Olate Dogs

Last updated
Nicholas Olate gives instructions to a dog balancing atop a large wheel, February 16, 2013. Olate dogs - on wheel.jpeg
Nicholas Olate gives instructions to a dog balancing atop a large wheel, February 16, 2013.

Olate Dogs (originally Olate Family's Dogs) is an American dog trick act featuring father-and-son trainers Richard and Nicholas Olate. The group won the seventh season (2012) of America's Got Talent , claiming the US$1,000,000 first prize.

Contents

Richard Olate grew up in Santiago, Chile, where he adopted a stray dog and taught it tricks. He soon adopted more dogs and started a dog act. His brother Jose joined the act and the two caught the attention of a circus promoter. They came to America in 1989 and found success as part of Circus Vargas. Richard got married and eventually his wife Rebecca and son Nicholas and daughter Brandy joined the act. Olate Dogs performed in the Big Apple Circus and Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. They appeared in TV commercials and on multiple morning programs before becoming national stars on America's Got Talent. Subsequently, they have toured the country and performed during NBA halftimes.

Olate Dogs features four different five-minute acts that include numerous tricks such as dogs jumping rope, going down slides, and riding scooters. The act also features a dog conga line and another that does back flips. Up to 10 of their 22 dogs perform during each show.

Background

Richard Olate is a third-generation circus performer who grew up in Santiago, Chile. [1] [2] The second youngest of 22 children, he grew up in poverty. As a young child, he found a stray dog in the street, adopted it, and began to teach it tricks. Soon he adopted two more dogs and trained them as well. [2] By age 12, he was supporting his family with a dog act, performing in schools and small circuses. [2] [3] Richard's brother Jose joined the act and the duo caught the attention of circus promoters. In 1989, Richard and Jose Olate brought their act to the United States. [2] That year, the Chicago Tribune described their Circus Vargas performance as "clever and comical". [4]

Shortly after coming to America, Richard Olate met Rebecca Smith, a circus performer who performed as a human cannonball. The two fell in love, despite speaking different languages, and got married. Rebecca gave up her act and began assisting with the dog act instead. [5] Richard and Rebecca had three children. The older two Olate children returned to Chile, where Richard's daughter and her fiancé run a circus, and his older son works as a chef. [2] His younger son, Nicholas, grew up with the dogs and became an integral part of the act at age 15. [2] [3] Nicholas Olate was hyperactive as a child, learning dance and tumbling at a young age. [2]

A dog prepares to ride a scooter during an Olate Dogs performance on February 16, 2013. Olate Dogs - riding scooter.jpg
A dog prepares to ride a scooter during an Olate Dogs performance on February 16, 2013.

While in Florida, a talent scout spotted the Olates and brought them to California. They worked in commercials and films, and performed for celebrities. [6] Using mostly rescue dogs, the Olates continued to build up their act. To train his dogs, Richard uses imitative play and a lot of patience. He demonstrates the trick and then puts the dog into proper position over and over again. Eventually, the dog starts to try to emulate what Richard is doing. [2] The Olates use physical and verbal cues to let the dogs know which trick to do. [6] The family adopted an extra dog solely as a pet so that the performance dogs were not too distracted from casual play. [2]

In 2001, the Olate act, then called the Olate Family's Dogs appeared in the Big Apple Circus. They did a variety of tricks including walking on two legs, going down slides, pushing scooters, and jumping over hurdles. The New York Times called the act a crowd pleaser. [7] In 2007, the Olate dog act was featured in the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, performing tricks such as jumping rope, riding a scooter, and doing a conga line. [8] They have appeared on The Today Show and Live! With Regis and Kelly , winning a "Relly" award for favorite specialty performance on the latter. [9]

By 2012, Jose had left the act. Olate Dogs, based in Houston, Texas, have four distinct acts featuring a variety of tricks. [1] The acts are about 5 minutes long and feature up to 10 dogs at a time. In total they have 22 dogs – 10 active and 12 either in training or retired. According to the Olates, the hardest trick is the back flip. [2]

America's Got Talent

When the Olates were traveling in Orlando in 2012, they heard that America's Got Talent (AGT) was in town for auditions. Friends urged them to try out, but Richard Olate, then aged 55, thought it would just be a hassle and go nowhere. [2] Nicholas, then 19, convinced his father to audition. [2] The auditioning was difficult – the Olates had to carry the dogs everywhere – but was worth it when they got a standing ovation. [3] Their dog act impressed the judges enough to be put them straight through into the top 48, bypassing Vegas week. [1]

Appearing in what was described as the "toughest quarterfinal" of AGT, Olate dogs finished in the top three of the public vote and moved on to the semifinals. [10] In the semifinals, the act featured a dog riding a scooter, an all dog conga line, and the return of their back flipping poodle. A new dog, Bella, made her debut on the show doing a tumbling act with both trainers. [11] The public vote placed Olate Dogs in the top two, sending them to the finals. [12]

In the finale of America's Got Talent, Olate Dogs began with a dog "driving" a car onstage. Other tricks included dogs walking on just their hind legs, jumping tricks, and back flips. [13] With one of the dogs in her lap, judge Sharon Osbourne said she was watching "pure love on that stage" and said the act made her "so happy." [13] In her recap, Amy Reiter of the Los Angeles Times called Olate Dogs "the most talented puppies on the planet." [13]

In the public vote, Olate Dogs finished first, beating out comedian Tom Cotter and musician William Close to claim the US$1,000,000 first prize.[ citation needed ]

After America's Got Talent

Olate Dogs headlined the America's Got Talent Live in Las Vegas stage show at The Palazzo Theatre in the fall of 2012 and again in early 2013. The 90-minute show featured a return of fan-favorite routines from AGT plus new routines and never before seen dogs. [14] They appeared on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno on November 2. On the show, they did several jumping tricks, had three dogs ride a scooter, and performed a three dog conga line. One dog jumped rope on its hind legs and another did back flips. They concluded with the trainers doing a tumbling act with one of the dogs. [15]

From February through April 2013, Olate Dogs appeared in The America's Got Talent Live - All Star Tour, a cross-country tour featuring top acts from seasons six and seven. [16] Subsequently, they performed during halftime of several NBA games. [3] During the summer, they toured various county fairs. The son of Jose Olate, Juan, joined the act. [6] Nicholas Olate is recording a music album "Think Big" to be released from Domo Records on October 8, 2013. [17]

On September 11, 2013, Olate Dogs returned to "America's Got Talent" as a guest performer during the Top 12 results show.

They released their holiday album "The Olate Dogs' Christmas" from Domo Records on October 29, 2013.

In 2014 Olate Dogs made their movie debut by starring in "Le Sauvetage (The Rescue)", a short film that premiered at the Sonoma International Film Festival, and selected for the Festival de Cannes Court Métrage. The film is a part of the #RescueFilm series, presented by Halo, Purely for Pets and created by Peter McEvilley to celebrate rescue pets and promote pet adoption. The series also include “Dog’s Best Friend” and “A Holiday Tail”. [18]

On Thanksgiving night of the same year, Olate Dogs performed on the TV special Fox’s Cause for Paws: An All-Star Dog Spectacular, which was co-hosted by Jane Lynch and Hilary Swank. During the program, celebrities such as Miranda Lambert, P!nk, Sharon Osbourne, Paula Abdul, and Betty White introduced adoptable dogs to viewers, providing them the opportunity to provide a new home. [19]

In December, Olate Dogs launched the ‘Holiday Rescue Tour’ and toured Northern California as they combined the dog’s tricks with Nicholas’ live music performance and comedy acts. They performed in Fresno, Salinas, Livermore, Sonoma, Healdsburg and Vacaville. To this day, the Olate Dogs continue to tour and perform at various venues throughout the country, including states such as Florida, Texas, Arizona, Virginia, Ohio, Michigan, California, and New York.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Newfoundland dog</span> Dog breed

The Newfoundland is a large breed of working dog. They can be black, grey, brown, or black and white. However, in the Dominion of Newfoundland, before it became part of the confederation of Canada, only black and Landseer (white-and-black) coloured dogs were considered to be proper members of the breed. They were originally bred and used as working dogs for fishermen in Newfoundland.

America's Got Talent is a televised American talent show competition, and is part of the global Got Talent franchise created by Simon Cowell. The program is produced by Fremantle USA and Syco Entertainment, and broadcasts on the NBC television network. It premiered on June 21, 2006, after plans for a British edition in 2005 were suspended, following a dispute within the British broadcaster ITV. Production would later resume in 2007, following the success of the first season. Each season is mainly run during the network's summer schedule, and has featured various hosts over the course of the program's history. The current host is Terry Crews.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sam Wills</span> New Zealand prop comic, busker, clown, and mime residing in Las Vegas

Sam Wills is a New Zealand prop comic, busker, clown, and mime artist residing in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. He performs under the name The Boy With Tape On His Face and, more recently, as Tape Face. He was also half of the two-person act Spitroast and sometimes performed under his own name, Sam Wills. He has been featured in the New Zealand International Comedy Festival, the World Buskers Festival, and was a finalist on Season 11 of America's Got Talent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kate and Gin</span> Musical canine freestyle act

Kate and Gin are a musical canine freestyle act consisting of Kate Nicholas, from Norbury, Cheshire and her dancing Border Collie, Gin. The two achieved fame following their 2008 appearances on the second series of ITV talent show Britain's Got Talent. Since the show, the duo have appeared publicly and in pantomimes, as well as publishing a book, Kate and Gin, about dog training. In 2011, Nicholas joined the Royal Army Veterinary Corps, training dogs for the British military.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tom Cotter (comedian)</span> American stand-up comedian

Thomas Cotter is an American comedian who currently resides in Stony Point, New York, known for being the runner-up of the seventh season of America's Got Talent, losing to Olate Dogs.

Recycled Percussion is a Laconia, New Hampshire-based band. The group was originally formed in Goffstown, New Hampshire.

The Smage Brothers Riding Show consists of two brothers, Pat and Phil Smage. Both are from Elkhorn, Wisconsin. Their bike show competed on the sixth season of America's Got Talent, which airs on NBC. They were eliminated in the Top 10 round on September 6–7, 2011 episode.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Landau Eugene Murphy Jr.</span> American singer

Landau Eugene Murphy Jr. is an American jazz singer from Logan County, West Virginia. He received national attention for winning the sixth season of the NBC reality show America's Got Talent. Landau has released a total of 4 albums since his victory in 2011. Landau used his free time during the COVID-19 pandemic to earn his high school diploma and serves as an advocate for adult education in the state of West Virginia with the West Virginia Department of Education's "It's Never Too Late to Graduate" campaign. Landau continues to advocate for adult education, offering the official Landau Eugene Murphy Jr. Scholarship at Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College in his hometown of Logan, West Virginia. Following his time on America's Got Talent, Landau has continued to host a series of charity events around the state of West Virginia. Landau has since performed around the world, having played in Shanghai, China in 2013 and at the World Expo in Dubai in 2022. Landau continues to perform around the country annually and wraps up every year with a Holiday tour across his home state. In 2014 Landau was listed in the Jaycees Ten Outstanding Young Americans list.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Murray SawChuck</span> Canadian magician

Murray John Sawchuck is a stage illusionist, magician, comedian, actor, and host. Based in Las Vegas, SawChuck has dubbed himself "The 'Dennis the Menace' of Magic," and his shows often consist of a blend of "comical mishaps" that result in illusions and magic tricks. He was featured in the fifth season of America's Got Talent, and is the resident magic historian on Pawn Stars. SawChuck has also appeared as a magic coach on five episodes of the VH1 series Celebracadabra, and has been a guest star on shows such as Reno 911!, Last Comic Standing, Celebrity Blind Date, War of the Worlds 2: The Next Wave, and Ring of Darkness.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ashleigh and Pudsey</span> British dog trick act

Ashleigh and Pudsey was a British dog trick act, comprising trainer Ashleigh Jade Butler and Pudsey, a male Border Collie, Bichon Frise, and Chinese Crested powderpuff cross. They achieved prominence as contestants in the sixth series of the television talent show Britain's Got Talent, which they won on 12 May 2012, becoming the first dog trick act to win the competition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Piff the Magic Dragon</span> British magician and comedian

John van der Put is an English magician and comedian, who performs under the stage name Piff the Magic Dragon. A winner of multiple awards from British magic societies, he toured as a supporting act for Mumford and Sons and has appeared on Penn & Teller: Fool Us and America's Got Talent. In June 2019, van der Put was named one of Variety's 10 Comics to Watch for 2019. Van der Put lives in Las Vegas and has a residency at The Flamingo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mat Franco</span> American magician

Mat Franco is an American magician best known for his personality driven, skill-based sleight of hand magic. He gained fame as the first magician to win America's Got Talent, in the show’s ninth season. Franco went on to produce and star in his own primetime TV specials on NBC, Mat Franco’s Got Magic. In 2015 he created and debuted his live stage show in Las Vegas, Mat Franco - Magic Reinvented Nightly, and he is currently headlining at The LINQ Hotel + Experience at the Mat Franco Theater. In addition to winning "Best Magic Show" at the Best of Vegas Awards, Franco's live production was the top-rated magic show in Las Vegas according to Billboard.com in 2021. Mat Franco - Magic Reinvented Nightly was awarded Best Show on the Las Vegas Strip again in 2022.

Jules O'Dwyer & Matisse are a British dog dancing act, comprising trainer Jules O'Dwyer, a 52-year-old woman, and her dog Matisse, a male Border Collie. Together they won the ninth series of Britain's Got Talent in 2015.

<i>Americas Got Talent</i> season 12 Season of television series

The twelfth season of American talent show competition series America's Got Talent was broadcast on NBC from May 30 to September 20, 2017. Following the previous season, Nick Cannon ended his involvement with the program following a disagreement with the network, and was replaced as host by Tyra Banks before production of the new season began. The guest judges for this season's Judge Cuts stage included Chris Hardwick, DJ Khaled, Laverne Cox and Seal.

Darci Lynne Farmer is an American ventriloquist, singer, musician, and comedian. Farmer has been credited with the revival of ventriloquism, earning praise and numerous accolades for her work.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shin Lim</span> Canadian-American magician

Liang-Shun Lim, known professionally as Shin Lim, is a Canadian-American magician, recognized for his use of card manipulation and sleight of hand. He is known for elaborate close-up card magic routines, during which he remains silent with the tricks set to music. He is self-taught, having learned most of his skills from watching YouTube, and has in turn shared some of his own techniques in videos on the site.

Léa Kyle is a French magician who performs quick-change magic. She is known for receiving a Golden Buzzer, for her quick-change performance, during her audition on America's Got Talent. She also appeared during the series 15 of France's Got Talent, and the seventh season of Penn & Teller: Fool Us.

Dustin Tavella is an American magician and singer. He is best known for being the season 16 winner of the NBC show America's Got Talent as a magician.

<i>Americas Got Talent</i> season 17 Season of television series

The seventeenth season of the American talent show competition series America's Got Talent premiered on NBC on May 31, 2022, and concluded on September 14, 2022. This season featured the return of a full audience without COVID-19 restrictions, which had begun during the fifteenth season.

Adrian Stoica is a Romanian-born dog trainer in Italy who is best known for winning season XVIII of America's Got Talent along with his dog, Hurricane in 2023.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Olate Dogs bio". NBC. Archived from the original on March 10, 2013.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Dustin Fitzharris (November 28, 2012). "Olate Dogs Take Center Stage". Tails Magazine. Retrieved August 10, 2013.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Heather Hacking (May 24, 2013). "America's most talented dogs to appear in Chico". Oroville Mercury Register.
  4. ↑ John Lux (September 6, 1989). "Circus Vargas Has Good Little Show Under Big Top". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved August 11, 2013.
  5. ↑ "Rebecca Olate". Olate Dogs. Retrieved August 11, 2013.
  6. 1 2 3 Samuel Stites (July 25, 2013). "Lane County Fair's canine crowd-pleasers". The Register-Guard. Retrieved August 11, 2013.
  7. ↑ Lawrence van Gelder (October 23, 2001). "CIRCUS REVIEW; Dogs, Horses and Bicycles, Under a Doo-Wop Umbrella". New York Times. Retrieved August 11, 2013.
  8. ↑ Michael Janusonis (May 4, 2007). "CIRCUS REVIEW - Run away with hair-raising thrills at this year's circus". Providence Journal. p. E1.
  9. ↑ Alex Strachan (September 12, 2012). "Odds favour dogs, cute kids on talent show". Times Colonist. p. D9.
  10. ↑ Ann Tatko-Peterson (July 25, 2012). "'America's Got Talent': Four advance from toughest quarterfinal". San Jose Mercury News.
  11. ↑ Amy Reiter (September 5, 2012). "'America's Got Talent' recap: The final semifinalists perform". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 10, 2013.
  12. ↑ Amy Reiter (September 7, 2012). "'America's Got Talent' recap: And the final finalists are ..." Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 10, 2013.
  13. 1 2 3 Amy Reiter (September 13, 2012). "'America's Got Talent' recap: The best finals ever?". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 10, 2013.
  14. ↑ "America's Got Talent Live In Las Vegas Returns to The Palazzo Theatre By Popular Demand" (Press release). Syco Entertainment. February 14, 2013.
  15. ↑ Olate Dogs Perform. Tonight Show. NBC. Retrieved August 10, 2013.
  16. ↑ "Jerry Springer to Host America's Got Talent Live(TM) -- All Stars Tour" (Press release). FremantleMedia North America. November 29, 2013.
  17. ↑ Rebecca Olate (July 4, 2013). "Nicholas Debut Album" . Retrieved August 11, 2013.
  18. ↑ "#RescueFilm Series". halopets.com. Archived from the original on 2015-07-05.
  19. ↑ "FOX's Cause for Paws: An All-Star Dog Spectacular". Archived from the original on 2015-10-16.
Preceded by America's Got Talent winner
Season 7 (Summer 2012)		Succeeded by
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.