Dog as a Movie Star

When the Movie Star Is a Dog

One of Hollywood's top canine trainers reveals his secrets

Do you have trouble getting your dog to perform even the most simple tricks? Does your pet have moxie that you don't know how to unleash? Consult trainers of some of Hollywood's biggest canine stars, who have many years' experience training leading dogs for movies. They learn the craft from their colleagues who trained the animal stars of many classic movies.

Is it better to have a professional train your pet or to do it yourself?

It doesn't help to send pets off somewhere unless you are part of the training. Dogs that are sent away come back and fall into the same old habits and routines again. It's best to do it yourself.

How would you start teaching obedience to a dog?

By doing leash work. You begin to control a dog naturally that way. Then you have to establish motiviation by rewarding you dog with a pat on the head, playtime with a ball, or a treat. You have to be fair and consistent, just as you are with a child.

What is the best way to develop a bond with your pet?

The most important thing is to spend quality time – time during the day or at night, taking a walk or playing with a ball. It's important to establish communication with your animal. Five to ten minutes a day is okey, but spend more if you can.

A Canadian actor Donald Sutherland is a proud owner of a very nice dog. Photo by Elena.

Is any special training required when there's a child in the house?

If you have a child in the house, you might want to approach a professional. If you have an aggressive dog, there are times when you might need to be careful around children. A lot oe people want Labradors because they think the kids can jump up and down on the dog and it wan't care. And of course there are times when kids will pull an ear. But it's very important for parents to teach their children to respect animals, too. Instaed of getting someone hurt, it's always better to consult someone.

How have you been able to successfully break animals of their bad habits?

Sometimes it takes a long time. I am working with a Great Dane right now that I got from the pound. He was a bad growler and he pushed people around doing so. I had to break him of that habit because it is not good to ajve a growling dog on a movie set. I showed him a lot of love and did not meet his aggression with more aggression. Now he is totally normal. So punishment is not always the answer.

How can y9u get a dog to perform a stunt?

You have to break down the task. Every dog learns in different ways and at different speeds. But you have to continue to move the dog along. For example, in the jail scene from the movie The Mask, when the dog snatches the keys away from a sleeping guard and gives them to Jim Carrey, that routine was made up of 8 or 10 different moves. The dog had to walk over, stop, look around, jump up, and so on. You usually end up having the dog perform the whole thing from the beginning. But sometimes you have two trainers talking the dog through the routine. The key is the treat, the reward. That becomes the motivation for performing the routine.

What is the most difficult thing you have trained an animal to do?

I used to work on a movie called The Truth about Cats and Dogs, in which I have to teach a dog to roller-skate. That has been very challenging.