Get your dog a modeling gig

June 29, 5:53 PMShowbiz Pets ExaminerLorraine Goodman

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Tiger in Vogue, Oct 2008

Every time you turn on the TV, open a magazine, or visit your local Cineplex, there’s a dog roughing (or ruffing) up the screen or the page with his canine presence. People are paying good money to watch dogs – whether live action or animation – and as a pet owner, you can’t help but think – “how can I get in on this? My dog is cute – he can chase a ball or pull me across the park along with the best of them. Hell, I bet he could pay for his own kibble! Or better yet – maybe he can even pay the rent – or fund that yacht I’ve been dreaming about!”

Alas, the truth is never that easy. Helping your pup make it in Showbiz takes more than owning the cutest pup on the Upper West Side. It takes training, perseverance, and lots and lots of luck.

The good news is: pets rarely (at least in my experience) have to go on “Go-sees” or auditions -- especially for the lower paying gigs. That means you do not need to invest time without getting paid. Sort of. Because you will need to invest the time training your dog. Poorly trained animals are of no use to Film, TV or commercial directors. Even print work, which is slightly easier, requires that your dog have a absolute rock-solid “STAY” – especially among distractions. And those distractions might include food, toys, lights, cameras, actors, noise…. at Tiger’s first shoot the photographer wanted him to remain blasé while the model shook a toy in his face. Luckily, this was one distraction I had incorporated into our sessions at home, and Tiger was able to pull it off. A showbiz dog MUST be unflappable!

Other commands helpful for print work include: “STILL” and “FOCUS”. “STILL” is different than “STAY” and basically means “don’t move a muscle!” “FOCUS” is used to angle the dog’s head.

Even “typical dog behavior” has to be cued on command. For example, your dog may be extremely proficient at jumping up over and over again on his hind legs, but (and this is a big BUT) will he jump up and down at a distance from his handler, so the camera does not photograph the human as well?

Now comes some more bad news: dogs are basically considered ‘props’ in most photo shoots. That means: while the human model in the Vogue shoot (whose head isn’t even shown in any of the photos) is probably making several thousands of dollars, your adorable pup is making between $50 to $1000 for the day. On commercial shoots, the human might be making residuals, while the pup gets paid solely for that one shoot.

So – are you still interested? Are you convinced your dog can be the one that books the latest sitcom sensation and works for the next 10 years in a steady gig, or becomes the ‘spokesdog’ for that hot brand of kibble? If so, check out some of my other articles and casting calls, posted periodically. Or better yet, follow me on Twitter (see below) so you never miss a post.