so any fairly professional performance done locally is popular.

I almost forgot to plug in my van today, which would have been terrible! The weather is still dropping down below zero at night, and is currently 3 degrees. Without the block heater, my old van wouldn't even consider starting, I think! I've showered and now I need to go through my pack (where I put everything I need to take with me) and make sure to add fresh bottles of water for the dogs. When you're taking dogs, you have to remember the absolute important stuff: water, water dish, dog treats. Everything else is extra .. *L*

I'll try to get more photos when everyone's in costume. Slowly but surely they're finding costumes for each character. It's neat to see it come together.

Melanie and the girls

We have a couple of days off right now as the auditorium is being used by another group. The singers are practicing in the band room tonight, and then tomorrow there's rehearsal in Nikiski (about 30 miles away) but I was told not to come. The director doesn't see any reason to confuse Khana with a different auditorium (our performances and MOST of the practices are at Kenai High, but we also have used Soldotna High to practice, so Nikiski would be a new place altogether - Khana showed a bit of confusion at Soldotna last time we were there, so the director doesn't want her to have to try out Nikiski too - he has less faith in her than I do, but I don't mind NOT having to drive all the way to Nikiski, especially since it's snowing again).

The director has been really positive with Khana, overall, and tells me that she's the best animal he's ever worked with. He appreciates that I am an active participant, suggesting possibilities and willing to work through the difficulties that the set and actors present. I can't imagine a director trying to do this kind of work with someone who isn't experienced in training, but I guess that happens in these local productions.

Khana is completely relaxed at the auditorium now, and LOVES going to rehearsal. We had a couple of "off" nights last week, too, and by the second night she was pacing around the apartment, looking at me as if to say "hey, aren't we supposed to BE somewhere??" Geez, you give a dog a little stardom and she turns into a diva!

We've finally got Hunter interacting a bit more with Khana. I suggested to the director that he tell Hunter that hugging and petting Khana was part of the acting requirement. Poor Hunter has SO much going on, more lines than anyone else, more solo songs, more acting, more costume changes. She's so busy concentrating on where she's to stand and where she's to look and walk and sing that she just plain forgets she's got a dog with her. Khana ends up standing there at the end of the leash, looking for me. But when we get Hunter to "drop to a knee" and scratch Khana's back, or hug her, Khana immediately turns to her with a happy face and a happy tail and it really makes the show!

Khana has to stay onstage with Hunter for two songs - the "Tomorrow" song, sung just by Hunter, and then the whole Hooverville act where the street people dance and sing about how Herbert Hoover has screwed them. So there's some long scenes for Khana to put up with, and as long as Hunter keeps petting her it works well. Khana would prefer to be with me, but if someone is scratching her back she's happy.

We don't get full access to the stage until next Wednesday, I believe, and that's when we can start getting the sets fully up and working with everything needed. Props have been added in as we go along. I bought a large, heavy-duty box for Khana's Christmas box, cut a window in the far side and put a bit of wrapping paper on it. Then I loaded it on a little flat-bed utility cart and Khana got to practice riding in it and being wheeled around the stage. The actual scene hasn't been completely blocked yet (it's the huge "end of the musical" song and dance, followed immediately by the bows to the audience, and at some point in the song the servants are supposed to appear with this big present, Annie runs forward and opens it to let Sandy out, and then they go on with their song). Khana did well riding in it, and her little nose poked out of the window on occasion. Since the hole in the box is at the far side it shouldn't show, but there was no way I would expect her to be in the box without a window for air and to see out of.

Tazer has been going and is a HIT with the little girls! They just love on her, and she's eating it up. One little girl is especially devoted to Tazer, and has spent a lot of time with her. I gave her a handful of treats and now she has Tazer doing downs, sits, shake paws, etc. - which is pretty neat, since Tazer has never worked for anyone but me before. It's been really good for her. Now the girl - Brittany - has been assigned to keep Tazer quiet offstage after the dogcatcher exits with her (she's in a wire crate on top of a push cart). I have the scene with Khana going onstage (when Annie first discovers Sandy) so I'm busy for a while and can't get to Tazer until Khana is done with her first two scenes. So Brittany has the job of talking to Tazer, giving her treats, while she's still in the crate waiting for me. Brittany is also getting the job of holding Khana while I go to the other side of the stage, and then Khana is released to cross the stage. She's doing great on her cross, and since we've been using treats to get her nose down (like she's tracking Annie - who has crossed the stage just before her) it's looking really good. The orchestra pit hasn't been opened yet, and that will be a big step as it's deep and dark. Khana's trail across stage is only about a foot or two from the edge of the orchestra pit, so when they get that open I plan to do some heavily-baited practice sessions along the edge of it so that Khana is well-aware and comfortable with the "maw" there.

Khana has been amazingly accepting of everything. Her natural nature is sociable and loving, and she's been exposed to enough different stuff in her life that she takes things in stride really well. I'm happy with how it's going. The hardest part is sitting there waiting, which is what we do most of the time. If this type of opportunity arises for you, I encourage you to give it a try but also realize that the hours are long and often boring .. *L*

We only have two weeks of rehearsals left, and then the real performances start! I love seeing the actors as the costumes are worked out - every day we have more in costume, and it makes a huge difference in how the entire production looks. Annie's final dress is red with white and black trim, and is SO cute. Khana will probably wear a big red bow, and the two of them together will be an overload of cuteness. I'm guessing that the picture of Annie and Sandy together will be popular!

No new photos. Since I've been taking Tazer, too, my hands are kind of full with both dogs and then big bag of bottled water/dish/bags of treats/extra leashes/paperwork/paper towels/poop bags/snacks for me/ebook reader, etc. Sometimes I take my bag of spinning stuff and work on spinning Khana's fur while I'm there. I'm WAY behind on that - still have fur from Kylee that needs to be spun into yarn. It's kind of hard on my hands if I'm sore at all.

Well, off today to run errands while I have time! I may make a run to the dump .. or wait until tomorrow to see if it stops snowing (there's ALWAYS a valid excuse to avoid a garbage run!! *LOL*).

Melanie and the girls

Melanie - I am both envious of this experience you are having and exhausted just thinking about all the work you have done.

Khana is such a trooper and it sounds like little Brittany will be an awesome helper with both dogs!

I wish I could see the play but it would be a bit of a drive for me from Ohio.

Be sure to post any pictures from the newspaper here so we can see them.

Poor Khana - over in a few weeks. I hope you have her agent working on her next part!

Just one week to first performance - wow! We're exhausted already.

We've been able to "claim" the auditorium as of Wednesday this week, and so the orchestra pit was opened and sets have started to go up. Unfortunately a number of people who had originally said they would help with sets have dropped out, and so the sets are not finished and probably won't be for a few days yet - which makes things quite awkward, of course! They have the "carts" there, which are the racks on wheels that the sets will sit on, so that they can easily be changed out. In some scenes, the sets are slowly changing AS the cast dances or sings. There's a whole choreography that needs to be done to explain the changing of sets, and we only have three rehearsals before we start dress rehearsals.

Everything that changes adds to the criteria that Khana has to deal with. It's pretty overwhelming. Opening up the orchestra pit was huge - it's a big hole in the front part of the stage, about eight feet deep. I've done several training exercises with Khana around the pit, putting treats close to the edge and letting her work out her concerns with getting close to it. She's done well, but it's strange to her for sure. She has to cross the stage alone right along the edge of that pit. She was doing the cross really well before the pit opened, but now she's confused some by it and it shows. Today she wandered to the stage edge and then was blocked by the pit, and I had to go out and call her around it. But we have a week ...

They've been adding in lights and microphones and costumes along with the sets and props. People don't realize that EVERY change is confusing to a dog. The lights, for example, throw shadows in different areas and Khana is looking at these shadows and wondering what's there. She's a very solid dog, but this is beyond the level of anything she's experienced before. I'm having trouble getting the little girl playing Annie to understand that Khana is a great dog, but she IS just a dog and can't just automatically understand that things are basically the same, just different. So Khana is acting more clingy, and trying to get to me, and it irritates "Annie" some. I need her to touch Khana more, to scratch her back, to pet her, to give her treats, and she just doesn't do it like she should. I know that she's got a lot going on - singing, acting, remembering her lines, dancing, etc. - but helping Khana along is important. I can't seem to get "Annie" to understand that. I've explained that a dog has the mentality of a little kid, and that all these changes confuse and worry her, but there's so much going on for the Annie part that it's hard for "Annie" to concentrate on Khana too.

We did practice the "peek through the curtain" bit for the first time today. I need to make that a priority, but I have to get them to close the curtain so we can practice! I'll set it up so that someone is on the other side to give Khana treats, and I'll put it on cue ("LOOK!") so that Khana willingly sticks her head through and looks around. It will be cute, and got a laugh today from the cast members sitting in the auditorium when we practiced.

The prop people put together a catchpole for Khana to wear in the dogcatcher scene (where Annie first discovers Sandy, who has just escaped from the dogcatcher). They made the loop part out of cable, which wasn't what I wanted - I told them rope, which would be thicker. But I think they went online and saw the modern catchpoles, which all are made of cable, and that's what they made. I didn't really want a fairly thin strand of cable around Khana's neck, even though it IS set so that it can't close past a certain point (one of my requirements!). I'm debating as to whether or not to pad it. Khana does have a lot of fur, so if I used the orange/cream colored padding it probably wouldn't show. If I can keep "Annie" from yanking on her, I wouldn't need to pad it. I'll have to think about it some more.

Tazer is doing fine with her role, which is so simple that most dogs could do it. She rides across the stage in her wire crate, on a little push cart, and occasionally whines. She definitely looks sad, with those big GSD ears poked out to the side. But she hops into the crate happily every day, and gets her treats. One of the "orphans" has been assigned to keep her occupied after the dogcatcher wheels her offstage, because I'm wrapped up in the scenes that Khana is in. This little girl really likes Tazer, and had been spending a lot of time petting her and loving on her already. So it worked out well that she was available to stay with Tazer until I could get free. She has Tazer doing her obedience stuff - sit, down, shake paws, scoot back, etc. It's cute and really good for Tazer to have these interactions with someone else. And the little girl - she's probably 10 years old or so - is a natural! I could make her into a heck of a dog trainer.

The same girl has been assigned the task of holding Khana for the stage crossing part. I go to the opposite side so Khana is coming toward me - which works better than the first way we tried it, where I sent Khana across to the girl playing Annie. There isn't really much of a bond there, and it wasn't for lack of trying on Khana's part. It's unfortunate, but we're working around it.

I haven't tried making Khana look scruffy yet. I'm going to use styling gel or mousse to matt her hair together and we'll see how it goes. The way the performances go, we have Friday and Saturday nights, and then Sunday matinee - for three weekends in a row. So I figure that I'll brush out her coat after the performances, and then Sunday night or Monday I'll pop her into the bathtub for a good rinsing (maybe a light shampoo/conditioner). It takes so long for her thick coat to dry, I can't give her a nightly bath. But we'll have Monday and Tuesdays off after performances (and maybe Wednesdays) so there will be time for her coat to renew itself a bit. When all nine performances are done, I plan to get her in for a professional bath/grooming and all will be well.

Khana has been amazing through all of this. It's stressful, and it's a LOT of hours, but she has held up. Tonight's rehearsal showed me that the additional stress of all the changes is getting to her a bit, so I do need to spend more time just getting her acquainted with the new things. Hopefully it will all come together for her before next Friday!

Khana's conked out on the bed beside me, and I'm ready to go to bed too. Rehearsal tomorrow at 2, Sunday at 2:30, Monday at 6, then starting Tuesday it's 5:30 call time through Saturday, and 1:30 call time for the Sunday matinee. It's been an experience, and I'm glad we're doing it, but I'll be glad when it's done, too!

Melanie, Khana and Tazer

so excited for all of you! I SOOO wish we could all be there opening nite to cheer everyone on!!

Wouldn't that be fun - all the first 6 rows full of germanshepherdhome people rooting Khana on!

Melanie - just remember that even if Khana makes a mistake the people in the audience will most likely not know.

Khana is going to be the star!

Wow, so much to think about! I'm impressed with all of you. So sorry that Annie isn't bonding to Sandy. But I'm glad that Tazer has a new young friend! And I'm also glad that the three of you are getting out and doing this great adventure.

I have to say that any community show I've seen with a dog in it always includes some unplanned comedy where the dog does something s/he isn't supposed to do...so I think all of you should be prepared for some ad libbing from Khana.

I hope that one day we will be able to see video. Be sure to ask the director if it will be recorded and put on youtube!

Good luck and thanks so much for continuing with the updates. I really find them interesting.

Khana already considers herself a star - and she fully expects everyone to stop and worship her as they pass by .. *LOL* .. it's cute to see her stand up and look at them as if to say "well, here I am - tell me how wonderful I am tonight!".

I haven't heard anything about a video as of yet, but they did sell videos of their last performance so I expect they will do a video of this performance too. Maybe I can talk them into putting some clips on YouTube. Kenai Performers does have a website, too, and I just talked to the director tonight about getting it updated. They listed the cast they'd chosen way back in late October/early November, but I hadn't agreed 100% to do it when they posted it on their site, so Khana isn't listed. And some of the people listed have actually dropped out and been replaced. The person who coordinates much of the stuff going on had a family emergency (her husband got really sick and they had to travel out of state for surgery - they're still down south while he recuperates and has further treatment). So things that normally would have been done are still in limbo - all the concentration has been on preparing for the performances, and those little side things didn't get done. But I think it's important to update the website so it will look professional. This isn't some fly-by-night performance that's just been thrown together. It's a 70+ person cast, professional choreography and directing, 20+ person orchestra, professional piano player, full props, and REAL DOGS, not stuffed animals or people dressed in dog suits! *LOL*

I'm prepared for Khana to do something unexpected. I'll whistle her offstage if I have to. One of the good things on the crossing that she does alone is that the curtain will be closed, and she'll cross in the open area between the curtain and the orchestra pit. The stairs that normally lead down off the stage will be removed, so her only options will be to cross the stage to me, or go back the way she came (and the girl holding her will turn her around and send her back out). All the rest of the time, Khana is on-leash in some way so she's pretty controlled IF the person holding the leash is paying attention. Today we worked on the final scene for a bit, and figured out exactly how to get Khana back out to Annie. Drake (the butler) will come to the door and take Khana over the Annie during the big finale song (We'll Get a New Deal For Christmas). I had to talk to the butler guy afterward, because he kind of dragged Khana out to Annie. I don't know why all these people think they have to drag her around, when a little encouragement would have her trotting happily beside them. One of the hardest things I have to do is watch other people handle Khana, because they don't always handle her the way I think they should. Granted, some of it is Khana's fault because she will pull to try to get to me, but other times the people are just being rougher than I think is necessary. None of it really HURTS Khana, I'd just prefer them to be more gentle and understanding. It's hard for them when they're concentrating on lines and singing and movement, and then they have a dog tagging along too.

We were also able to practice having Khana peek out of the closed curtain, which will probably happen just as Act II is scheduled to start. It's really cute - the curtains are heavy red velvet, and this fluffy dog face sticks out and looks around. I'm using "peek out - look!" as my command, and I had Brittany (the little girl who is helping me) give her treats when Khana stuck her head through the curtain. I have to try to hold the curtain together and only have Khana's head go through, so I won't be seen. I'm never supposed to be seen during this performance (thankfully! *LOL*). I think the "peek through" will be cute and funny, and personally I'd love to see it happen a couple of times. We'll see what the director says.

Our first performance is on Friday and we still haven't had a full run-through! They're still doing some blocking, figuring out where people have to move through the sets, where the lights will be on, where the mics will be, etc. Sets aren't even done yet! Rehearsal tomorrow has been cancelled and working on the sets is the only thing scheduled, because we HAVE to have them done by Monday's rehearsal. In addition, the music for Annie's "Tomorrow" song had to be changed because it was too high for her, and it hasn't come in yet. I offered to help transpose the orchestra music if we need to do it by hand, as they have to have it on Tuesday when the full orchestra is there. So I may be up late Monday night working on transposing music!

Oh, one more thing - during one of the last scenes, the orphans all come to visit Annie at the Warbuck mansion, and Annie hands out gifts to them, which they all start to play with. The littlest girl, Molly, sits out front and then lays on her belly playing with her toy, and the butler ends up stepping over her a couple of times. I told Phil (the director) that I had a stuffed toy that looked like Khana - a medium-sized stuffed red Chow dog - and that we might consider using that for the toy that's being played with out front. He thought that was a good idea, and asked if I could put a ribbon on it that matched the one I have on Khana. I said sure. So by Monday I need to have the stuffed toy set up with a matching ribbon! *L* Luckily I have to trim Khana's bow and can use the extra pieces to make a bow for the toy dog, so it's the exact same color and texture. I have to fasten Khana's bow more securely to a collar, and I have a bright red collar to go with her red bow and red leash. Annie will be wearing her red dress, with a matching bow in her hair. I WILL get a picture of Khana and Annie together in their matching bows!!

The director has been happy with my suggestions along the way, and has been thrilled with Khana's easy-going attitude throughout this. He appreciates having someone like me who has extensive training experience, because it really does make things easier for everyone when the dog is well-trained and controlled. It will all be great!

Time for bed. I'm exhausted! But tomorrow I can sleep in, and get ready for Monday's rehearsal. I won't be working on sets. Not only would I be too sore, but the smell of the paint/varnish makes me really nauseous. In the old days I'd have done sets and make-up and played in the orchestra, too, but those days are gone.

Melanie

Melanie,

I really love hearing about Khana's dramatic career. I kind of wonder about the child playing Annie. I would think any child (any adult for that matter) would beg to pet that gorgeous sweet girl. Hmmm backstage rivalry?

Anyway, keep those updates coming in. I can't wait until opening night!

MJ

A STAR IS BORN!!!

Can't wait to see your photos!!!

I can't believe we're down to the wire.

Tonight we had a full dress rehearsal and went through the entire show without stopping (until at the very end, as they wanted to change how they acknowledged the orchestra). It went really well. I went out into the audience area to watch the very last song (where the entire cast sings "Tomorrow" again, with everyone on stage - including Khana, of course!). I literally had tears in my eyes, it was so amazing.

Yesterday's rehearsal really concerned me, as they were working on lights and adding in more sets, and the two times that Khana runs offstage off-leash, she got lost and we couldn't find each other in the dark. But they've kicked on "working" lights in the wings after the curtain closes, so that made a huge difference. Khana has had a tough time this past week, because everything keeps changing. First the orchestra pit opened, and they added a drum set and violin to the piano. Then new props came out, and then huge carts that are used to move sets. Then the sets get added to the carts, blocking out the views we used to have from backstage. The orchestra increased to 20+ people, and the lights changed from basic "on" to different lights in different places, throwing shadows everywhere. And then they hung black cloth as curtains over the doorways closest to the audience (that lead to the stage in front of the main curtain, because a number of acts are done there as set changes are happening behind the closed curtain). Khana has to go through that curtain to cross the stage, and I'm hidden behind the other curtain so she can't see me. She completely misses the doorway now, and heads off through a hole between sets.

I was really concerned about her going into areas where she was wandering around loose, because those sets are huge and could crush her. In addition, people are rushing around and props are being wheeled back and forth. So I emailed the director last night with my concerns, and he had me talk to the cast tonight about Khana's recent problems with all the changes, and I asked them to help out by watching for her and NOT running her over! I was so upset last night, I was crying by the time I got home - it scared me that badly when I couldn't find her in the dark.

Anyhow, we've got that worked out. It's been frantic lately, because the sets didn't get done as quickly as we wanted and so they've been added in more slowly than would be ideal. But they're looking good! The costumes are incredible, the singing is amazing, the dances are smart and entertaining, and - of course - Khana is perfect.

Today I "scruffed" her up for the first time, using styling gel. You just can't scruff that dog up, really .. she's just too cute! *L* But I managed to make her coat look like it was matted a bit in places. Then I brush it all out and make her pretty for the last scene, when she goes on with the big red bow on her. I did bring in the stuffed chow dog and made a bow for it matching Khana's bow, and the little girl playing Molly lays out front and plays with it - it's really cute!

Annie is doing much better with Khana, and tonight she did so great. The only problem is that she's been sick and it's really affected her voice. So we'll see. We do have a stand-in who could cover for a bit if needed (a neat kid who has been my little helper with the dogs - she's the one that I think would be a natural at training) but she hasn't really practiced much of what Annie does. So I'm hoping Annie pulls it off okay. She's been on antibiotics for a few days.

Speaking of antibiotics, I may be requesting some myself. I am SO sick, again. I think I never really got rid of what I had a couple weeks ago, and it's flared up into the sore throat/raspiness/cough, and I ache everywhere. It didn't help that I stayed up ALL NIGHT the other night and transposed the piano music for "Tomorrow", as it needed to be a step down for Annie to sing. They had ordered the music but it didn't come and it didn't come - and on Tuesday they find out that it's NOT coming because it's not available! So I tranposed seven pages of piano music from the key of Gb to the key of E. Yes, for those musically minded - that's six flats to four sharps. My hand gave out after the first page and a half, but I found a neat program online that allowed me to "make" the music and print it out (noteflight.com, if you're interested - you get a certain number of scores for free). So I was able to show up with a fairly professional looking piece. The things I couldn't get the program to do I just wrote in by hand. It was greatly appreciated.

Oh - Tazer's doing well too. She's got her part down! She eagerly hopes into the wire crate and then whines and looks miserable as the dogcatcher wheels her across the stage. She's actually whining because they do a little gag bit with a tiny chihuahua, and Tazer's fascinated by the tiny dog! But it sounds like she's whining because she's caught, so it all works out.

Tomorrow is our final rehearsal before opening on Friday. Then we have performances Friday and Saturday night and Sunday afternoon. We get two days off, then rehearsals for two days and three more days of performances. We do this a third time and then we're finally done. Whew. This was a LOT more than I expected when I signed up, but the professionalism of the show is truly impressive.

There's been a guy taking photos and I was able to get some of them, but they're not up on a website yet. There were only two with Khana, and they were so-so. But he took a bunch more photos last night and said he got some good ones of Annie and Sandy together, and once I get some copies of those I'll post them. I haven't been able to take any photos of the dogs because I'm always busy when the dogs are on! *L*

I'm going to bed now, and plan on sleeping until I can't sleep anymore. I think Khana is going to do the same thing.

Melanie

I hope YOU feel better FAST! And I'm so excited for your opening nite!!

Maybe a tip here, I know your concerns about Khana finding you and vice versa in the dark,,that IS scarey..can you get a small pocket flashlight and hold it standing offstage?? Direct her towards the light?? Kinda last moment, but maybe that would help..

Good LUCK and definately waiting for updates:)

I can't believe it's all about to come together. How awesome! What an amazing thing to be a part of. I hope everything goes off without a hitch. Can't wait to see photos!

Diane - brilliant minds think alike! I've already started working her with a flashlight (a little one), teaching her to touch her nose to the end of it. I tried it last night and it got her moving in the right direction but since she couldn't see me (and I think the cloth hung as a black curtain across the previously open doorway makes it look impossible to go through), she veered off through a different exit. At least she made it across, and Warbucks caught her before she got very far looking for me.

Khana has been around these people since November, and most of them have been really good with her - stopping to pet and visit her while we sat out in the auditorium watching. She's made a LOT of friends, so if someone else has to hold her or handle her, she's okay with it. She just prefers me, of course, and when she's loose her goal is to find me. And my main concern is for her to be safe.

It's 4 p.m. and I've been in bed all day. My voice sounds like a truck with no muffler - low and rumbly - and my throat is raw. I'm coughing up phlegm occasionally but the coughing leaves my throat even more raw. And I can't cough when I'm backstage with Khana, because everyone out front will hear it! So I'm packing lots of menthol cough drops and lots of water in my bag, and will just rest as much as I can between Khana's scenes.

I had a dream that I showed up at tonight's rehearsal and found that Tazer's soft crate (I left the crates there, locked up in the costume room) had big torn spots in it. What a weird thing to dream about! Anyway, I'm off soon to our last dress rehearsal (call time is 5:30 and it's about a 20 minute drive), and I hope it goes smoothly and fairly quickly so I can come home and sleep again. I want to be doing MUCH better by our first real performance tomorrow!

Thanks for following this adventure. I really will get some photos up as soon as I can. I'm hoping that someone will update the Kenai Performers' website with photos, but so far that hasn't happened.

Melanie and the girls

I hope you can get some rest. This sounds fun but exhausting.

Wow- I am so excited for you, Khana and Tazer. What an experience and so much work. Plus they got a musician in the bargain!

I am looking forward to the pictures and the reviews.

About the flashlight - backstage could you shine it indirectly on your own face, so it doesn't blind you but Khana can see you?

Take care of yourself, Melanie and let us know how Friday goes!

I am SO excited! I can't believe it's almost opening night. I can't wait to see pictures and hear how things go.

Again, a HUGE congratulations to you for doing this. I hope you feel better soon!

Thanks for all the responses - I appreciate them!

Tonight's performance (dress rehearsal, but we had an audience - family members were invited) went well. The flashlight finally kicked in for Khana. She was headed the wrong way and then the light caught her eye and she veered to the correct exit point. I was so please with her!

Unfortunately on the first exit, where Annie gets chased by the cop and lets go of Sandy's leash, Khana zipped through the wrong set of curtains and then couldn't find me. There were so many people milling around, and I was trying to get to her, but people all stood back and let her go past! She nearly got to the steps leading into the audience .. *LOL* .. which would have been funny in a way, but I don't want her running around panicked trying to find me. So I asked the group tonight to grab her if she's running past so that I can get to her. Because so many people are going off-stage when the cop shows up, I can't predict exactly where Khana will come off. She knows to go stage left, at least!

We've figured out where to let her have another cameo appearance, in the second act (an act which is completely barren of Sandy until the very end - I think this musical is SO poorly written, but I'm sure they were thinking that the dog couldn't really do much - at least they could have added some dialogue that showed that Annie missed Sandy, or was thinking about him). Khana will peek out through the middle of the main curtain, and a spotlight will hit her. We practiced yesterday some more and she was doing so well - sticking her head out and looking both ways before backing up so the curtain closes again. Hopefully the lighting people will remember to add this in! *L*

It was after 11 tonight when I got home, and I have nearly no voice left. I put myself on antibiotics two days ago, just in case I get exposed to something while my system is so weak. I just can't be around that many people without catching something, as I'm on immune suppressants for the RA. I kind of forgot about that when I agreed to do this .. *L* .. but I have NO REGRETS, because even though this is exhausting and I feel like hell, it's been fun. But I will also be glad when it's done!

I'll let you know how the performances go this weekend! I'm anticipating PERFECTION .. *LOL*

Melanie and the girls

Love reading this journey. Good luck this weekend!

Good luck this weekend!

Our first performance night went smoothly, and the audience responses were great! Lots of laughter at the right spots, lots of applause, lots of appreciation.

We put in the otber cameo for Khana, where she peeks out through the curtain. I'd practiced with the curtain, but didn't realize it was going to be pitch black back there as we were waiting! Khana didn't like the dark - she flattened herself to the floor and didn't want to move. So when the spotlight came on and she was supposed to stick her head out, I was still trying to get her to her feet! But she did well, put her head out and looked back and forth, and the audience went "awwwwwww" .. *L* ... and I had good feedback on it later.

Khana saw a feather on stage during her time with Annie, while Annie was trying to sing "Tomorrow", and Khana wanted to go explore the feather. The woman playing Miss Hannigan wears these big feather boas and flips them around a lot, so feathers fall off - and then they flutter in a little bit of air and Khana thinks they're alive! *L* But Annie did well and held Khana back.

During the stage crossing, Khana veered off and sniffed at something, and then started trotting across to another exit point. I flashed my little light out there and she caught it, but Annie (who was behind me watching) clapped her hands too. I think Khana would have come the right way without the hand clap because she'd noticed the light. But it was okay. People are thrilled that there's a real dog on stage and not somebody dressed in a dog costume! *L*

I felt like I was dying last night - when I got home I thought "this is the most sick I've been since I was diagnosed with RA". I'm not supposed to get sick, because I'm on immune suppresants and my body doesn't fight illnesses like normal people do. And on top of that, I'm not eating much because I don't feel like eating, and when I do eat I feel nauseous. Yesterday afternoon I was throwing up, after taking my meds, and I fight with myself every time I have to take medications because they make me really nauseous when I feel this sick. But I took extra sleeping meds last night, slept pretty soundly, and feel a bit more alive today. Would love to NOT have performance tonight, but if I can make it through tonight and tomorrow afternoon, I'll have two days to sleep and recoup.

When I get to feeling better, I'm going to search out some of the photos (or gets some of my own, of Khana with the orphans) so I can post some. Maybe at dress rehearsal Wed or Thurs, as I could take some with the full sets.

Melanie

I'm so glad to hear all went so smoothly. Feel better soon!

Yay, first night was a good one! I hope you feel better and don't let yourself get too run down.

I would have loved to see the show.

sounds like the pooches did GREAT, I'm so sorry your so sick:(

You are a "STAR" as well !! I kept thinking when you were saying how sick you were, what a "STAR" and the "Show must go on!" you did it girlie!!

Feel better soon

I'm happy to hear Khana's on stage debut was a smooth success. Yes!!

I hope you feel better soon.

Have lived through the first three performances, and now have a few days off to try to get healthy. There are rehearsals of some scenes on both Tuesday and Wednesday, but since Khana's scenes are PERFECT, we don't have to go! *L*

Okay, so she's not perfect, but it wouldn't do any good to rehearse her stuff more unless they were going to change something the actors are doing with her, and that doesn't seem to be in the works.

The "peek through the curtain" gets a good laugh every time! The last time she went to stick her nose through and got stuck in a fold of the curtain, so it took a few seconds to get her through, and in the meantime she just dropped to the ground. That seems to be her default behavior during that scene. But she got her head poked through and then stood up, so all was good. One of the little boys is taking a flashlight out and holding it for us so we can see a bit while we wait in the dark behind the curtain.

After the show, everyone goes out to the foyer in costume and mingles with the crowd. I guess that's tradition. I've been taking Khana out and walking her through, and she gets a lot of praise for a job well done. She is SO good with all those people! Being in a crowd doesn't bother her a bit. Lots of little kids come up to pet her, and little old ladies too .. *LOL* .. and some of the orphans (not Annie - she never acknowledges Khana in any way except for when she has to take her on stage with her - never even says hello) still running around in costume come over and hug her, and introduce her to their friends and family. Khana is going to be SO bored when this all ends.

I'd be enjoying this more if I felt alive, but so far I've been miserable. But like you said, Diane - the show MUST go on, and it would be impossible to find a stand-in for Khana now! I don't know what they'd do if I got so sick I couldn't show up, because no one else could take her - not that I'd let her go without me anyhow. As the actors get more into their roles, they seem to forget that they're not supposed to yank her around. I have to admit that I will NEVER again let one of my dogs be in a production where they are handled by other people (especially kids) unless I can see first if those people have empathy for dogs and will handle my dog kindly.

I came home from the matinee and went right to bed, finally stopped coughing enough to sleep for a couple hours, and then the coughing started again. So that's why I'm sitting up and on the laptop (still in bed, though .. *L*). I need to let the dogs out one more time and then I'm going to take sleep meds and see if I can get some healing sleep. It's a huge relief to know that I don't have to go ANYWHERE tomorrow!

Thanks to all of you who have followed this "saga". I'll get photos up (honestly) as soon as I can get some.

Melanie and the wonderful Khana, and her best friend, "caught dog" Tazer

well you have to take care of yourself !!! So with the next couple of days do that!!

I love reading your updates:)

BRAVO KHANA!!! Loved reading your reviews of the play and Khana's role.

Hope you're feeling better soon!!!

Great job Khana, Melanie and Tazer. Melanie, I am sorry to hear that actors are yanking on Khana, to me that is disrespectful. I would say some thing to the director, ask if he could remind everyone to handle Khana with a gentle and kind hand, as she is doing her best to help with the show, but is getting a bit unhappy by the rough handling. If she isn't having fun, it will be harder for her to do the right things.

Melanie I have seen a lot of human actors fumble with the opening of the curtain when they are suppose to pop out. Just a thought before show time could you go to that spot in the curtain and rub you hands really good on the spot Khana needs to find, maybe your scent there would help her to find the sweet spot.

Don't worry about the pictures. Your health and getting through all the performances is very important. We will always be here waiting for pictures.

Melanie, I hope you are feeling better after some rest.

Yay for Khana - doesn't even need more rehearsals!

And I know this is a very late thought, but about making the beautiful Khan look scruffy, here is a thought. Would it bother her is you took a few small rubber bands and banded together some bunches of hair? It you could do that loosely in a 5 or 6 places, she would look scruffy and the bands couldn't be seen by the audience.


I can just picture Khan looking through the curtains. I bet the cast is going to be upset when Khana is the one to make the papers!

Edited to add - that is so sad that she is being roughly handled. Hopefully the director can mention it and it will be better. I would be upset, too!

Oh my hope you feel better quickly. You don't need to be sick!

Hopefully the kids will learn to handle Khana better.

Hi all -

Well, we're down to the wire .. one more dress rehearsal, three performances over the weekend and we're DONE. Some of the cast members have talked about "post-musical depression" and how hard it is when it's all over, but I don't think I'm going to have that problem .. *LOL* .. now, KHANA might. When we have a break, the first night or two she will pace and scratch at the door, then come and stare at me as if to say "HEY! Are you forgetting something??" She has truly enjoyed some of the orphans, and they have been enchanted by her too. There are several who come to our little corner and sit on the floor to pet and love on her during the times we are waiting between Khana's scenes. And there are a couple of those kids that I would love to keep in contact with, because I think they have potential to become trainers themselves. And what's really funny is that both of those girls adore TAZER, too. Tazer is a bit of a handful and she's finally learning to settle some, but the girls are crazy about her. Brittany takes a few treats and then runs Tazer through all her behaviors, which is pretty funny. Tazer's never had to work for anyone but me, but she listens to Brittany. And Brittany has that natural alpha-style personality that dogs tend to respond to.

I went to the store the other day and had Khana with me, and several people stopped and said "is that the dog that plays Sandy?" .. *LOL* .. Khana has FANS! I keep getting told that she's the REAL star of the show, and people ask "how did you get her to ________?" (go to Annie, stay on stage when it's noisy, cross the stage, etc.). And they all seem to love the part when Khana sticks her head through the curtain and looks around. The audience ALWAYS laughs for that. I feel pretty good about that considering it was MY idea in the first place (it's not in the script). We still have some trouble with the folds of the curtain, and we're trying to do this mostly in the dark with just a tiny flashlight. But Khana is willing, and keeps sticking her face into the curtain until she finds the opening. The trick is getting the curtain open enough so that she can stick her head out without opening it so far that anyone sees me. One of the guys that's playing a butler and is in the next scene is helping, now, and he's dependable. He holds the curtain closed above Khana and that lets me work on finding the opening. Once Khana's nose goes out, the director has the spotlight turned on so that everyone sees her beautiful little face.

I'm still fighting this crud, but I'm much better than I was. I have the cough still and an occasional sore throat, runny nose, etc. Achy, too, but then I'm always achy so that could be my normal state. But I'm not on the verge of death like I was before! That was really bad. I shouldn't have been at those first few performances but the show would be kind of a wreck without Khana there. It's not like they can throw in another dog who hasn't even practiced (well, I guess they COULD, but it wouldn't be easy especially with a kid who doesn't even like dogs much).

I don't think I mentioned that they changed the Hooverville scene - the scene where the street people are out hanging around their burn barrels, and Annie comes on looking for her parents. Khana is with her, of course. Then the group does a song/dance while Annie and Sandy wait by the side. Finally it's all broken up by a cop coming out and telling them to leave - he goes after Annie and she drops the leash so that Khana runs to me and Annie runs the opposite way (another of my suggestions, so that the audience could see a real split between the two). Well, we had the scene down and Khana was responding well, and then new sets were added and it became harder for Khana to get offstage (everyone's running by then). Now they've added a couple more cops, one banging a metal pipe inside a burn barrel (very loud!), and Annie is supposed to move forward farther before getting into the confrontation with the cops. For those of you who understand dogs, you know that changing things that much is a lot for a dog to take in, especially with just one or two practices. People actors can understand the "why", but dogs need the repetition of the new behaviors in order for it to become solid. I stayed with Khana and gave her treats while they practiced the loud banging, and she was fine with me (she's been to the fireworks every year and never had a problem with loud noises). When Annie came out, I told her to give Khana treats when the banging happened and she argued with me, said she couldn't, that she had to walk forward, etc. I told her that Khana NEEDED the reassurance, and she just kept arguing it. I finally said "JUST DO IT!!" and then she gave the treat too late and Khana followed her instead of running to me. Of course that all became my fault .. *sigh* .. and since Annie wouldn't help Khana through this, and kept dragging her, Khana actually pulled out of her collar during the next performance when Annie went to walk forward and was dragging Khana with her. So Khana left the stage a bit early, and the next day Annie tells me to tie the collar on tighter because she pulled out of it. I said, in no uncertain terms, that the collar was tight enough and that if Annie hadn't been dragging Khana it wouldn't have happened. She looked at me and said "I was dragging her??" Geez. Like I haven't told her dozens of times to NOT DRAG MY DOG, but she acted like she'd never heard it before. On a good note, she is more careful now that she knows that Khana can get out of the collar. Ive shown her numerous times how to get Khana's attention before she moves (give a tiny tug or two, pat her leg, touch Khana, etc.) but she just never did it.

In retrospect, if I went back a couple months and did this again, I would have set Khana up with a detachable leash so that any time she got pulled on, the leash broke. I would have FORCED the kid to learn how to coax Khana with her, so that she had to learn to communicate. Instead I really thought that they would bond and that Annie would WANT to communicate with such a sweet dog. I have this anxious feeling every time I send Khana out onstage with Annie because I know that the kid couldn't care less about my dog or her welfare. When I leave Khana with Brittany while I go to the other side of the stage (through the back hallway), in prep for the crossing Khana does, I don't worry about how she's being treated because Brittany loves her.

Well, like I said - four more times, starting tonight, and we're done. And I can chock it all up to experience and go on. I leave in about an hour and hopefully my van will start. I came home Sunday to find that I had outlets in the apartment that won't work, and then found that the landlord had plowed with his bobcat and moved HIS extension cords but left mine (it was clear up near the building, it should have been safe anyhow) and he managed to cut my expensive 50' extension cord in half. The left-over piece had been tossed to the side, so I know he knows he did it, but he's made NO effort to let me know. And in the meantime I have outlets that won't work now. I've stopped up at their door several times and haven't caught anyone home (or they just don't answer their door, which is a possibility). So now I either have to run a new extension cord or hope my van will start without the block heater being on.

Okay, I'm off! Will let you all know how these last performances go. I know someone has been videotaping the performances but I'm not sure when the videos will be available. I'm taking my camera tonight in hopes I can grab a few photos, or have someone get some of Khana for me.

Melanie and the girls

good luck!!

Sorry to hear "Annie" isn't being as kind to Khana as you'd like. But I'm glad to hear that, otherwise, things are going along swimmingly. Outstanding! I bet it will be a bit of a relief when it's all over. But what a great experience.

Break a leg as they say.

I am sad also that the "Annie" girl doesn't realize what a great dog Khana is and isn't willing to put forth a little effort, she sounds like a little Diva (Diva as in not in a good way).

If you can get in touch with your land lord ask them to check the breaker that controls the outlets, saying that when you cut my extension cord I think it might have tripped the breaker. That puts him on notice that you know he did it and it is really possible that when the cord was cut it shorted and kicked the breaker out. (yea in my past work life, I worked for an electrician).

Melanie, for you I wish a fast and fun last few shows. For Khana - poor baby, she will miss all the time working with you and the cast.

I have so much enjoyed the stories. I am so sorry 'Annie' is not better at working with Khana. It must be a constant worry for you.

Celebrities! You won't be able to walk down the street or go in any store now without being stopped. Does Khana give pawtographs?

You and Khana should be so proud of your work.

Thanks for all the great responses - I'm so glad that some of you are following our "fifteen minutes of fame" .. *LOL* .. it's been an experience, that's for sure!

Val - yes, I think "diva" fits exactly. But I also think that she's just not a very flexible kid, and that maybe it's just too much for her to handle. And not being a "dog person" (her Mom told me that they have a dog but that she never does anything with it - it's her Dad's dog), she just can't understand what proper handling is. And thanks for the info on the breakers - that's what I figure too, but I don't have access to the breaker box and I have to catch them home to get them to check the breakers and they're just not home much (my Dad was an electrician too, as well as my brother .. *L*).

Bonnie - I thought of making up some "pawtographs" for Khana to give out! *LOL* I have some non-toxic paint, and could make prints off of a back foot pretty easily. I was considering making some little cards (I have a ton of card stock) with a photo of Khana, along with her name and paw print. It would be cute, but I'm almost out of time. Maybe just a few of them could be done for my favorite people, like Brittany. I had her pose tonight with Khana and got some photos, so when I get those uploaded I'll post them. I didn't get any other photos, though, as I'm always busy when Khana is on stage (of course!). I was going to ask someone to take them but didn't find anyone. But one of the ladies there said she has a number of photos with Khana in them and would email them to me if I'd give her my email address. I'm just hoping for some photos of Khana's cameos, without Annie in them. All of the photos I've seen so far are of Annie and Sandy.

Tonight the director allowed a "silly night", which I guess has become some sort of tradition. Actors were allowed to do funny things, like wear the wrong clothes (one of the servant guys was dressed like a guy from India, complete with dark make-up and turban) or use a different prop (the dog catcher doubles as a ventriloquist in the show, and the "dog" he dragged out this time was his puppet instead of the little chihuahua they've been using). The orchestra did some impromptu jazz, which was NICE (our pianist is amazing). But some of the actors went so far overboard that it was irritating and threw off some of the cues and performances. The director had said that all the songs, dances, etc. had to be done correctly, and for the most part they were, but when lines got changed and people got confused it wasn't good. A few played it absolutely straight (like Annie and Warbucks). I was going to have Khana do everything as normal, but when I mentioned to Phil (our director) that I could have her stick her butt out instead of her face, he started laughing and said "DO IT!". So that's what I tried to do, but Khana was NOT amused. She kept trying to tell me "you're WRONG, Mom, my HEAD goes out!" and ended up sitting down as soon as her butt went out, and then she looked over her shoulder at the audience as if to say "I'm sorry, but Mom screwed this up!" .. *LOL* .. people got a laugh out of it, but I'm really glad we're going to do things the right way from now on. I guess this "silly night" is supposed to loosen people up, get them to relax in their parts, etc. It did help Annie loosen up some, although at intermission I was talking to the director and Annie and her Mom came over so that Annie could tell the director that all the silly stuff was messing her up. He explained to her that some people had gone overboard but that he could see that she was more relaxed tonight than she'd ever been, even with the confusion, and that was good. So I wasn't the only one a bit frustrated with the stupid silliness of some of the people.

Oh - one of Khana's props broke while she was on stage. The catch pole the prop department had made up came apart during the end of Annie's "Tomorrow" solo, and all of a sudden Khana was loose and wandering. I stepped onstage and called her to me, and she came right over. I would have stayed out of view if it had been a performance, but it wasn't worth having her get spooked during a rehearsal. The prop just wasn't made as solidly as it should have been, but they should have it fixed by tomorrow and it only has to last through Sunday. When I was putting her other collar on for the next scene, backstage, Annie told me "don't come out and get her if that happens again". I thought "damn impertinent kid!" and told her that it's just a rehearsal, and she said "but people are watching and videotaping for photos and stuff". So I just said "I'm going to do what's right for my dog, and I don't care about the rest." I couldn't believe I was getting lectured by this 11 year old kid, and I did mention later to her mother that she had scolded me. Her Mom shook her head and said "she has a tendency to get a bit bossy" or something to that effect. It's not a good idea for this kid to get bossy with me, because I'm already ultra-irritated by her. I've held back because she IS a child, but really .. she's pushing the alpha bitch, and that's not a good thing!

I would love to write some little skits for the dogs and some of the kids that I think are great little performers, and who have built up a good relationship with Khana and Tazer. It would be fun, and we could incorporate some of the tricks the dogs know. With the right kid, they could give the cues onstage and have the dog respond. I'll have to think about that some more. I could be the director/trainer and use the kids that have the proper talent. Hmmmmmm ... *mind racing* .. *L*

I hope some of the things I've learned through this entire experience will help others who may be considering having their dogs in performances like this. I know I've mentioned some things I'd do differently if I went back and did it again. I think that when directors are dealing with dogs that have fairly important parts, they should pick out a couple of potential actors for the part, and then have them both work the part for a bit before choosing which one will actually do it. If they'd done that, we could have seen who fit best with Khana and I think the show would have been even better. It's obvious to anyone who knows dogs, that there's zero connection between Annie and Sandy. But if Brittany or one of the others had been Annie, there would have been this shining bond between them and it would have pushed the musical over the edge. I think I will suggest that "dual actor" concept to the directors just in case they run into this kind of thing again.

Khana is sound asleep, flat on her side. Tazer is sleeping too, but she spends most of her time in the van while we're there. She's just too noisy to keep inside, but she comes in right at the beginning and waits for her scene, then after Khana is done with the two scenes I take them both out for a break and leave Tazer in the van again. She sits there and watches anyone who may come by the van .. *L* .. so she comes home tired too. And I'm tired, of course. I forgot to take my extended release pain meds this morning, and remembered on the way to the rehearsal. I thought "you're gonna have to deal with it" and went on to the rehearsal anyhow, but took them as soon as I got home. So I'm a bit achier than normal, but the pain meds are kicking in now. It was SO STUPID of me to forget to take them! How could I forget that?? Geez.

Tomorrow I will remember .. *L*.. tomorrow, tomorrow, you're only a day away!

Melanie, Khana and Tazer

Melanie, I love reading the updates, it sounds like Khana is turning into quite a diva herself, how will you live with her? LOL

It would be so cool to be able to continue, like you said writing some skits/heck maybe even do another play, incorporating the kids and the dogs!! I'll bet people would LOVE IT!

Ok do you go around singing that 'tomorrow' song LOL? Keep up the good work, I love the little card idea with Khana's pawprint and pic of her, like an autograph!

It's about time, right? *L* The lady who took these photos put them on disk for me and gave me the disk tonight at the performance. The only one I took is the one of Khana and Brittany.

This is Khana after she's first gone out on stage - I send her out to Annie, who has just noticed a dog the dogcatchers didn't get. Khana is dragging a catchpole.



This one is during Hooverville, where all the "street people" dance while singing a song about Herbert Hoover and how he didn't step up to his campaign promises. Annie and Sandy go off to one side and sit on the floor while the others do their dancing.



This photo is also in the Hooverville scene. One of the street people has cooked up a pot of something, and Annie is asked if she's hungry. She says "no, but my dog is!" and she's given a bowl for Sandy (she puts some treats in it).



Khana LOVES this part - she sticks her head through the curtain and looks around. She always gets laughs from this, and lots of "awwwwww's" too!



The big finale, right after they've all taken their bows .. the entire cast sings "Tomorrow" right before leaving the stage for the last time. The big guy playing Daddy Warbucks does SUCH a great job - he really "makes" the show. The girl on the left is a young teenager, and she's just beautiful. AND sweet! The little girl to the right of Warbucks plays Molly, and she's absolutely cute in the role.



And finally, the photo I took of Khana with Brittany, my favorite orphan and the kid that I think would make a great dog trainer. Khana adores her.



So there it is - PROOF that I didn't make all this up! *LOL* Tonight's performance went really well, and Annie did a decent job of working with Khana. I think she's finally relaxed enough in her performance that she can start thinking outside of just her own self, if that makes sense. Khana's getting a tad bit lackadaisical about things, slowing down to a walk instead of a trot when she goes out to see Annie, etc. She just needs to keep her enthusiasm up for two more performances, and then we're done. It's kind of amazing to see how relaxed Khana has become about so much of it. When we walk down the back hallway (behind the auditorium, where you can get to the other side of the stage without being seen), she just walks calmly along with no tension on the leash, completely at ease. When we first started doing this, she was excited and pulling me, but now she's calm and accepting. She's also doing much better on stage, as she knows that she will be onstage until a certain point and she doesn't keep looking for me all the time. The only scene that bothers her is the Hooverville one, because at the end they get frantic and it's noisy, and Khana knows she will get turned loose and can run to me. So she anticipates that and pulls away from Annie. But today Annie actually kneeled down and gave Khana some more treats at that point, which is perfect distraction for her.

Tazer was funny tonight - she was really complaining when on stage. And you guys know that German shepherd yodeling that they do so well - Tazer is VERY vocal and she really played up her part today .. *LOL* .. after all, she's been caught by the dogcatcher, so she should be miserable, right? If people only knew how much she loves to get in that dang crate, they'd be amazed.

Khana is sound asleep and I'm going to follow her footsteps very soon. I only had a couple of hours sleep last night (insomnia and out of sleep meds, but picked them up today so I'm set now). I'm TIRED! *L* But I really wanted to get these photos posted now that I had them.

Melanie and the girls

Great photos Melanie - Khana looks quite the seasoned performer and very comfortable in her role. Thanks for sharing.

LOVE the pics!!!! I like all of them but I think my favs are the one where she's sticking her head out from behind the curtain and the last one with Brittany!!

LOVE it,,she DOES look like a seasoned performer!! So happy for all of you, you girlz did a great job!!

Yay! Pictures! She really looks very comfortable and regal in those photos. And it sounds like you've, overall, had a great experience with this whole thing. What a great show to be involved with. I hope the remaining performances go well. Give some pets to Khana for me!

Those pictures are wonderful - it was nice of the lady to be sure you got the disk.

They are all my favorites! Khana is a pro, but she better stay on toes! Tazer may be wanting to take over!

Dog yodels. Yippee!

Thanks for the pictures!

These are great Mel, I'm so glad that you guys were able to do this. They are really going to miss all the activity, aren't they?

these are wonderful!!

Great pictures!!!!!! So nice to see them after reading all of the updates. Khana looks fabulous.

You are going to have to find her another job after this!

I'm so glad you all enjoyed the photos! It's been an amazing run but I'm glad that Sunday is our last show. Khana and Tazer will definitely miss the excitement AND all the wonderful people who loved on them! I talked to a few people and I may look into doing some 4-H leadership stuff as there doesn't seem to be anyone leading a dog group around here. Some of these kids would love to work with dogs, but they just don't know where to go. I have to really think about the commitment, though .. this experience has taught me a lot about how much I can handle without being overwhelmed (like getting really sick - THAT was bad!).

Khana is truly relaxed and happy through most of the performance. The Hooverville scene is a bit difficult as she knows that they're suddenly going to start running around, there will be a lot of noisy banging, and then she'll be released to run to me. And I can see the stress in her as she anticipates all that. But the rest of the scenes she's become very calm with. Even the part where Annie is singing the last part of "Tomorrow", and steps forward so the curtain can close behind them, Khana is finally relaxed. It really scared her at first, because she was trapped behind (the curtain) and the deep orchestra pit was right in front of her a few feet. But every day when we go in, I take her on stage and practice the crossing (lots of treats when she comes to the flashlight) and then we stand in the spot where she'll be with Annie and I have her look into the pit and then give her treats. So she has learned that it's not such a bad place to be.

All these little things have been so important, and I know that most of the cast has no idea how much goes into her training behind the scenes (so to speak). But it really is amazing how calm and happy she's become in this role. During the part where the cop takes her to the side and tells Annie to call her (to prove that Sandy is her dog), Khana just stands quietly while Annie does the first few "Sandy .. Saaaandy" calls to her. And then when Annie raises her voice, Khana comes forward. She's learned which call really means "come here" .. *L* .. and she's perfectly happy to stand there and look like she isn't going to respond at all.

When we go out to "greet our adoring public" after the performances, Khana is relaxed and mixes with the crowd without much concern. She lets everyone pet her and even when they crowd around her she is fine with it. Many people (not all kids!) have their pictures taken with her .. *LOL* .. she really IS a celebrity here! And I don't know how many times I've heard "she's the REAL star of the show!". People are just amazed that she stays calm during some of those scenes.

I've had several people who know me from back in my more active training days, tell me that when they saw Khana go on stage, they knew it had to be one of my dogs. No one else in the area trains chows, of course, and two people tonight said "and I knew it had to be you when I saw how well-trained the dog was" .. *LOL* .. it's nice to still have a good reputation as a trainer, even though I haven't been active in years. It makes me want to get back into it. I just wish I could do it without all the pain, because every night I come home after a performance I hurt all over. Such is life .. what's a little pain when you live with a STAR??? *LOL*

I made up some "pawtographs" tonight, with a photo of Khana and her paw print. The paw prints didn't come out as nicely as I wanted, but oh well .. Khana was a trooper, and stood there patiently as I painted her pads black and then had her put her foot on the piece of paper. I only made about a dozen, which was PLENTY (and Khana agrees!). And then, of course, I told her "stay" as I quickly took the prints out of the bathroom so they could dry, and she didn't stay. Luckily I had her tied to the toilet paper roll thingie and she couldn't go far, but she did leave black paw prints across the bathroom floor. Silly dog. Then she got dumped into the bathtub so I could wash her foot and her butt, where she'd had a bit of diarrhea (too many salmon treats!). Now she has a nice clean rump and feet, and is sound asleep next to the bed. We have an early call tomorrow since it's a matinee, so I should be getting to bed myself (it's early - just 2 a.m.! *L*). By tomorrow night all of this will be over and we can relax and sleep and recover .. and think about what we'll do next!

I will probably be back with thoughts on what we learned through this experience. I'd like to sit down with the director and talk to him about things to consider if he works with an animal again. Looking back, there are things I wish I'd done differently when we first started into this, but at the time I just didn't realize how things would go. But I think it might be helpful to the director to understand more about how animals think/work/react so that IF he does this again he'll know how to make it successful.

Thanks again for following our saga. It's been interesting, fun, frustrating, tiring, and exciting. I don't know if we'll ever do this kind of thing again, but I don't regret the commitment now (of course, a couple of weeks ago I was regretting it BIG time, but I was sick so I have an excuse! *L*).

Melanie, Khana and Tazer

Melanie,

This has been such a wonderful process to witness. Khana may be a star but you are clearly a director (isn't that what a dog trainer is, for people). Khana learned her "lines" like Meryl Streep learned Polish for Sophie's Choice, not her native tongue but nearly flawless, nonetheless.

One thing didn't work out, but no one held it against you. NO WAY is Khana scruffy.

thanks very much,
Mary Jane

Epic smiles over here. I've followed most of this and just thoroughly enjoy the photos. Khana has to be one of the greatest ambassadors to the chow breed. Oh and what a FUN thing to do with your dog! Just love it.

Melanie, I have so much enjoyed the updates. The story was great but the pictures were the icing on the cake.

I really do think you should consider doing some training classes again. You can set your own schedule and I don't think it would be as demanding as the Play was.

I like that you are going to follow up with the director, maybe you will become the animal consultant for future plays if they use live animals again.

I'm not much of a commentor and actually only came across this post last week. I really enjoyed reading through it all, and the pictures are just great!

Well, we're two days past our last performance, and Khana was SO restless last night! She'd come over and stare at me, then go scratch at the door, then come back to stare again. I'd let her out, she'd run to the end of the fenced area and then back to me, staring again as if to say "NO, Mom, that's not what I meant!". She finally settled but after months of rehearsals and peformances it will probably take a while before she isn't expecting to leave in the evenings.

I have one more photo to share. Some time ago, one of the prop ladies started taking pictures of various cast and crew members with Annie's curly red wig on. Then she'd print the photos and put them up on one of the walls next to the doorway into the green room. I saw those one day and said "Khana needs a photo of the red wig, too!". So I put the wig on her and the lady took a photo, and the next day Khana's picture was up on the wall too. The number of pictures grew until there were probably 30 or more up on the wall, and it was hilarious!

They gave me Khana's photo after the last performance, and I just scanned it (first time I ever used this particular scanner, so it took a bit to figure out the very confusing control panel). I wanted to share this with all of you!



Cute, hmm? *LOL*

They started out having Annie wear this wig, but then she and her Mom decided to dye her hair a deep red and they curled it instead of using the wig. It looked good like that, and was probably way more comfortable for Annie.

I sat down last night and wrote up some ideas for a play/musical involving kids/dogs. My initial idea is of a girl who lives with her aunt and uncle (who took her in only because her parents died - they did NOT want a kid and they treat her badly). A kindly next-door-neighbor woman gives the girl a dog, and to avoid reality she retreats into a fantasy world where she and her dog have a wonderful life, with people who love her and friends and maybe even other dogs.

Of course, in my mind I'm seeing Khana and Brittany, the girl I think has so much potential, but I'll try to write this with the idea that it could be played by others. The dog stuff will be general enough that different dogs could be adapted to it, but there will be areas where the dog needs to do tricks and behaviors that make the dog a real part of the fun and fantasy. The scenes will bounce back and forth between the reality of two self-centered adults, drinking and being nasty toward the girl, and the dreamlike fantasies of the girl's.

And in the end she gets to leave the bad adults and find a home with someone who loves her and treats her kindly, of course. I can't leave her with the awful parents!

Anyhow, that's the start of it. When I get the basic storyline sketched out, and start thinking about dialogue, I have to also think about music and what I need to put to song instead of just having as dialogue. That will be interesting! The songs I think I can write just fine, but trying to make them into orchestral pieces would take a lot of work. So it may be simplified to piano/guitar/drums with an occasional woodwind solo (flute, clarinet, sax). Might as well stick to what I know best.

So I guess this entire experience has been good for me, since it's got my creative mind roiling (and on the verge of vertigo, even). It's good for me to write, even if it never actually goes anywhere. It gives me the opportunity to feel like I'm accomplishing something - anything! And that's very good.

I talked briefly with the director that last day, and said I'd like to talk to him about some of the things I learned over the past four months. He thought that was a good idea, and said he planned on sending out an email to everyone so that they can give him their thoughts on what went right, what could have been changed, etc. So I'll jot down my thoughts on what would make things go better when an animal is involved, and hopefully those thoughts will make the next time a bit better.

So now I'm going to go back to relaxing .. *L* .. I can't tell you how good it feels to know I don't HAVE to go anywhere! I tend to stress about things like that (I hate to miss appointments, etc.) and then that stress makes it more difficult to sleep and relax. So this is the first time I've truly felt relaxed in months. It feels GREAT!! Khana doesn't agree, though, so maybe later we'll go for a walk. Starting tomorrow I have to take care of my friend's Akita, so we'll be going over to his house every day to feed him and put him in for the night (he has a dog door so he can go in and out, but if left out at night he barks and the neighbors complain). Khana will love seeing Baron again, so that will help take her mind off of missing all the people and excitement.

Hope you like the photo! *L*

Melanie, Khana and Tazer

So cute!!