PRACTICE, PRACTICE AND MORE PRACTICE

Sure your dog can sit, shake and maybe even stay on a good day. But they better be prepared for much harder tests than that. Pets on a television or movie set will be expected to perform a certain amount of basic tasks and be able to concentrate in a busy, hectic environment. And they might be expected to listen to different trainers. One prominent agency, Hollywood Paws®, recommends that you first aim to have your dog pass the American Kennel Club’s Canine Good Citizenship test. This test emphasizes obedience, agility and performance. This is a good place to start to make sure your dog will be able to learn basic commands.

SOCIALIZATION

Other agencies like the Animal Actors Agency stress the importance of exposing your pet to interesting and challenging environments and having them spend time around other pets and people. Try seeing how your pet acts when other people are in charge of him. You’ll be handing your dog over to trainers in many situations, so they need to be comfortable with anything you throw at them.

THE MUST HAVE LOOK

There are certain breeds that are more desirable in the biz than others: retrievers, labradors, collies, and bulldogs are some of the most popular. But no need to fret; plenty of people want your lovable little mutt as well. Just like human actors have to be chosen for a part, your pet will need to compete with all the other pups for the part. Everyone thinks their pets are the cutest, but you have to be able to catch the director’s eye!

WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU FIND AN AGENCY

This is their business. You will represent their agency. So if you’re going to trust them enough to represent your pet, you better listen to what they have to say. Be prepared to undergo much more vigorous training. Your pets will need many more tricks, like being able to speak on command and following specific people. Then there are the headshots of course. Make sure your pet is well groomed for his photo shoot!

WHERE TO START YOUR SEARCH

1. Hollywood Paws

Takes cats and dogs and provides all the training you need. Experience includes: Hotel for Dogs, Legally Blonde 2, Miller Lite, Burger King, Verizon, Desperate Housewives, and many more.

2. Hollywood Animals’ Animal Actors Agency

Takes cats, dogs, and even more exotic animals like flamingos, horses, and lizards. Experience includes: The Whole 10 Yards, HBO’s Carnivale, Baby Gap, Petco, Purina, American Idol, and many more.

http://www.yeepet.com/blogs/

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Jake is a black Labrador Retriever search and rescue dog. He has been trained to specifically look for people in the after turmoil of disasters; it is worth reading some of the array of dog information available regarding these brave dogs.
They risk their own lives in order to help people in need, one of the main dog breeds employed for the task happen to be Labrador Retrievers. Jake was involved in the massive search exercise of the World Trade Center building, the brave Labrador Retriever searched tirelessly through the smoke filled building hunting for survivors. Jake was also one of the dogs present in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

Another Labrador Retriever noted for his bravery connected with the World Trade Center building is guide dog Dorado. The plucky yellow Labrador Retriever led his owner down 70 storeys moments before the first tower collapsed.

Most of the information on Labrador Retrievers explains how calm and placid they are in comparison to many other dog breeds. They are the perfect candidates when it comes to dog search and rescue work. They love to please their owners and have very sensitive noses. Finding illegal items for Law Enforcement makes them all the more happy.

Another canine hero to be fondly remembered is the fabulous yellow Labrador Retriever who went by the name of Endal. He was an assistance dog to his beloved owner, Allen Parton, who is an ex Royal Navy Chief Petty Officer. Allen was seriously injured during the Gulf War and relied on a wheelchair.

A reversing car threw Allen from his wheelchair one day and it was the courageous Labrador Retriever Endal that nudged Allen’s mobile phone next to his face and even placed him into the recovery position before running off to find help. This loving dog was remarkable and could complete over a 100 different tasks including withdrawing money from a cash machine. Endal was the most decorated dog throughout the world.

The Labrador Retriever has also been a reliable mascot to many sporting teams over the years. The Memphis Mad Dogs were a Canadian football team and their famous mascot was a black Labrador Retriever called Alien. He became known for charging onto the field and fetching the kicking tee after each and every kick off.

This article was written by John Jackson and has been contributed by http://www.greatdogsite.com For more information on the Labrador Retriever, please visit our page http://www.greatdogsite.com/breeds/details/Labrador_Retriever/

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Tillman has been using the Porch Potty, a new portable dog potty, at home and also when he goes on the road for special events and shows. He even had it with him in the Rose Bowl parade when he was invited to ride a float and show off his skateboarding talent. The float had a skateboarding rink and in the middle of the rink was his potty!

It’s no wonder why he and his owner love it so much. It’s lightweight and portable, can hold real or synthetic grass, and it even has an automatic sprinkler system and drain that cleans it every day. Now that’s pretty impressive. A simple, easy to use and clean potty!

Most dog potties only provide a catch pan or tray of some type to hold urine and that means that you are the one that has to clean up the mess! This portable dog potty has a complete built in, patented drainage and sprinkler system that does just about all the clean up work for you. Sounds like my kind of potty!

It definitely has all the bells and whistles and better than that, one of the most competitive prices on the market today. I think Tillman might be on to something pretty special!

Looking for a simple, convenient portable dog potty for your dog? Get all the scoop on the Porch Potty and where you can get one here at Portable Dog Potty Solutions.

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Buddy was the real name of the golden retriever in the movie Air Bud. The happy news is that Buddy was rescued from a pound before becoming a movie star, but after the movie he had to have one leg amputated and then later died of cancer.

Stretch is the real name of the bloodhound that played Duke on The Beverly Hillbillies television show.

Who could ever forget Cujo, the killer St. Bernard in the movie made after the Stephen King thriller? The dog that played Cujo was actually named Daddy and was trained by Karl Lewis Miller, who trained the dogs in Babe, Beethoven and K-9. Speaking of the movie K-9, the German shepherd credited as the character Jerry Lee was actually named Rando. Three identical German shepherds were obtained from Germany, for two of the dogs couldn’t understand English, just German, so they were used as stunt doubles for Rando.

Ajax was the real name of the golden retriever Speedy on the television show The Drew Carey Show. Interestingly enough, Ajax was the understudy for the dog character of Comet in the television show Full House.

On the television sit-com Frasier, the dogs kept the role in the family because Moose was the original Eddie and Moose’s son, Enzo was a stand-in for Moose and later took over for Moose when he became too old for the role.

Even animal actors can get fired, as is the case with the dog character Agent K-13 on the Get Smart television series. The producers wanted an unknown, untrained dog. They started out with Fang, but he was fired for not doing what he was supposed to do, so his replacement was Red.

It took two Chihuahuas to cover the role of Bruiser on Legally Blonde. One of them was Moondoggie, who just happened to be the roommate of the Taco Bell Dog (Gidget) and the other dog actor was Maverick.

Just like human actors, some dogs get around, as is the case with Cody, the Alaskan Malamute who played the role of Nanook in the movie The Lost Boys. Cody also starred in Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman and On Deadly Ground.

The University of Georgia loaned their mascot, Uga V to play the bulldog in the movie Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.

Has anybody ever watched the movie Old Yeller without crying? Spike was the Labrador mutt mix who played Old Yeller, who was rescued from an animal shelter in Van Nuys, CA.

Just like there are models and supermodels, there are dogs and superstar dogs. Higgins played the character Mr. Higgins on the television show Petticoat Junction, and then later became the legendary Benji.

Sylvester Stallone’s sidekick in Rocky was Butkus, who kept his real name as the character’s name and was a Bull Mastiff. Many dogs played characters of the same name, for example Happy, the mutt in the television drama 7th Heaven was really named Happy and was rescued from an animal shelter when she was just 7 months old. Rin Tin Tin is one of the most famous dog characters who starred in numerous shows and whose character was named after the real dog’s name. There was also a Rin Tin Tin, Jr.

Even though none of the Seinfeld characters actually had dogs themselves, several were featured during this television series. The part of the Australian Shepherd was named Ginger, who also played on Murphy Brown and the role of the Chihuahua was played by Speedy.

Hopefully you’ve enjoyed this little peek into the world of canine celebrities.

Article sent in by Ken Adamas – visit his site to save on pet products like pet gates and dog beds.

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The Fauves, a band from Australia tell us that, “Dogs Are The Best People” in their song by that title on their album Flashlight. Way back in 1965, Davy Jones of The Monkees recorded the song, “Gonna Buy Me a Dog,” where he claims that he’s gonna buy him a dog because he needed a friend now. Then there was Lobo with the hit “Me and You and a Dog Named Boo.”

It’s just ironic that the musician Cat Stevens would write a song called, “I Love My Dog.”  But the lyrics are true-to-life as they say:

“I love my dog as much as I love you

But you may fade, my dog will always come through.

All he asks from me is the food to give him strength

All he ever needs is love and that he knows he’ll get”

Who can forget Snoopy’s Christmas a/k/a Snoopy vs. The Red Baron? And how many middle-aged people can still sing the Scooby Doo Theme Song? What about “There was a farmer had a dog and Bingo was his name-o!” and “Oh Where, Oh Where Has My Little Dog Gone?”

If you’re into country music, you might know “You Gotta Quit Kickin’ My Dog Around.”

The Byrds had a hit with “Old Blue,” with the lyrics:

“My old Blue he was a good old hound

You’d hear him hollering miles around

When I get to Heaven first thing I’ll do

I’ll grab my horn and call for Blue”

Elvis had a tune called “Old Shep” that told us:

“When I was a lad

And Old Shep was a pup

Over hills and meadows we’d stray

Just a boy and his dog

We were both full of fun

We grew up together that way”

The lyrics to the Pet Shop Boys song, “I Want A Dog” say:

“I want a dog,

To walk in the park

When it gets dark, my dog will bark

At any passers-by

Oh, (oh oh) you can get lonely

I want a dog”

Blake Shelton sang “Ol’ Red” with the lyrics:

“Now Ol’ Red he’s the damnedest dog that I’ve ever seen

Got a nose that can smell a two day trail

He’s a four legged tracking machine

You can consider yourself mighty lucky

To get past the gators and the quicksand beds

But all these years that I’ve been here

Ain’t nobody got past Red”

Brother and sister team The Fiery Furnaces, tell us in their song, “My Dog was Lost But Now He’s Found,”:

“I kicked my dog

I was mean to him before

I guess that’s why he walked out my door

I really wish I could see him some more

I looked under the mats and I asked all the cats

I went to the vet have you heard anything yet

My dog was lost but now he’s found

My dog was lost but now he’s found”

And then again, some songs that we think are about dogs aren’t really about dogs at all, such as Led Zeppelin’s “Black Dog,” Elvis Presley’s “Hound Dog,”  George Clinton’s “Atomic Dog,” and the popular song a couple of years ago by The Baha Men, “Who Let The Dogs Out.” For instance, “Golden Retriever” by Super Furry Animals is really about a gold-digging woman, as is “Hair of the Dog” by Nazareth.

There will continue to be songs about dogs because we love them so much. There will be silly kid songs, funny country songs, and serious love songs – all about dogs.

This article was written by Brian Spilner a provided by pet-super-store.com a site featuring: dog training collars, pet stairs and dog kennels.

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The beagle, a medium-sized dog is a member of the hound group. These scent hounds, primarily developed for tracking hare, rabbit and other game are better at ground-scenting. Moreover, their sharp sense of smell and tracking instinct are the reasons why they are used to detect prohibited agricultural imports and foodstuffs in quarantine.

These medium-sized dogs are generally between 13 to 15 inches at the withers and weigh between 20 to 25 pounds. This breed’s muscular body is covered with medium-length, smooth, hard coat and comes in a range of colors. The most common is the Tricolor, white with large black areas and light brown shading. There is also Classic Tri as well as Faded Tri. Beagle may also appear in two-color variety with white as the base color.

Their happy temperament is another reason why they are chosen as pets by most dog lovers. These pack animals enjoy company and can get along well with other dogs. They are also good with children. Despite their intelligence, beagles can be hard to train because they are bred to become single-minded and determined ideal for long chase. They have their minds of their own and tend to follow their own sense of smell that’s why they are sometimes difficult to recall.

This breed can live for up to twelve years. They are known to have less inherited health problems but they are prone to epilepsy, hyperthyroidism, ear infections because of their long floppy ears and eye problems such as glaucoma and corneal dystrophy. In rare cases, beagles at a very young age can be affected by immune mediated polygenic arthritis, a condition wherein the immune system attacks the joints.

Since they are primarily developed to hunt hares, their stamina is great and energetic. They do not tire easily when exercised however, regular exercise is necessary because inactive beagles may become obese. Beagles rely on their owners to regulate weight and owners must also be aware that this breed eats whenever there is food around. Something for owners to watch out! Their nature as working dogs may lead minor injuries such as cuts and sprains so make sure to bring along with you the necessary items when you’re out for hunting.

These are the reasons why these friendly and happy dogs gained the spotlight not just in films, televisions and magazines but more importantly in the hearts of every dog lover.

Richard Cussons writes articles of various topics. For more information, see Beagle and learn more about Beagle dog breed here.

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In The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy’s sidekick was a little dog named Toto, played by a Cairn Terrier named Terry. Terry’s handler, Carl Spitz, was one of the most famous dog trainers in Hollywood, an accomplishment due in no small part to the work of his charming little Cairn Terrier in the movie. Carl Spitz and Terry worked together on over a dozen films after The Wizard of Oz.

It is said that Judy Garland and Terry the terrier had a very affectionate working relationship and developed a very strong bond throughout the filming of the movie, which is most likely what led to Garland’s ownership of a Cairn Terrier afterwards. Garland’s daughter, as many know, is Liza Minelli, who is also a very famed owner of Cairn Terriers. Minelli is notorious for her love and care of dogs, but most specifically this breed, an affection for which she undoubtedly acquired via her mother.

Prince Edward and his wife, Wallis Simpson, famous for their royalty and time in the public eye, are also known for their ownership of Cairn Terriers. As pets of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, their pets certainly received the royal treatment! Edward and Simpson’s Cairn Terriers had their meals prepared by chefs trained specifically to make food for the dogs and were served privately in the Duke and Duchess’s rooms out of silver bowls, as if the dogs were royalty themselves. It is said that the dogs were even spoon-fed by their owners!

Edward and Simpson owned a number of Cairn Terriers throughout the years, the first one being Slipper, a multi-colored gray Cairn who had so many issues with housebreaking that he was eventually nicknamed Mister Loo. After Mister Loo came a cream-colored female named Pookie, a gray brindle similar to Mister Loo named Detto, and a brindled cream female named Prisie. After several generations of Cairn Terrier ownership, however, the Duke and Duchess eventually started keeping Pugs as their companion animals instead.

The most famous Cairn Terrier breeders are Brenda and Ron Birch. After three decades of careful and selective breeding practices, the Birches have made quite a name for themselves by producing champion after champion in their litters. Their dogs are so renowned that their bloodline carries its own name: Kinkim. Many people consider their success with these dogs a result of the couple’s heavy interaction with them. While many breeders will hire handlers and groomers, the Birches are notorious for showing and training their dogs themselves. Their most prodigious Cairn Terrier, Champion Kinkim Ludvic, was awarded over 25 certificates in various competitions. How’s that for a successful pup?

This article was written by John Jackson and has been contributed by http://www.greatdogsite.com. For more information on the Cairn Terrier, please visit our page http://www.greatdogsite.com/breeds/details/Cairn_Terrier/.

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The name of the charming Westie that appears on the label of Australia’s My Dog brand of dog food is Imelda.

A Westie with black ear tips played in a feature film based on the French cartoon character Axterix, as the pet dog of Axterix’s friend, Obelix. In the film, he was called Dogmatrix, or Idefix in the original French version.

The pet of the Souphanousinphone family on the animated series King of the Hill is played by a West Highland White Terrier named Doggy.

An acting dog, Happy, who had been abused by her first owner, found a part on the television show 7th Heaven. After being rescued from the animal shelter, it was necessary for Happy to make friends with adult actors before the filming began. She appeared on the show for eleven seasons,

The main character in a series of illustrated books created by Rosemary Wells and illustrated by Susan Jeffers is a West Highland White Terrier named McDuff.

Hamish Macbeth is a fictional police officer in a popular series of books written by M. C. Beaton. Macbeth is often accompanied by his Westie, Wee Jock. The series was later adapted into a popular television show for BBC that ran for three seasons.

The mascot and poster dog for the Cesar brand of dog food is Cesar in the United States. In Canada, a different Westie, Maggie, appears on the containers and commercials.

American author and recipient of the Caldecott Honor, David Shannon, wrote a children’s book titled “Good Boy, Fergus!” in which the title character is a Westie.

Agatha Gregson owned a West Highland White Terrier named Macintosh in the celebrated series Jeeves and Wooster, by P.D. Wodehouse.

“Greyfriars Bobby,” by Eleanor Atkinson, depicts an embellished true story of a Skye Terrier who spent the better part of his life sitting on his master’s grave, to whom he was deeply devoted. In a later film, produced in 2006, called “The Adventures of Greyfriars Bobby,” the dog, Bobby, was portrayed by a West Highland White Terrier.

The Westie that appears in the American Girl series of books and dolls is named Coconut.

House, a currently produced television series, boasts a Westie named Hector, who lives with Wilson, one of the main characters of the show.

As you can see, Westies are famous world wide. If you are interested in purchasing a Westie for you household, make sure to do plenty of research and know exactly what type of dog you are getting. While Westies are well mannered and intelligent, there may be certain traits you might not like. It’s also important to do plenty of research into your breeder of choice. Make sure your breeder is ethical and properly screens their puppies.

This article was written by John Jackson and has been contributed by http://www.greatdogsite.com. For more information on the West Highland White Terrier, please visit our page http://www.greatdogsite.com/breeds/details/West_Highland_White_Terrier/.

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There have been many occasions throughout the course of time that a famous saying has come as the direct result of a dog’s behavior. It’s quite amazing the influence that dogs have had over even our English language.

As a tribute to this fact, here’s a list of notable quotations on dogs that have been said by famous people. You’re bound to have heard a few of these and probably know of a few that aren’t listed here.

Famous Dog Quotations

1. When a man’s best friend is his dog, that dog has a problem. — Edward Abbet
2. A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than you love yourself. — Josh Billings
3. Every dog has his day. — Miguel de Cervantes
4. A door is what a dog is perpetually on the wrong side of. — Ogden Nash
5. You want a friend in Washington? Get a dog. — Harry S Truman
6. Did you ever walk in a room and forget why you walked in? I think that’s how dogs spend their lives. — Sue Murphy
7. Any man who does not like dogs and want them about does not deserve to be in the White House. — Calvin Coolidge
8. We are alone, absolutely alone on this chance planet; and amid all the forms of life that surround us, not one, excepting the dog has made an alliance with us. — Max Dupree
9. Outside of a dog, a book is a man’s best friend and inside of a dog, it’s too dark to read. — Groucho Mark
10. From a dog’s point of view his master is an elongated and abnormally cunning dog. — Mable L. Robinson
11. Critics are to authors what dogs are to lamp-posts. — Jeffrey Robinson
12. Did you ever notice when you blow in a dog’s face he gets mad at you? But when you take him in a car he sticks his head out the window. — Steve Bluestone
13. I think we are drawn to dogs because they are the uninhibited creatures we might be if we weren’t certain we knew better. — George Bird Evans
14. Women and Cats will do as they please. Men and dogs had better get used to it. — Robert Heinlein
15. I loathe people who keep dogs. They are cowards who haven’t got the guts to bite people themselves. — August Strindberg
16. A dog teaches a boy fidelity, perseverance, and to turn around three times before lying down. — Robert Benchley
17. It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog. — Mark Twain
18. Dachshunds are ideal dogs for small children, as they are already stretched and pulled to such a length that the child cannot do much harm one way or the other. — Robert Benchley
19. The more I know about people, the better I like my dog. — Mark Twain
20. Dogs feel very strongly that they should always go with you in the car, in case the need should arise for them to bark violently at nothing right in your ear — Dave Barry

To find dog resources and more interesting reading visit: Emsley’s English Bulldogs and Miniature Dachshunds

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Some of our favorite famous TV dogs include:

Eddie – Eddie was the little white and brown Jack Russell Terrier on Frasier. He was well trained. He amused us with the humor that he would listen to Dafney and Martin but Frasier was usually befriended by him.

Another one of our Favorite Famous TV Dogs was:

Wolf – Wolf was the name of the dog on Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman. He was played by several Alaskan Malamutes. Wolfe was truely a member of the Sully family. He was a hunter and saved a life several times during the shows running.

Another one of our favorite famous TV dogs was:

Lassie – Lassie ran on Television from 1954 – 1973. Lassie was usually played by a male Border Collie. All of the Lassies were played by the same family line of dogs. Lassie started as a movie in 1943 from a short story written by Eric Knight.

More of our favorite Famous TV Dogs:

Scooby-Doo – Scooby Doo where are you? A Cartoon started in 1969. Scooby Doo was based on the character of a Great Dane. Although we found Scooby to be a cowardly dog we found him to be a lovable friend also.

Comet – Was the Golden Retriever on Full House. It was a big beautiful dog. but the dog didn’t get a lot of air time. This is a big friendly dog and it was a wonderful pet for the girls.

Flash – This was a lazy Basset Hound on the Dukes of Hazzard show. Flash rode in the squad car of Rosco. He was so mellow in his ways but added humor to the show. This Dog didn’t have to do much to make us love him.

Tramp – Tramp was the lovable Sheep Dog on My Three Sons.

So you can see that we love many famous tv dogs. Some provide a family relationship that we can relate to. Although sometimes these dogs are cartoons we still build a bond that goes beyond fur and four legs. We open our hearts to these personalities that come alive right on the small screen.

Mary Redfoot Harnetiaux- I live with my husband Kerry and our dog Patches in Illinois. I have a website about Patches it is [http://www.dogthatshootshoops.com]

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