Maple Ridge border collie wows Fallon and millions of viewers with his impressive Jenga trick.
Maple Ridge dog parent Lindsey Wadden knew her pup had mad skills, but she never dreamed the tricks she trained Ollie, her 7-year-old border collie, would put them on one of the most legendary shows in TV history.
Last week, Wadden and Ollie went live on NBC’s Tonight Show, as part of host Jimmy Fallon’s recurring segment Why Is Your Pet Better Than Me?. And just like that, via Zoom, they were broadcast to millions of homes from theirs in Maple Ridge.
“The recording that everyone saw was live!” Wadden, still reeling from the experience, tells OhMyDog!
As high as the pressure was, Ollie flawlessly pulled off his unique trick - pulling a single brick from a Jenga tower without toppling it. When he did, the audience burst out in cheers and Fallon shouted “Yes! Yes! Good job Ollie!”
“Of course I was a little nervous, these are pets after all,” says Wadden. “No matter how well they’re trained, there’s always a possibility that they won’t perform what they’re asked.”
But like a television pro, she had a backup plan just in case.
“If Ollie had knocked over the tower (which does happen) then I was going to ask him to tidy up his blocks. He then happily goes around picking them up and brings them back to me.”
Jenga just one of Ollie's many talents
The Tonight Show stumbled upon Wadden’s Instagram account (thecolliebrothers), where Ollie and his two collie brothers perform and play for over 3000 followers. The producers were initially drawn to Ollie’s skip rope routine, but quickly saw he had an arsenal of other tricks.
“I suggested a few other tricks that might appeal to their segment such as painting, Fisher Price’s Rock-a-Stack Rings, hugging his brothers, or handstands. As you saw, they decided on Jenga!”
Wadden says the entire production and experience was made relaxed and enjoyable, even inside the confines of long distance zooming.
“Everyone that I spoke with was amazing and super helpful,” says Wadden. “We had a technical check-in, dress rehearsal, and then had the live show taping. They made sure everyone who participated was comfortable before we went live, making for a smooth transition for us to just work with our pets and chat with Jimmy about their special talents.”
“It was pretty humbling being asked to be a part of The Tonight Show, and it’s not an experience we’ll be forgetting any time soon” she says.
“I’m just really proud of Ollie. I guess all those endless hours of training them has paid off.”