The performer’s Dynamo Flying Dogs act is part of the 138th edition of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus, onstage at Oracle Arena in Oakland through Sunday and HP Pavilion in San Jose from Wednesday through Aug. 24.
What exactly is your title? I’m a dog trainer. I have a dog act.
What inspired you to get into get into this line of work? It started in the 1990s, when I first I became aware of Canine Frisbee Freestyle competition. I was blown away; it just moved me.
Have you ever done anything besides work with dogs? I worked in quality assurance for a pharmaceutical company; I decided I couldn’t take the corporate world anymore because I was missing out on a lot of fun events.
What it is about your personality that makes your act a success? It’s the love I’ve had for animals forever. When I was a kid, I’d bring home every freakin’ animal — even a duck.
Do you have a favorite part of your act? I love it when we get to interact with the clowns; you never know what they will do. There’s also my little dog Topper, who I call “Topper the Show Stopper.”
What kind of dogs do well in performance and competition? Often those put up for adoption because they have too much energy.
