BC for commercials

[David Pippenger]

I am looking to purchase a border collie to train for use in commercials for one of my clients.

 

If anybody knows of a trained dog that is for sale or has information on the best way to proceed, please let me know.

[Jodi]

A Border Collie in a commercial ... how original.

 

Did anyone ever notice how many Border Collies there are in commercials right now? I run into people all the time who, when I tell them my dog is a Border Collie (because he's a merle, so is often mistaken for another breed), they say, "Oh, like in that commercial that ... (insert any one of about 20 commercials here). Those dogs are SO smart." As if the dogs in the commercials just come like that. And you'd be surprised how many people think they just are that way with no training. So they go out and buy one, throw it in the backyard, and wait for it to grow up and be awesome. Needless to say, they end up in rescue or worse because, as we all know, bored Border Collies are ... well ... a handful, to put it lighly.

 

David, not to pick on you in particular ... I understand why you'd want a Border Collie for a commercial ... they're cute, easy to train, fun to work with, have the attention span to excel at it, etc. However, think of all the little kids out there and the parents who don't know what this breed is all about who see those commercials and go pick up Border Collies because they think they "come that way" and the fate of the dogs they pick. I think there are more than enough Border Collie commercials out there.

 

My advice ... go with another smart, yet more mellow dog. Check the shelter. I'm sure there are plenty of dogs that would love the opportunity. And some of them, I'm sure, even have some of the type of training you would need on them.

 

Just my humble opinion.

 

Jodi

[Rebecca, Irena Farm]

I adore mutts I see in commercials. I don't see why they have to use so many Border Collies. It's not like every household in America has one, or that they are the ultimate family dog - although as more of them appear, more Americans just HAVE to have on like those cute commercial dogs. And then they end up in rescue because movie dogs are dogs with jobs, which is why they look so adorable and well adjusted. Family dogs are largely dogs without jobs, which is a Border Collie disaster waiting to happen.

 

Here ya go, buddy:

Meet "Joe" - http://tinyurl.com/6z2xb

Or "Devon" http://tinyurl.com/55fgs

Or "Oreo" http://tinyurl.com/4rhe7

Or "Stanley" http://tinyurl.com/3lazh

 

Some of the best dogs in theatre history came from the pound.

 

Maybe you can make the next great discovery. If "Joe" doesn't suit, go to http://www.petfinder.com and type in your location - you can get all the local dogs and maybe find the next Benji or Moose, or you can keep to your orginal requirements and narrow it down to "Border Collie". I used Denver as a location and just typed in Border Collie and got 123 hits.

 

OVER ONE HUNDRED BORDER COLLIES in Denver alone.

 

'Scuse my shouting.

[Rave]

David,

You might want to actually learn more about the "biz" before getting a dog just for that purpose. A friend of mine runs a canine acting center, has had numerous dogs in commercials, print ads, movies, etc... and she was telling me recently the ad agencies lately have been wanting small scruffy looking dogs (the "Benji" look), i.e. your local pound puppy.

 

-Laura

[David Pippenger]

OK, points taken.

 

However, none of the points can change the fact that I have a very real job waiting for a Border Collie that will be affectionately cared for by professional people.

 

So I guess the real answer to my question is, "No, we do not know of a trained dog for sale".

 

d

[diane allen]

I guess I'm amazed that someone would BUY a dog to train for a commercial!! Why not just say, "we'd like a dog to do XYZ - anybody have one that can do that?" Or even, if you MUST use a border collie, why not find a nice one, and ask the owner to train it to do something?

 

If you were looking for a dog who would be in a series, or a longer movie - maybe. But for a COMMERCIAL??? Surely not...

 

Oh, and I agree - too many border collies in ads now.

 

"No, I do not know of a trained dog for sale." (But I know a lot of smart trained dogs who'd love to perform for your commercial!)

 

diane

[Jodi]

Dave -

 

Obviously the points were missed. We're not worried about that home THAT particular dog will have. We're worried about the homes, or lack thereof, the dogs who are bought because of a commercial seen with a cute, oh so smart, Border Collie in it.

 

Do we know of any trained Border Collies? Sure, I know plenty. In fact, I have a few right here. They can sit and stay and wave and bow and lie down and hop on their hind legs and pick things up and hold it or drop it and spin and speak and roll over and "stick 'em up" (among various other things -- including herd sheep quite well) and do all the cutesy little things these dogs do in commercials.

 

But, hey, I just thought of another idea. Why don't you look for one who nips children's heels, digs out of their kennel, jumps over a six foot fence, tears the house apart, etc. Then put all THOSE traits in a commercial. I would support that. At least then, when people who don't know anything about these dogs don't expect miracles to happen, maybe they won't buy them out of the pet store only to drop them off at the pound a year later...

 

{sigh}

Jodi

[Shawna]

Hey David, I understand where you're coming from. I know a guy who used to do commercials and acting bits with his dogs. One of the clients for various reasons wanted ownership rights to one of the dogs for the duration of filming. I know he didn't go for it but I thought I'd let you know that at least one person knows, at least in part, why you ask what you ask.

 

Personally I'm tired of the complaints about the problem being dogs used in the commercials or the run on certain breeds being entirely the fault of film makers and advertisers. It's a load of you know what and if a person stops to think about it the problem is with society as a whole. If they used any breed that breed would be wanted by thousands of nin-com-poops who are searching for a look or an idea (what they really need is a clue!). How is it the fault of the film maker? It isn't just limited to purebreds either by the way. Many years ago when I was still grooming there was a very successful ad campaign that used a mixed breed looking hair ball. Within the next two years there was an incredible influx of very similar looking dogs coming in for grooming, guess what most of their names were. The company who created the ads DID NOT BREED THE DOGS OR SELL THEM OR PROMOTE THE SELLING OF THOSE DOGS IN ANY WAY.

 

People are idiots and no matter what animal is on the telly or in the movies somebody without a clue will want one.

 

Just once I'd like the blame to be put where it belongs. How refreshing that would be.

[David Pippenger]

Further clarification.... this dog is to be used as the star in very expensive high definition commercials over the next four to five years.

 

These commercials will be shot by one of the most sought after commercial directors in the country and will be used on a wide variety of media. The dog will live with a trainer and will be "loaned" to local pet shelters and advocacy groups for special events.

 

Hey, Is it just me... or does everyone in this group want to scold me for trying to do a good job?

 

I am not a jerk, I am not an idiot... I am well informed on the traits and needs of the breed and am not reacting to some knee-jerk reaction because I saw a BC on Babe.

 

Gimme a break...

 

I just wanted to find a BC that had some early training... didn't know it was a crime.

[INU]

Do you have to be the trainer? If not, I'm sure hundreds of current BC owners would volunteer for that job! Less work for you too

[Jodi]

David -

 

No one called you an idiot. No one called you a jerk. We just didn't give you the answer you wanted, that's all.

 

Check the shelter. I'm sure they'll have exactly what you need.

 

Or does it have to be a purebred from a breeder because "this dog is to be used as the star in very expensive high definition commercials over the next four to five years"?? Are dogs from the shelter not good enough? There's probably "retired" Border Collies who used to do commercials in the shelters...

 

Oh, and I'm sure the dog doesn't give a rootin' tootin' who shoots the video or where it gets aired.

 

Jodi

[MrSnappy]

Originally posted by diane allen:

I guess I'm amazed that someone would BUY a dog to train for a commercial!! Why not just say, "we'd like a dog to do XYZ - anybody have one that can do that?" Or even, if you MUST use a border collie, why not find a nice one, and ask the owner to train it to do something?

Because dogs who do spots in movies and commercials need to be trained to do specific things, are almost always handled by "animal wranglers" who are paid for their time and effort and most owners are not suited to be on set with the dog.

 

If you are wrangling for movie/tv, your dog NEEDS to be able to do what the script requires, because filming is expensive. You can't just generally ask people if their dog can do complicated sequences of trained events and then pray that when they show up their dog can do it as promised. Not to mention that many dogs who are unfamiliar with movie/tv sets cannot work on the pressure of lights, noises etc. Plus, wranglers often bid for the part, get it, and have to have the dog ready in a short period of time ... so they tend to have dogs at the ready who can perform any number of tricks / behaviours and can be prepped in a minimum amount of time. It's a competitive business and the last thing any animal wrangler wants is a reputation for not being able to provide what was required.

 

I've had people ask me to use my dogs for movie/tv spots and I won't do it because they require the dog to come live with them for a period of time to be trained and I'm just not down with that.

 

I admire all the enthusiasm in this thread, but before you jump on the fellow asking the question, you should know something about animal wrangling for film first. There might have been some less "keen" responses to a simple - and normal, for the film trade - request.

 

RDM

[Miztiki]

David, you might not believe me, but the people here are all very nice. It's just that most love the BC breed and are very protective of them.

 

I can tell you this: I just got a stray from my local shelter Wednesday and he is extremely smart and has learned many new things already. I have no doubt that he could do whatever it was the commercial required (and handle all the showbiz crap that goes along with it).

 

He's not for sale or rent, but he's an example. There are plenty of smart BC's out there just like him. If it's your responsibility to find a BC for this job then check out some of the BC's at your local shelters. Spend time with them and teach them something they don't know. See how quickly they catch on.

 

You should be aware that even if one of us were willing to sell our smart, trained BC, that same dog would need an adjustment period, may develop issues because of being sent away, and could very well behave poorly in a different environment and disappoint the trainer.

 

I wouldn't want to be in your shoes, looking for the next BC "star". That's a tall order and one you will likely find difficult to fulfill.

 

Good luck!

[CaelinTess]

If anybody knows of a trained dog that is for sale or has information on the best way to proceed, please let me know.

You asked, everyone is telling you... GO TO A SHELTER. There are lots of BCs in shelters and rescue that would LOVE a job of their very own.

 

It does not take long for my own BC to learn stuff. She can learn a new trick in about 10 sessions of 1-2 minutes. If I use freeze-dried liver, it goes much faster.

 

If you want a trained dog, I'm sure you can find one via shelter/rescue. You just need to ask questions, same as anyone else adopting a dog... your questions will just be different. "How fast does s/he learn new things? How quickly did s/he adapt to this new environment?" and things like that.

 

Allie & Tess

[Eileen Stein]

What kind of training do you want on the dog already?

[karrie]

just curious who gets the dog after the 4-5 yrs? Is the wrangler/trainer going to keep the dog? A well taken care of dog can live 15 yrs or more ( baring any health issues). Benji was found at the pound and the trainer kept him for life ( if I was told correctly). I do agree with the check the rescues and check the pounds. But rescue is going to want to know who is going to be the dogs forever owner and that person will need to be the in the dogs life those 4-5 yrs that ya'll are working on commericals.

 

Now if you wanna train Tuck my bc ( gorgeous black and white fellow with speckles on his legs) I for one would love it but I would want to be there every day with him plus Tuck listens to me and not my husband... I'm not saying bc's are one owner cause our lab mix is the same way only she listens to dh not me. I don't know of anyone here who would give up their dog. If you noticed I said you could train him but didn't say you could have him. I think your answer may be at the pound , shelter or rescue. The pound here had one recently and they loved it , he herded the other dogs back into their kennels for them. Good Luck in your search! may you find the right dog and you fall in love and keep the lucky fellow.

[Jodi]

Rocky Mountain BC Rescue - Oreo

 

Now there's a cute girl who sounds like your typical BC. I don't imagine she'd be to hard to train.

 

Jodi

[Riley-dog]

Liam here is a classically marked long coated BC with a beautiful face. At least, I'd buy somthing with his mug on the cover .

 

Depending on what you want to teach them, a young BC can learn a repetoire of tricks and motions in a day's time. Mine makes Labs and Boxers look like dumb bricks.

[colleydogge]

out here, there are several "agencies" who will hire you and your dog for commercials. people register their dogs with them along with a list of their tricks and talents. i've done commercials for a dog food company, and for microsoft with one of my dogs. the ones for microsoft (a series of 3) took only one day to film, and we were a replacement for a previously used border collie who was no longer available.

 

this is a more cost effective way to get dogs for commercials without having to keep a "stable" of dogs that fit every size, look and behavior that might be needed for commercial work.

 

there is no guarantee that a 4-5 year ad campaign will really run that long. it would all depend on how successful it was. and a professional film crew can shoot several commercials in one day, so an ad campaign that long may take only a week to put together. plus as i stated above, they can always use another "lookalike" for repeat commercials down the road, or for personal appearances. remember how many lassies and morris the cats there have been.

 

so yes, you can buy a trained dog. i've adopted dogs out with as many as 30 "on command" behaviors in their bag of tricks. are they the tricks that might be required in the commercial? maybe and maybe not. most times, the commercial companies call you with one or 2 days notice and want a specific behavior. if the dog doesn't know it, you've got to be able to teach it quickly, and have it rock solid enough for the dog to do it reliably (time is money) in a HOT studio surrounded by TONS of strangers wielding strange equipment.

 

if you just want basic obedience training, there's no substitute for the dog's owner/handler actually spending the time to do this with the dog.

 

i'm not in favor of getting a dog for a 4 year job, no matter what the job. every dog deserves a lifetime home, especially a dog that's not only earning his bread and butter, but yours as well.

 

eileen

www.ravensgate.net

[Rave]

Why not just contract out to a canine acting agency? that way you don't have to worry about what to do with the dog when it's all over. The lady here who does it has lengthy contracts for specific dogs to be "spokesdogs" for companies like Bell South, CCB Bank, etc... Dogs are professionally trained to whatever you require. She's in NC, but I'm sure she's not the only one doing this: http://www.bon-clyde.com/canine.htm

 

-Laura

[borderbob]

having once bred st. bernards,i can atest to the damage tv/films can do to a breed. i would now advise any one who wants this breed to very carefully check its lineage.the high demand for the breed has caused it to be inbred into doggie hell.you did however mention that the dog would do these commercials for 5 yrs or so.my question dave would be what happens to this dog after 5 yrs? would you keep it as a companion? or discard it as an empty film container.is the dog "your"tool in an industry filled with discarded animals who couldnt perform as needed.

[Guest hdk9s]

David here is your dog you need

 

http://www.bon-clyde.com/gracie.htm

[Rebecca, Irena Farm]

Um, I doubt Gracie is for sale. Especially on the terms outlined in the original post (just a few years and then what?).