Dogs yap at the heels of pro careers

(Rotorua) One of the most successful dog acts since Lassie and Rin Tin Tin is turning professional. Chelsea Marriner and her quartet of dogs is on the open market and already offers are rolling in.

Chelsea, who turns 17 in June, has earned national attention with Brodie, now 14, and said she and her family had been thinking about the idea for some time. "We saw a couple of people doing it overseas," Chelsea says, "and we thought it looked an idea that would go down well over here".

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Chelsea and Brodie have entertained hundreds of groups over the years, and each year the performances of her dogs seemed to improve with her own maturity.

"It has been passing through our minds, and once we saw people overseas doing it we decided to have a go," Chelsea said.
"We've had good feedback in the past." Chelsea and her performing dogs have been in demand for many years, "but we have to get out and a about if we're to go anywhere," she says.

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"People do come up and say how they've enjoyed it, the fact that we've done it for nothing." Demands on training and fitness can be expensive, as feeding the dogs comes at some cost. Dog biscuits she has been given for services rendered over the years can be traded in for meat.

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