The Comedy Barn Theater: A Dog Friendly Show

A dog friendly theater? With eleven rescue dogs as part of the comedy routine? Well, it goes without saying … this we must see!

As we travel around the country in search of pet friendly activities, we rarely come across something so unique and entertaining as the show at The Comedy Barn Theater in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Even if it wasn’t dog friendly … and even if they didn’t have Dawn Elberson Goehring and the famous Comedy Barn Canines … we’d have loved it!

But the folks here have done something truly special – they’re pet people, too, and they recognize that things are more fun when your pooch is included. It’s not every day you’ll have the chance to take your pup to a comedy show, and without a doubt, it will be a highlight of your trip to the Smokey’s!

Back Stage Pass

Never before have we received such celebrity treatment! Dawn and her newest rescue, Duncan, greeted us at the Comedy Barn Canine bus for a chance to meet the dogs and get some pawtographs. This is where the dogs chill between shows and how they travel when they’re on tour – making appearances as far away as Baltimore and Chicago.

After hanging with the pack, Dawn and Duncan took us on a back-stage tour and Duncan showed off some of the tricks he’s been working on since he joined the crew.

We got to meet several of the human entertainers and even got our picture taken. Yes, you read that correctly – the actors were taking pictures of us!

Show Time

We took our seats in time to scan the crowd for any dogs in the audience, but unfortunately we didn’t see any. I guess not everyone knows this is a dog friendly show! The theater’s policy is that small dogs are welcome to sit on your lap, free of charge. People accompanied by their large dogs are placed in seats where the dog won’t get stepped on and are charged $10.

Ty and Buster sat like angels our feet – the pictures of perfection – and didn’t make a peep during the entire show. HA! If you believed that, I have a bridge to sell you – and you may want to get to know our boys a little better. In actuality, our boys enjoyed their KONGs in the Winnebago during the show.

And then the curtain went up and the entertainment began … singing, dancing, juggling, a ventriloquist, and lots of clean, family fun … but you really want to hear about the dogs, right?!? They are unbelievable! They hula hoop, jump rope and fly though the air.

They walk a tight rope, drive a car, and jump over audience volunteers.

And, at intermission, they come out to greet their adoring fans.

And Elvis just wanted to keep performing. This is his favorite trick … a head stand. Dawn said she didn’t have to teach him this one – he’s been doing it ever since she brought him home from being neutered.

Supporting Local Rescues and Shelters

The Comedy Barn does a lot to help animals in their local rescues and shelters, included announcing at every show that all the performing dogs were once homeless and encouraging people to adopt their next pet.

If you’re in the area, or simply can’t wait a moment longer to see The Comedy Barn Canines, check out their annual Comedy Barn Unleashed event on November 3rd from 10am to 1pm. Tickets are just $10 for the event and all proceeds will benefit three local shelters or rescues. They’re going for a record number of dogs in an indoor theater and an animal talent scout will be there looking for new talent. (Kristine, there’s still time to perfect those tricks you’re working on with Shiva!)

Giveaway!

Two of you will be receiving a Comedy Barn hat for yourself and a bandana for your dog! To enter, leave a comment below telling us about the trick your dog would do if he were one of the Comedy Barn Canines.

Contest Rules

The contest closes on Monday, October 29, 2012 at 11:59 pm EST. This contest is open only to US and Canadian residents over the age of 18, except where prohibited. All contest entries will be assigned a number and the winning numbers will be picked by www.randomizer.org. We will reply to the winner’s comments indicating that they’ve won no later than Wednesday, October 31, 2012. The decision of the judges is final. The winners have 3 days to claim the prize. If the prize is not claimed by the winners within 3 days, an alternate winner will be chosen from the pool of entries. The winners of the prizes are responsible for any and all applicable taxes on the prize. Employees and relatives of GoPetFriendly.com are ineligible to enter the contest.

Disclosure: We were unexpectedly provided with two free tickets to the show, as well as the two hats and bandanas that we are re-gifting to you. Receiving those items did not affect our opinions, and this post reflects my honest assessment.

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