Christian and Scooby Dominate the Court

Photo Credit: Christian Stoinev

Christian and Scooby are seen at NBA games across the United States. Although you won’t see them get a game-winning basket or hit a huge three-pointer from the corner, the stadium still erupts in applause whenever they’re on the court. [[1]]

These two are a performance duo. Christian works with his chihuahua while showcasing lots of acrobatic moves, proving that the partnership of “man’s best friend” is alive and well.

Each halftime performance’s video often goes viral as Scooby runs on Christian while he rolls down the court. If you give the pup a squishy basketball, he’ll even dunk it on a chihuahua-sized hoop. Music plays as the two perform, with the tricks synced up to the rhythm.

When Dogs of Instagram re-shared a clip of Christian and Scooby in February of this year, it generated over 91,000 likes – and lots of praise! Many people don’t know that these two besties have been performing for quite some time.

Each Act Is About Six Minutes Long

Christian Stoinev might go viral because of what Scooby can do on the court, but as you can see in the video above, he’s immensely talented on his own. He performs strength and balance activities as part of the halftime shows.

A crowd favorite is when Christian balances on one hand from a podium while Scooby sits on his back.

CORAL GABLES, FL – February 2, 2022, at the Watsco Center in Coral Gables, Florida. (Photo by Samuel Lewis/Icon Sportswire) (Icon Sportswire via AP Images)

The first large-scale exposure Christian and Scooby received for their talent occurred on Season Two of America’s Got Talent. Unfortunately, he was eliminated in the Las Vegas round that year. He made it to the finals in Season Nine before being voted off the show. [[2]]

Christian and Scooby put on about six minutes of showstopping fun if you see their entire act.

Together, Christian and Scooby have appeared on shows like I Can Do That on NBC and Season 11 of Britain’s Got Talent. They were on The Gong Show in 2018, winning their episode with a combined score of 28 from the judges.

In 2020, Christian and Scooby competed on Unleashed, a pet competition on Nickelodeon. They were able to win that episode.

Christian and Scooby the act that has placed the highest on America’s Got Talent after returning from a previous season.

The One Secret That Some People Don’t Know About Christian and Scooby

Christian is now performing with another dog named Percy, but the act is still called Christian and Scooby. The pup who helped to start this journey has retired from showbusiness; but Christian and Scooby lives on.

Percy will turn nine this year. “It is such a treat to perform with him,” Christian told People in 2018. “He loves it, and a lot of the tricks that we’ve developed, like when he walks on a basketball, he actually just gave me the idea by playing around.” [[5]]

Why is the act still called Christian and Scooby when Percy is now the star? “We wouldn’t be doing this had it not been for Scooby,” Stoinev said. “Percy has now taken over and is quite the little stud.”

Christian says the highlight of his career performing with Scooby was the Christian and Scooby finals run while competing on America’s Got Talent. When working with Percy, one of their best moments was performing in Cleveland during the NBA Finals.

“The unique part about our career is that there is no ultimate goal,” said the human half of Christian and Scooby.. “I know that I love being on camera and having people see our talent, so I guess you could say that for now, our goal is to continue being seen by people around the world.”

If you find yourself at an NBA game in the coming days and are interested in seeing Christian and Scooby, don’t join the crowd shuffling toward the concessions at halftime. You might miss your chance to see Christian and Scooby perform!

How Hard Is It to Train a Chihuahua?

Percy, of the Christian & Scooby Duo, making a basket at half-time (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

Percy, of the Christian and Scooby Duo, making a basket at half-time (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

One of the unseen extraordinary qualities of the Christian and Scooby duo is the amount of patience and training that has gone into making them as impressive as they are.

Although a chihuahua is a relatively small breed and seen as rather sweet, they’re one of the most difficult dogs to train. Their attitude and temperament make them stubborn, often refusing to take commands. It takes a lot of patience to have a successful experience. [[3]]

As a breed, chihuahuas are often compared to terriers. These dogs were bred to dive into burrows while hunting, which means they need a combative personality to do their jobs. Even with those chihuahuas that are bred for companionship, you’ll see traits like resource-guarding on display frequently. [[4]]

Chihuahuas tend to be aggressive because of their size. By making themselves look bigger, they’re able to defend themselves. That’s why an act like Christian and Scooby is fun to see. Those tricks indicate that the dog feels safe during the performance.

Most chihuahuas respond well to rewards-based training, although dogs like Scooby are few and far between!

[[1]] https://agt.fandom.com/wiki/Christian_Stoinev ; [[2]] https://thehappypuppysite.com/how-to-train-a-chihuahua/ ; [[3]] https://chihuahuaclubofamerica.org/chihuahua-breed-standard/ ; [[4]] https://people.com/pets/christian-stoinev-scooby-dog-nba-performance-video/