Rising Stars: Meet Chrissy Joy

Today we’d like to introduce you to Chrissy Joy.

Chrissy, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin? 
Hi! My name is Chrissy Joy, and I grew up around the Jersey Shore in New Jersey. As a child, I was always devoted and in love with animals. I had a lot of anxiety growing up as a child, which played a major role in how animals, specifically horses, and dogs, changed my life. I grew up with a beagle named Angie, who opened me up to the very beginnings of dog training and learning tricks. Where I felt too nervous to leave my home or be a part of social activities, I was able to grow in confidence and imagination with my dog at my side. Many times, I would watch popular shows with animals and recreate scenes in my bedroom with my own stuffed toys. This sparked my interest in television, theater, and production. 

Soon, I began trying riding lessons to work with horses. I learned about working around such big, beautiful creatures and how I could create a connection with them in terms of care and riding. Soon my family found myself thriving in a world with my dog and horse, and was beginning to handle social endeavors without crippling anxiety and nervousness. 

Today I have a degree in Bachelor of Sciences – Equine Studies – and took a few twists and turns in my careers to try to continue working with animals. Compounded with my love for film and production (which led into a short career as an actress), I was striving to link the two worlds together – working animals on set for TV and film – and build a potential career in doing so. 

After many years of juggling different jobs – including working for the World Equestrian Games and Discovery Channel – I became burnt out from the office life and felt my anxiety coming back full swing. It had been years since I was in the saddle, and my childhood beagle had long passed. It was in this moment my now husband and I decided to adopt a dog. I found his photo on PetFinder and just knew he was meant to be ours! I can truly say this dog changed my life. We named him Beasley. 

Once adopting Beasley, I began to take some local classes to help teach him obedience and training. I quickly fell in love with learning, bypassing my classes in quick time, with my dog and was approached to begin as an Intern with the path to become a dog trainer. I had never considered this before, but my passion was ignited with training and improving the lives of others with their dogs. 

Beasley became a Champion Trick Dog – titled by completing high-level advanced trick training. While creating a passion for trick training, I was also eager to continue my work in TV/film by working animals on set. It was in this moment I began applying to casting calls with Beasley through animal talent agents. One job led to another, and we quickly booked more and more jobs, including commercials, shows, and even movies! 

Today I enjoy expanding the world of tricks and training with my four dogs which make up The Joy Crew. As the 2021 International Trick Dog Champion, I have used my platform today to not only work on TV but also through nationwide live performances and workshops to educate and encourage others to grow a bond with their own dog through training and fun. Also, I enjoy motivational speaking to encourage others to normalize life struggles with anxiety and depression and how to mitigate following their own passion or dreams. For the past few years, we have attended the Ohio State Fair and Franklin County Fair with the Marvelous Mutts to perform exciting agility, tricks, dock diving, and more. 

Today, you can watch myself with The Joy Crew on many popular shows within DOGTV – a network designed just for dogs and pet parents. Here you can watch the show The DogMoms, FarmGirl, and watch many programs where you just might recognize a few pups. If you want to see a few fuh movies with The Joy Crew, be sure to check out Frankie Meets Jack, Agent Toby Barks, and Junkyard Dogs. 

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The road has not always been smooth! A life with anxiety, changes in career, entrepreneur, and many doors closing before they opened are always bumps in the road to success. Today, I am grateful to travel with my dogs – such as performing in Columbus, Ohio at the Ohio State Fair. One of the most important lessons I learned is that you have to take chances and make your own opportunities. There is immense value in working hard to benefit from the opportunities that come out of it. 

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
The work that I do revolves around training my dogs for TV/film/commercials as well as live performances and workshops. Some of the training that I specialize in includes difficult tricks and working on challenging movie sets. Some of the harder scenes include my dog typing on a computer, removing a thumb drive, and using the mouse! 

I am most proud of the fact that I am able to have such a strong trust and bond with my dogs. We are able to accomplish great things together and bring joy to the people around us. We have appeared on bigger platforms – such as America’s Got Talent and Jimmy Fallon – which gives us a greater platform to inspire people around us. I hope to only continue to bring happiness to people’s lives and show them the wonderful world of life with dogs. 

What do you like and dislike about the city?
I truly enjoy the people! Everyone is so kind on our travels throughout Ohio. Everyone is always so kind to help us and give the dogs a warm welcome. I love hearing stories about their personal dogs and finding ways to help them take their own steps to learning more with their dog. I truly enjoy the Ohio State Fair each year and all of the amazing agricultural efforts that happen within the state. Not only is the food amazing, but I enjoy watching the 4-H clubs and competitions! It has inspired me to look into 4-H with my own daughter, too. 

The only downside I experienced was the weather. There were moments where storms would come out of nowhere! That can be tricky with four very hairy dogs when staying inside a travel trailer. 

Contact Info:

• Website: www.chrissyjoy.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/thejoycrew and also instagram.com/thechrissyjoy
• Facebook: facebook.com/thejoycrewofficial
• Twitter: twitter.com/chrissyjoy
• Youtube: youtube.com/@chrissyjoy