At home, Sarah and I have five animals: 3 cats and 2 dachshunds. But there is still another very important animal in my life, my Busch Gardens performing co-star: General!
General is a two and a half year old terrier mix, rescued from a shelter in the Orlando area.
His full name is actually General Lee, named after the car from the Dukes of Hazzard. He has a personality similar to that of a Jack Russell and other terriers - lots and lots of energy and enthusiasm. And he is very, very smart. I don't think of myself as an animal trainer who performs as much as a performer who trains animals, but General has made my job very easy. He has quickly learned anything that I set out to teach him.
General and I star in Friends Forever at Busch Gardens in Tampa, Florida. General plays "Percy," best friend to knight-in-training Sir Robin (that's me). The two pals get separated in the Land of the Dragons, and Sir Robin enlists the help of his new friends, Princess Stephanie and Dumphrey the Dragon, to find Percy.
General is called upon to do many different behaviors in the show: He has to stop onstage at a specific position and bark at a puppet owl. He races from point to point across the stage. He crosses a bridge and crawls through a hole.
He makes an entrance along a shelf and places his front paws up on a ledge. He does a high jump into my arms. And he has to tolerantly hang out in my arms while I dance and sing in one of the production's musical numbers. Each of these behaviors General does consistently and enthusiastically. He is such a dependable performer that I often forget that it was I who actually trained him to do these behaviors in the first place.
Since late March 2006, General and I have been constant companions at work. We do five shows together, five days a week, and we spend lots of quality time together between shows. We are best buddies and depend on each other.
Our other cast members also adore General, and he is a spoiled pup with all of the attention that is lavished on him.
Everyone loves to play with General, and he loves to play with everyone. He has lots of toys to keep him entertained in between shows
(his favorite toy is an empty soda bottle). He gets plenty of exercise. Each morning after I arrive at work, General and I go for a walk (he likes to chase the roller coasters as they race by). General has become a familiar sight around the park and everyone knows him.
General is an immensely lovable dog. I am as attached to him as I am to my own pets at home. I look forward to working with him and spending time with him each day. We perform together, we learn together, and we grow together. He is a wonderful, special, one-of-a-kind dog, and I consider myself lucky to be his co-star!
At home, Sarah and I have five animals: 3 cats and 2 dachshunds. But there is still another very important animal in my life, my Busch Gardens performing co-star: General!
