Calvert Library’s Twin Beaches Branch will host the canine musical freestyle troupe Two-Dog Night on Saturday, November 15, 2025, at 1 p.m. The free performance, open to all ages, combines choreographed dances by three poodles and a dachshund with their human partners, set to familiar tunes that emphasize education on animal training alongside entertainment.
The event takes place in the branch’s combined east and west meeting rooms at 6600 Chesapeake Beach Road, drawing families from North Beach and nearby Chesapeake Beach communities. Registration remains open online, with 17 seats available as of late October, though walk-ins are welcome pending space. Organizers expect the hour-long show to fill quickly, given the library’s history of popular family programs, such as the recent October 28 dedication of a Chesapeake Bay-themed ceramic tile mural that highlighted local maritime heritage.
Two-Dog Night’s routine opens with high-energy segments featuring the dogs leaping, twirling and bouncing in sync with singers and musicians. The dachshund adds flair by skateboarding across the stage, while the poodles execute precise footwork to upbeat songs that prompt audience sing-alongs. These elements showcase canine freestyle, a competitive sport blending obedience, agility and dance, where handlers use verbal cues and props to highlight dogs’ natural athleticism without leashes. Developed in Canada around 1993 and formalized by the World Canine Freestyle Organization in the U.S., the discipline scores routines on technical precision — requiring at least 7.25 out of 10 for beginner qualification — and artistic flair, fostering teamwork between species.
The program’s centerpiece, a 15-minute “Poodles in Oz,” reinterprets L. Frank Baum’s “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” through whimsical choreography. Two poodles portray Dorothy and the Scarecrow, joined by human actors as Auntie Em, the Wizard and Flying Monkeys in a sequence of original steps and antics. This segment adapts the 1900 novel’s themes of adventure and companionship, using the dogs’ expressive movements to evoke laughter and light-hearted wonder, suitable for preschoolers through seniors.
Founders Joan Rose and Lynn Franklin bring more than three decades of expertise to the stage. Franklin, handler to a standard poodle named Sam, pioneered routines incorporating the breed’s innate playfulness, such as paw wraps and mid-air leaps, after transitioning from obedience training in the late 1990s. Rose, paired with longhaired miniature dachshund Tucker, focused on synchronizing short-legged dashes with taller partners. Their collaboration earned the 2005 WCFO National Pairs Championship, a novice pairs title and an intermediate title within months, plus the Dog Writers Association of America’s 2006 Excellence in Canine Freestyle Media Award for Franklin’s article “Partners in Dance.” The duo has since expanded to seminars in Europe and performances at the National Theatre in Washington, D.C., alongside East Coast venues like schools, expos and libraries.
The performers treat their canine cast as family first, prioritizing low-stress environments that reward applause with tail wags. This approach aligns with freestyle’s ethos of mutual enjoyment, where dogs like the current poodles and dachshund thrive on positive reinforcement, building confidence through repetition of moves like hula-hoop jumps and synchronized trots. For audiences, the show underscores animal cognition: Poodles, known for intelligence ranking second among breeds per Stanley Coren’s 1994 study, excel in pattern recognition, while dachshunds demonstrate agility despite compact builds.
Attendees can contact branch manager Robyn Truslow at 410-535-0291 for details or accommodations, including service animal policies. The library requests no flash photography to keep the dogs relaxed.
Canine freestyle traces to informal 1980s agility demos in Britain, evolving into structured competitions by the 2000s. Rose and Franklin’s innovations, like 1950s medley routines with prop-assisted tricks, helped legitimize the sport against early skepticism over “fancy” elements. Their East Coast circuit includes D.C.-area theaters, where audiences of 300 have applauded standing ovations, and school assemblies promoting pet responsibility. In Maryland, similar programs at Anne Arundel libraries have boosted youth reading by 15 percent through animal-themed literacy ties, per a 2024 state report.
For Calvert residents navigating shorter days, Two-Dog Night offers a dose of joy rooted in discipline and creativity, reminding viewers of the simple thrill in a well-timed twirl.
