How to Make Your Dog Famous

When I first got my Australian Shepherd, Mia, I swore I would never pamper her. Cesar Milan had taught me that dogs were animals, not little humans. A year and a half later, however, Mia has her own Christmas stocking, a little bed in the corner of my room and about 43 chew toys. I have also sent snapshots of her off to Milk-Bone to see if they’ll put her pretty little mug on a box of dog treats!

Making your dog famous has plenty of other perks beyond being a proud mom or pop. While working on The Wizard of Oz in 1939, Cairn Terrier Terry – who played Toto – make $125 a week – nearly three times the paycheck of the singing munchkins. Here are six easy steps to follow in the footsteps of the Big Dogs and get your pup on the big screen.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

1. Get a sob story. Everyone loves a puppy with a tainted past. Rin Tin Tin, for example, was found by an American serviceman in a bombed-out animal shelter in France during World War I. Heroic mutt Benji was played by a number of different dogs from animal shelters across the United States. He later became the only canine actor to make the centerfold in Playgirl Magazine. The sadder the back-story the better.

2. Don’t be afraid to cross-dress. Female dogs are cast less often because their coats are shinier and their muscular build helps with stunts. Lassie was a male dog playing a female role.

3. Be willing to share the spotlight. Casting crews often hire multiple pets to play the same role. Verdell in Jack Nicholson’s As Good As It Gets, for example, was played by six different Belgian Griffons. The Wizard of Oz’s Toto had a stand-in ready at all times, and the investment paid off – the original pup broke his foot in the middle of taping when one of the witch’s guards stepped on his paw.

4. Audition young puppies for quick jobs like commercials so directors aren’t tempted to pass out a pink slip when size becomes an issue. In Charlie Chaplin’s A Dog’s Life, Scrapps grew so quickly that the crew had to spend hours working creative angles and creating oversized props to hide it.

5. Get famous yourself. Having your own presence in Hollywood helps. In Rocky and Rocky II, Sylvester Stalone’s bullmastiff Butkus plays himself. In The Birds, Alfred Hitchcock makes a brief appearance with his two dogs, Geoffrey and Stanley, two minutes into the film.

[elchitaco]

on 11/11/2008 My Chihuahua Taco Diego would love to be in another commercial, you just have to ask around and get your dog out there, it is possible! Taco has been featured in a commercial and would love the opportunity to do more, if interested visit myspace/elchitaco for information and pictures!!!

[jett]

on 6/2/2008 Actually, although it's true Lassie was a male, lots of directors prefer to work with females due to their (on average) milder dispositions, and in the case of family films because it's easier to get a "discreet" shot (although in a long haired dog like a rough collie, fur covers his male parts anyway), and because they don't mark their territory every few feet. Toto, Spuds McKenzie, Bingo, and several of the Benjis were, in fact, female. My little mutt is a spayed female and she gets plenty of work. Anyway, interesting article!

[Desula]

on 5/10/2008 Biscuit and Cookie perked up when they heard this article. They are getting their routine together.

[acopro13]

on 1/17/2008 What a great article on an interesting topic! I learned a lot that I never new about show biz dogs!