Things I have Learned as a Studio Trainer Part V: Not Every Pet is Going to be a Star

 

Some pets have the look but cannot act. I’ve worked with some great animal actors but they just didn’t have the look the director wanted. I also worked with some great lookers but getting them to perform was a whole another story. Unfortunately not all pets are going to become great animal actors.

“Petal”, fortunately enough, has a very unique look. But she has been turned down by several directors because it isn’t the right look. She is too small for any full shots of the actors that include her. You can’t see her in a full screen shot. She is also to “scrappy” looking for some directors. She will never play the pampered well groomed pooch.

It is important that in most instances that the director be able to see the eyes of your pet clearly and that they emote. This sounds ridiculous but it’s true. Black faced dogs are rarely seen on camera. Newfoundlands seem to be an exception to the rule. It is difficult to see the eyes on black faced dogs and also difficult for black dogs to make a nice visual appearance. Dogs with hair in their eyes are rarely chosen unless the scene specifically calls for that. So most hairy dogs have their face trimmed around the eyes or have the hair up in a ponytail or hair clip to pull it off the face. The eyes have to draw the audience in. Some of the animal actors just don’t have what it takes when it comes to their eyes.

If you have a unique looking dog or at least a dog not already over used it can be of some benefit. No director wants to use a collie and have the audience think “Lassie” instead of the character it is portraying or the product being promoted.  Yet some directors want a recognizable look. After “Legally Blonde” & “Beverly Hills Chihuahua”, the call for blonde Chihuahuas went through the roof. And for a while French and English Bulldogs were all the rage in photo shoots.

The disadvantage to a single looking uniqueness is that the dog must be a great performer as well as a great actor. As in a previous blog, there were practically 101 Dalmatians used to film that movie. And a lot of makeups to make them all look like the same dog. Not many other dogs look like little “Petal”.

Most animal actors must also be athletic. They must be able to climb and jump. I highly recommend agility training for any animal actor. It helps them become brave and strong, even the tiniest dog. They don’t have to be fast and fabulous, just willing to do it. Going through tunnels and shoots, jumping jumps, walking on ledges and platforms are common in animal scenes. There are some great animal actors out there but if the director has to shut down production for the day because the pet is tired, scared, or just not willing to work; you probably won’t be getting calls again.

My Jack Russell Terrier was in very high demand because he was friendly and could be on set with other dogs. But he hated it. He would wine and pout in between takes and drive other studio trainers crazy.  He didn’t like to work off leash but was beautiful on leash. He did several jobs and was well paid for each one. I would promise him it was the last, but then the call would come and the money was good I would try to prep him better for the wait and hope he would eventually like it. You’ve probably seen him. He is finally retired.

I also rescued a rat terrier that was a fabulous actress. She was very athletic and willing to do all kinds of stunts and tricks. She was personable but when you looked at her stills or video, she just didn’t draw you in. Nobody would hire her. She was even turned down for several free jobs.

Some breeds of dogs are just stereo typed and you won’t get the parts you want. Most directors won’t hire pit bulls or Dobermans unless they are filming a violence scene. It is just a fact. Others are in great demand because there aren’t many well trained ones available. If you can train a red Dachshund or a Dalmatian you will be flooded with calls. But they are difficult to train.

You take pictures and home video of your dog and everyone things they are stunning. When you walk your pet people stop you to ask about it. You have a dog or cat that people want to pet or a lizard that is stunning when it sits on a rock, or a bird on a perch that entertains your family and friends. Then you just may have an animal actor. But will they do it away from home and with a million distractions?

 

Part VI: Working with Distractions

 

Things I Learned as a Studio Trainer IV: Helpful Hints

Now you want to try some training. Unless your pet has a really solid come and stay command, it is essential that you put a leash on for training. Even if your pet doesn't run away you need to be able to lead them in the direction needed for certain behaviors.

Beginner marks are easy. My favorite is a book that I cover in duct tape of nay color. I often use green or brown so I can use it in tall grass or leaves if needed on set sometimes. Low apple crates used commonly on set in multiple studio situations are used by professionals. But these are pricey. books work just as well. Then as you progress you can get a smaller and thinner book. The first mark needs to be big enough and thick enough that your pet can get their front feet on it comfortably and sit down or lay down while their feet remain in place.  Some other worthwhile marks are card board coasters from bars or restaurants. Mouse pads work well too and you can cut them down to size as the pet progresses. Anything that slides when your pet steps on it is a horrible choice and will just discourage it from that behavior. Blocks of wood, bricks, etc are all good options to start with.

Another helpful tool is a target stick. They can be elaborate or not. I use a wooden dowel about 4 feet long but 6 foot is really the minimum you should use especially with a larger dog.  A dental chew slides over one end with a finishing nail in the end to hold the treat for paying. A tennis ball is placed on the other end for following with just her eyes or her whole body. The target stick is also used to encourage jumping straight up or for teaching your pet to sit up from a distance. I have seen retractable target sticks on line or in some pet shops. The problem I found with these is they are rarely long enough or stable enough when fully extended.  PVC pipe is commonly used with a fork or spork attached to  one end and a hole cut in a tennis ball for the other end. I have seen a home made telescoping pvc pipe target stick made by using a smaller size that fits inside.

A long lead is essential when teaching distance and pace. But if you are working with a reptile or small pet, the standard long leads are often too big and heavy. Laundry cord or small cord rope works well with a clip attached. I have had to resort to 20lb fishing line for one shoot with some not so well trained animals.

Training treats need to be soft and easily eaten. No director wants crumbs or chewing on set. And dog food or standard dog or cat treats are often not enough motivation to get your pet to perform for several hours on set Plus they can be very filling and fattening when giving many during one session. One of my favorites is the natural balance logs cut into very small bites. I can give two if I want a big reward and it is essentially dog food that taste like sausage. Cheese, chicken, hot dogs, and such have all been resorted to at times. I once brought cooked salmon to use as a special pay treat. But by the end of the day Petal smelled like a dead fish and no one wanted to be around her. I also keep a jar of peanut butter and chicken baby food for the times I need to have a pet lick on something for a while.

So now that you have some helpful hints, let the training begin. And remember that it is important that both you and your dog are enjoying yourselves. If not, give up the acting ideal and try another dog sport or activity.

Part V: Not Every Pet is Going to be a Great Animal Actor.

Things I Learned as a Studio Trainer III

So, you really think your dog, or any pet for that matter, is smart and already learned to do a lot of tricks. You've talked to a studio trainer and realize you and your pet still have a lot to learn.

Studio pets are "clicker" trained. Every time they initiate  a behavior(trick) you are asking of them they hear a click and immediately get a reward. As they improve the standards get harder and they only get rewarded for improvement and  then only when it is mastered. Sometimes when it is done exceptionally well they are double rewarded. A special treat for a fine performance. The trick for you in clicker training is timing. The click, the reward, the release all have to be performed with impeccable timing. Okay, so you get the clicker and you may have to get your dog used to it as the loud noise is sometimes scary, and you think you are ready to begin.

Some behaviors are harder to teach than others depending on the pet and what they feel comfortable with and what they tend to offer naturally. Some will do a hand shake or paw way on their own and all you have to do is encourage it to be on command. Others will go retrieve any item in sight and bring it to you. All that is left is for you to be able to direct them to a specific item. Others just won't.  The trick to studio training is getting the pet to do something that doesn't come naturally to them and also knowing when to give it up and realize it just isn't going to happen. "Petal" has been working on a "Take it Command" for over 5 years. It has never progressed into more than she will touch it with her mouth and sometimes even her teeth. She refuses to pick it up let alone hold it in her mouth and bring it to me. But it took only 3 attempts to teach her to "Nudge It" which is to push things with her nose and even less to get her to "Tap" any thing with her front paw. Learning to lift her leg and pretend to pee on things was somewhere in between. The point is, some behaviors are easy and others are not. Sometimes you work and work on a trick and then all the sudden it clicks and the pet gets what it is you want and it's just takes a little work to perfect it. Now you might understand why it may take several look-a-likes to complete a movie. Different pets are trained or capable of certain behaviors and are relied on for doing that behavior on set.

Now comes another common issue. Most people teach their pets to do tricks at their feet. Unfortunately, that mean you are on camera too and no set director wants that. So you have to start by training your pet to stop/start and perform the behavior from a mark. A mark is a spot just like actors use to give direction to an actor including animals. Marks for animals are often a rock, leaf, mark on a rug or an item that they put their front paw on that looks like something that normally would be in the scene. Marks are most often no bigger than a credit card and some are as small as a coin. It depends on the scene and the size of the pet and how visible the mark is allowed to be. Marks are used on every set.

Another common issue is that directors require "quiet on the set". That means you can not verbally ask your pet to do a command. You have to get your pet to do a trick-usually a series of behaviors, from at least 20ft away and without speaking. You do this with hand signals. There are standard hand signals that studio trainers use so it is important that you learn what those are for the times your pet has to have a studio trainer on set. For example: many people teach their pets to play dead by pointing a finger at them and shouting "bang". A studio trainer uses a series of  hand signals that not only asked the dog to lay down on it's side but which side and what direction based on what the director of the film requires. Hence the term "chain of behaviors".

The most common and useful behaviors are not really tricks at all but are truly behaviors. She is often asked to nudge or tap things and to sit up and bark or growl on command. But most often any pet I have worked with on set has had to move from one mark to another while facing a particular direction and at several different speeds. Yes I wrote different speeds and several.  Sometimes the director wants a slow walk vs a fast walk. Sometimes they ask can she put a "skip" in it. Directors want the scene to be shot a certain pace and you have to be able to provide that. A good camera person is essential because they can set the film speed sometimes to help you out. But that isn't always an option.

Now comes another glitch in the training. Not only are you at least 20ft away and not able to talk to your pet, you are often off to the side or at a weird angle crouched behind something. And your pet is supposed to be looking at the actor or something else besides you.  There are some props like target sticks that can help but they must remain off camera and out of the way of microphone booms. So you have to teach your pet to do all their tricks while not looking directly at you.

Now do you have the picture? That is why it is so important to have the help of an experienced studio trainer.  So get a clicker and start teaching tricks to your pet from a distance and from all directions. Remember, timing is everything: ask, click, reward. You must work with your pet at least an hour a day every day. But the pets that do best are worked with several times a day.

Part IV: Some training helpful hints.