Scott and Joan Houghton have been performing together as a duo since 1984. They have played variety stages and festivals throughout the US, Canada, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan as Jessie & James, a comedy juggling and unicycling act. They spent three years as the featured comedy act with country music's Lee Greenwood both in Las Vegas and Tennessee, and seven years with Dolly Parton's production, Dixie Stampede. In 1996, the couple adopted their first dog from a shelter in Knoxville, TN and later began fostering dogs in their off-season for a local rescue group. They practiced reward-based training methods though the influence of positive trainers Pat Miller, Jean Donaldson, and Karen Pryor. Their second dog Chico made his stage debut in 2005, and by 2007 they had hung up the unicycles and reinvented their act into Mutts Gone Nuts!
Samantha Valle joined Mutts Gone Nuts in 2014. She is a gifted trainer, and her dogs are hands down, some of the best canine athletes in the world. Valle grew up on Long Island, NY and when she turned 15, her father took her to a shelter to pick out her first dog. Now at 36, Valle has not only become one of the world's top trainers, but she is also a great spokesperson for animal rescue. She and her rescue dog, Geronimo, hold the Guinness World Record for a dog jumping rope double dutch! They have appeared on The Late Show with Dave Letterman and The Steve Harvey Show. She also holds a Guinness World Record with Feather! When Valle is not performing you can be sure she is hanging out with her dogs hiking, scootering, canoeing, or working on some new tricks.
Hilby, The Skinny German Juggle Boy opens the show with his infectious personality. A native of West Berlin, Hilby now resides in Ithaca, NY with his wife and family. He is one of the most sought-after variety performers in the country, bringing his uniquely funny show to young and old alike. One cannot help but be charmed by his lovable personality, and impeccable comedic timing as he manipulates objects ranging from bowling balls to hedge trimmers. The New York Times called him “Rivetingly Absurd”; Hilby is sure the win your heart.
Mutts Gone Nuts’ canine performers live on a small farm just north of Baltimore, Maryland, along with two miniature horses (Chaps and Tango) and two Potbelly pigs named Tofu and Nelly. When the dogs are not doing shows, they enjoy chasing squirrels, learning new tricks, and taking naps. Once a dog is no longer interested in performing in the show, they retire with a full pension and live out their lives on the farm. All the dogs are all USDA licensed and are lovingly cared for by Dr Pema at Holistic Veterinary Healing in Germantown, MD.
If you are thinking about getting a pet, please remember different breeds have different needs. Do some research to ensure you find a good match for your family. Millions of dogs and cats enter shelters each year (often through no fault of their own). Please consider adopting, not only will you get a new best friend, but you’ll save a life too!www.Petfinder.com is a great place to start looking.
The fabulous Feather, like all Greyhounds is a gentle Giant. Laid back and loving, she is really the perfect dog. We all know Greyhounds love to run, but they love one thing even more, and that’s laying on the couch! Feather has a tattoo in her ear, which means she was in a racing program. We are guessing she wasn’t very fast because she ended up at the dog pound. Lucky for her, she was spotted and rescued by Star City Greyhound Rescue in Roanoke, Virginia. She may not be the fastest Greyhound, but when you see her jump, your jaw will drop. Feather holds the Guinness Book World Record for the highest jump by a dog.
Pixel a.k.a. Hot Wheels is a handsome little Heinz 57 mix that was adopted from Eastern Herding Dog Rescue, in Richmond, Virginia. Her mother was a stray that came in to rescue and gave birth to seven puppies! Pixel’s DNA test revealed she is part of Poodle, American Eskimo, Australian Cattle Dog, Shih Tzu, Chihuahua, and Collie. Although she is only 14 pounds, Pixel is a little tornado when it comes to work and play. This little girl can outrun and out maneuver all of the other four-legged cast members and is significantly louder too! She debuted in the show a couple years ago and has proven to be our resident clown. Pix has a gentle nature and adores children. If you hear a dog yapping backstage, you can be sure it’s our little blabbermouth, ready to start the show!
Charlie is a Parson Russell Terrier that was pulled from a Maryland shelter on the day he was supposed to be put down! He was just a year old and had already been returned to the shelter twice. Super energetic terriers are not for every family and this little guy just needed some love and training. Charlie is very agile and was constantly climbing out of pens, over gates and even scaled the wire of our split rail fence to take a swim in the pond! We decided Charlie would be perfect for our wire walking dog. The only problem is, he makes it look too easy! Charlie will be retiring soon and plans to spend his time snoozing on the couch and running around our farm chasing bunnies but don’t worry, he can’t catch them.
Rocky is an is extremely high drive, classic black and white Border Collie. Our veterinarian contacted us about getting him in to rescue because he was so busy that his family had to keep him in their garage! Rocky needed a job, and he was constantly looking for something to do. Samantha agreed to foster Rocky, and he has flourished under her care. Rocky can jump rope double dutch and is insane about catching frisbees.
Shorty McNerdy aka Nerdy was given up because he was way too much dog for the house. McNerdy looks like a Cattle Dog/Border Collie mix, and he is oozing with drive. Like most working dogs he has an intense personality and takes playtime very seriously! He loves to work and learn new tricks! He loves being a part of the show and always gives it 200%! McNerdy’s favorite toy is the frisbee and just about loses his mind when he sees one. He could play all day and dazzles crowds with his sense of humor and athletic ability.
Mr. Finnie is a beautiful Border Collie. Many dogs like Finn are given up because their families can’t keep them busy and bored working dogs can get destructive. There is a saying about Border Collies: “If they don’t have a job, they’ll make a job!” They may start herding the neighborhood kids or trying to bite the tires of passing bikes or cars. Other favorite jobs of bored herding dogs include digging up garden beds, removing curtains from windows, and herding the family cat. Finn’s favorite job is chasing frisbees and he would do all day, if only he could find someone to throw to him all day. His second favorite job is staring at horses. He would prefer to herd the horses but since they totally ignore his attempts, he is relegated to just staring.
Last, but not least is our newest cast member, Whitaker! This black beauty is a Labrador Retriever from TRU Rescue. Lab’s have long been America’s favorite family dog since they are gentle by nature and very tolerant and friendly. They are also crazy energetic and need a ton of exercise. We can only guess that Witty was given up because she has one speed . . . full blast, all the time. She LOVES everything and everyone. Don’t get too close or she will slobber kiss you. Her favorite past time is doing anything Sam is doing!
